Professors of Interior Design Dr. Suchismita Bhattacharjee and Dr. Yeji Yi and graduate student Azra Fific presented at the I.D.E.A. symposium, hosted by OU’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
This event was created to highlight inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (I.D.E.A.) across OU’s campus and within the local community. The symposium featured a variety of interactive workshops and presentations that explored the intersections of I.D.E.A. in higher education.
Dr. Bhattacharjee and Dr. Yi presented their teaching experience, “Universal Design in Architecture,” regarding how the built environment can be inclusively and universally designed to support diverse groups of people. Fific presented her project “Refugees and Placemaking: Healing Trauma Through Interior Design.” In her presentation, Fific investigated placemaking and interior design strategies to help the Afghan refugee community heal trauma and assimilate to Oklahoma City.
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.
