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Shawn Schaefer, Associate Director of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD), Director of the Urban Design Studio and Associate Professor at the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, will retire in May 2025, concluding over two decades of dedicated service and leadership in urban design education and community service at OU.
“Shawn’s impact on Tulsa’s urban fabric has been transformative. His adept leadership and community engagement has helped ensure OU students of our storied Urban Design program learn through doing,” said OU Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. Butzer, FAIA. “While Shawn will be missed and his shoes will be hard to fill, OU and our college remain committed to supporting Tulsa’s momentum.”
Since joining the university in 2000 and assuming leadership of the Urban Design Studio in 2001, Schaefer has transformed the studio into a model for community-centered, experiential learning. Under his direction, students have completed more than 100 impactful projects across Oklahoma, addressing urban and rural planning needs, revitalization, and sustainability.
“The OU Urban Design Studio has greatly impacted Oklahoma under Shawn’s leadership and service,” said Paulina Baeza, Principal Planner for the City of Tulsa and a 2017 graduate of the OU Urban Design program. “He has provided support to several communities by building partnerships with local governments, organizations, and neighborhoods across the state, helping them shape their built environment to create opportunities for their residents.”
Baeza continued, “His hands-on, real project approach is what has makes him so successful with his partners and encouraged so many students to join his program. He has helped numerous pupils build their careers and shape their future, and I can count myself among those fortunate to have been mentored by him.”
Schaefer’s work leaves an enduring mark on the Gibbs College of Architecture, the University of Oklahoma, and communities across Oklahoma. His approach to teaching and community engagement has shaped not just physical spaces, but the careers of countless students who now serve communities nationwide. The Gibbs College of Architecture is grateful for his many years of service and the foundation he has built for future generations of designers and planners. The entire Gibbs College community wishes Shawn all the best in his next stage of life!
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.
