The OU Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC) has awarded $2,410.95 in seed money to support a research team that includes Shu Sun, an instructor and Ph.D. student in the Division of Landscape Architecture. The team is conducting the project “Urban Landscape: Eco-social interactions and park configurations influencing human exposure to ticks in Oklahoma City.”
The project aims to bridge knowledge gaps surrounding neighborhood park exposure and risk to tick-borne disease. The team will investigate how tick abundance relates to different landscape composition and configurations in parks. The project will also estimate the potential risk of human-tick exposure based on human behavior in parks.
Shu Sun and her team will be carrying out their research in 16 park sites in Oklahoma, where ticks are known vectors of human disease. The seed grant from DISC will allow the team to purchase ethanol, microcentrifuge tubes, and dry ice for tick preservation and storage. The team will also be purchasing insect repellent for engaging with park visitors and providing tick-borne disease education.
The project has until August to use their funding and will receive monthly support and progress check-ins from their assigned DISC mentor.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
On April 24, 2026, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture hosted its annual Graduate Student Showcase, a celebration of research, design innovation, and creative exploration across all graduate programs within the College.
