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On Wednesday, April 9, Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) students from the University of Oklahoma represented their peers at the Oklahoma Board of Governors of Licensed Architects, Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers (OBA) board meeting. Giselle Walker, a second-year MLA student, and Jeremy Crites, a third-year MLA student, attended the meeting to provide testimony on behalf of Landscape Architecture students from both OU and Oklahoma State University.
The students addressed the board to advocate for an update to the state’s licensure requirements for landscape architects. Their testimony requested that Oklahoma align its standards with the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) Uniform Standards, which serve as the national model. More than 20 states have already adopted these standards.
Currently, Oklahoma requires three years of professional experience for MLA-accredited graduates seeking licensure, one year more than many surrounding states. The students noted that this additional requirement is contributing to a loss of emerging professionals, as recent graduates are opting to begin their careers in other states with a more efficient path to licensure. Reducing the experience requirement from three years to two would bring Oklahoma in line with regional trends and help retain graduates in-state.
The advocacy was a success as the board responded positively to the students’ remarks. The vote was unanimous to begin the formal process of updating the licensure standards. The process, which is expected to take 18 months, will evaluate education and experience requirements for landscape architecture licensure in Oklahoma.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
