The Gibbs Design Activism Awards (GDAA) is a new grant initiative that supports student-led design and research projects that critically engage topics of community, social, and economic concern within the built environment—at Gibbs College, on the University of Oklahoma (OU) Campus, and across Oklahoma. The GDAA is consistent with OU’s Lead On Plan to advance principles of equity, diversity, and belonging specifically articulated in Pillars 4 and 5. The GDAA was made possible with support from the OU Institute for Community and Society Transformation and the Institute for Quality Communities.
Student projects can address economic, social, cultural and public health challenges and problems which manifest in physical space and the built environment. Proposals that address underrepresented and underserved groups and communities in the design fields are especially welcome.
Awards range from $1,500-$8,000. Number of awarded projects depends on applications. Applicants may apply for awards up to $8,000. There will be two information sessions – March 28, at noon in the Gould Hall Buskuhl Gallery, and April 11, at noon on Zoom.
The GDAA supports proposals in three categories – community connections, special events and exhibits, and curricular interventions. All applications must list a Gibbs College faculty sponsor.
*****GDAA DEADLINE EXTENSION*****
The deadline for submissions to the Gibbs Design Activism Awards has been extended to Friday, April 29 at 6pm.
For more information on how to apply, contact faculty organizer Dr. Wanda Katja Liebermann [wkliebermann@ou.edu].
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
