Boyd Street Ventures recently announced that it is investing in VesprSolar, a solar tech company that continuously works to streamline the entire photovoltaics (PV) installation process. The company is most well-known for the V-ClampTM, which is an innovative technology that was developed by Dr. Andrés Cavieres, an Associate Professor in the Division of Architecture. The V-ClampTM Panel Attachment System makes PV installations faster, more secure, and less costly.
Boyd Street Ventures is a local investment firm that provides funding and guidance for startup companies that are created within OU or founded by alumni. The company strives to draw attention to up and coming companies so that they can rapidly scale. The company is joining VesprSolar in their mission to transform solar panel installation technology across the globe.
The Founder and Managing Partner of Boyd Street Ventures James H. Spann Jr. expressed his excitement for the partnership: “We are very impressed with the level of innovation VesprSolar is injecting into the $1 billion-plus addressable market for solar panel installation. Between their leadership team and their advisors, they have a great grasp of not only the industry’s challenges but potentially disruptive solutions to those challenges.”
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
