Gibbs College PhD student Felipe Flores was recently honored with the University of Oklahoma Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in the “Humanities and Fine Arts” category. The Graduate Teaching Assistant Award recognizes and rewards outstanding performance by graduate students in both the “Humanities and Fine Arts” and “Science and Engineering” categories.
Flores is a second year Ph.D. student in the Planning, Design and Construction program, and is advised by Dr. Angela Person. Since his arrival at OU in Fall 2021, he has taught three classes in Gibbs College: Design Studio 1, Resilient Futures, and Telesis: The Architecture Student Journal.
In addition to his responsibilities as an educator, Felipe has participated in the Stacked Mentorship Program, the National Conference for Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, and a fellowship at OU’s Center for Peace and Development. These efforts were recognized by the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) in 2022 when he was awarded the King Medal.
Flores has also participated in the Muscogee (Creek) Tribal Town Futurity Exhibition, the Resilient Futures Symposium, and the Youth Perspectives on Climate Change symposium. In addition, he competed in the NOMA Student Design Competition and the Tiny House International Design Competition, with the cooperation of students inside and outside the OU community.
This spring, Flores received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS), which recognizes outstanding student teachers and emphasizes their importance in improving graduate education. Flores was honored with this award for his dedication to making architecture and planning education more inclusive of non-Western viewpoints.
As a graduate teaching assistant, Flores views these efforts as the synthesis of his main goal as an educator: to use design as a tool that celebrates diversity; and, in doing so, create a more inclusive, equitable and caring society. According to Flores, many of his teaching philosophies are inspired by an indigenous method of collaboration called “mingas.” Through this method, community members bring together their time, effort, and funds to achieve a shared goal for the betterment of the community.
Congratulations to Felipe Flores for receiving this well-deserved award!
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
