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This past spring the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) worked with twenty-one students in the Environmental Design Practicum class in order to collaborate with community leaders of Tullahassee, Oklahoma and develop a plan for revitalization and growth.
The town of Tullahassee has a population of just over 100 residents. While small, the town has a large history; it is considered to be Oklahoma’s oldest surviving Black township. Tullahassee is also well known for its history of providing educational opportunities to Black Oklahomans. Flipper Davis College, the only private education institution for Black students in Oklahoma at the time, was established by community leaders in 1916.
Tullahassee also housed the Carter G. Woodson school for younger Black students. When designing a vision for the town’s future, Tullahassee community leaders, the IQC, and OU’s Environmental Design Students made sure to take the town’s cultural heritage and history into account. IQC project leaders also toured Tullahassee with community leaders.
Pictured during town tour from left: Charity Marcus, strategic consultant to Tullahassee; Cymone Davis, city manager of Tullahasse; Vanessa Morrison, associate director of OU IQC.
The student team was divided into five working groups that focused on individual themes of revitalization and growth. Within these themes the students developed pathways from the town’s current state to their eventual goals. You can explore these themes and the students’ work below.
Developing pathways for Tullahassee’s growth allowed the students to learn how built environment professionals like themselves can better serve and support Black rural communities like Tullahassee. By doing research on Black communities and on Tullahassee’s specific history as well as engaging consistently with community members, students were able to approach the town’s goals with the context needed to understand the specific needs of the town. The town of Tullahassee now has a clear set of goals for growth and revitalization as well as the pathways necessary to reach those goals.
Watch a typographic video on the project below.
View the full “Pathways to Hope – Tullahassee, Oklahoma” report below.
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
