Dr. Sara Mata, a lecturer of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma, has been awarded a micro-grant from the Carceral Studies Consortium. The Carceral Studies Consortium, hosted by the Gibbs College of Architecture, brings together faculty, staff, and students from across the University of Oklahoma and beyond to cultivate and support rigorous research, pedagogy, and community engagement toward social transformation.
Dr. Mata will be working with undergraduate student Mariafernanda González for this project. The research will examine the experiences of traditional college-age students and how they have been impacted by immigration detention centers; she will achieve this by gathering testimonies from those who have had direct relationships with individuals at immigration detention centers. There is very little research about how college students recollect their experiences of immigration detention centers, and Dr. Mata’s project will fill this gap.
This project will help researchers begin to understand the gravity and depth of the ways immigration detention centers have a lasting impact on individuals who have encountered them in their lifetime and how these experiences with immigration detention centers have shaped their perspectives. The end goal of Dr. Mata’s research is to bring light to the effects a system has caused on people and humanize the crisis.
This research is a very important look into the often-ignored impacts of the immigration detention system.
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.
