In 2020, a student team from the University of Oklahoma participated in the EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge. This competition is a green infrastructure design competition for American colleges and universities. It aims to engage with the next generation of environmental professionals, foster a dialogue about the need for innovative stormwater management techniques, and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices.
The OU team, led by faculty advisor Bret Betnar (former Adjunct Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture), developed a series of design interventions with the goal of solving the flooding problem on OU’s campus. Their interventions would improve stormwater management on campus which would conserve water as well as improve campus walkability and accessibility.
The student team included Aman Golshan (MLA alumnus 2021), Yi-Wen Yeh (MLA alumnus 2021), Bradley Andersen (current MLA student), and Samin Shokoohi (MLA alumnus 2021). They competed against fifty-seven other student teams and were awarded an Honorable Mention in Community Engagement in the Master Plan Category.
The team was also advised by Leehu Loon (Director of Landscape Architecture), Dr. Sarah Little (Professor of Landscape Architecture), Carrie Evenson (City of Norman), and Dr. Robert Nairn (Division of Engineering WaTER Center). They were also assisted by Brandon Cox, Kyle McGhee, and Jason Reeves from OU Facilities and Landscape Services.
Bradley Andersen wrote, “This competition is an excellent chance to test your abilities while working with a team to solve complex community issues. It also allows the student to interact with municipal agencies and various specialties that you don’t typically work with.”
Another team member, Yi-Wen Yeh, wrote, “I hope that more of these competitions can be held so that students can have constant opportunities to challenge themselves, not only to increase their knowledge in various aspects, but also to learn the opportunity to cooperate with each other, because when we enter the workplace, we need to cooperate with others often.”
Explore the team’s proposal below!
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
