The U.S. Department of Transportation has selected the University of Oklahoma (OU) led Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) as the 2023-2027 USDOT Region 6 Regional University Transportation Center.
Under the umbrella of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), this center brings federal funding of $3 million per year to OU along with $3 million per year in matching funds. With a focus on improving durability and extending the life of infrastructure and safety, the SPTC will leverage the strengths of OU, and its partner institutions, in transportation engineering, materials, construction, climate, and weather to develop implementable solutions to create climate resilient infrastructure in Region 6. It will also catalyze transportation education and workforce development for the Region.
Dr. Tammy McCuen, Professor of Construction Science, is part of the OU multidisciplinary research team representing engineering, construction, and geography and environmental sustainability. She will play a key role in Workforce Development focused on people with disabilities and non-violent incarcerated people. She will also explore the use of building information modeling (BIM) for the location and documentation of existing utilities and assets on infrastructure projects.
Telesis, a journal produced by students in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, has earned first place in the 2026 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals for its seventh volume, “Unfold.” This marks the fourth time the publication has earned recognition for excellence in student architectural journalism. It shares the honor with student journals from Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Cal Poly.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.