Associate professor of Architecture Tamar Zinguer recently contributed to a dynamic, multidisciplinary conversation as part of the University of Oklahoma Arts & Humanities Forum’s 2025–26 theme year, “Dirt.” The event—“What Dirt Is Not: Thinking with Loess, Sand, Shell, and Dust”—brought together scholars from across the OU and beyond to examine how different kinds of earth and sediment shape environments, histories, and cultural narratives.
This program marked the second event in the Forum’s four-part public series. Moderated by Kim Marshall, Director of the Arts & Humanities Forum at OU, the discussion featured perspectives from Geosciences, Anthropology, Architecture, and the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program. Together, the speakers explored how materials such as loess, sand, shell, and dust carry scientific, social, and symbolic meaning—and how they challenge our assumptions about what “dirt” is and is not.
The panel featured presentations by:
Tamar Zinguer's presentation. Photo credit: Donovan Linsey.
Zinguer’s forthcoming book is titled Sandbox: An Architectural History (MIT Press), and her presentation on the panel explored the “imagination that is engendered by sand.”
A full recording of the panelist’s presentations and discussion is available as a podcast episode on OUAH.FM, a collection of podcasts and audio resources created by the Arts & Humanities Forum.
The 2025–26 Forum series will continue throughout the year with additional public talks, community-focused programs, and a faculty fellows initiative that invites deeper reflection on how “dirt”—in all its forms—shapes our landscapes, our stories, and our shared sense of place.
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
