Gibbs College PhD student Felipe Flores recently won the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Excellence in Teaching Award. MAGS is an organization of colleges and universities that works to advance graduate studies by improving program standards, sharing information, and encouraging research.
The MAGS award recognizes outstanding student teachers and mentors and emphasizes their importance in improving graduate education. One doctoral student and one master’s student were awarded with a citation and a $750 honorarium at the 79th Annual MAGS meeting on March 29-31, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
Flores was honored with this award for his dedication to architecture and planning education. He strives to make this discipline more inclusive of non-Western viewpoints by creating a more diverse and inclusive educational environment for emerging architects. Ever since he joined as a doctoral student in the Fall of 2021, Flores has engaged with undergraduate students, organized events that serve our student community, and explored new learning opportunities to improve his instructional techniques.
His dedication to teaching excellence has made a positive impact on many students across Gibbs college. Student Sabrina Feist reflected on her time with Flores, “[Felipe] respected my ideas and guided me to a precedent that taught me how to capitalize on what I loved while staying true to the project and practice. He was excited and ready to show me how to use my own interests in my work.”
Another student, Benjamin Jawad, said “Successful teachers can recognize and push their students to reach their potential, even when they are unaware of it. Due to Felipe’s commitment to guiding his students to reach their full potential and providing them with valuable growth opportunities, I believe he has provided me with the best academic experience possible through the Gibbs College of Architecture.”
Below are some of the teaching and mentoring opportunities Flores has actively engaged in during his time at Gibbs:
Congratulations to Felipe Flores for receiving this well-deserved award!
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
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.
