The Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design at the University of Oklahoma’s Gibbs College is pleased to announce the appointment of incoming Assistant Professor, Dr. Wei Liu, beginning in Fall 2025.
An award-winning scholar, urban designer, and AICP-certified planner, Dr. Liu brings a strong record of research, teaching, and community engagement. His work focuses on strategies that help communities thrive by enhancing public spaces, encouraging collaboration, and supporting practical design solutions that make a lasting difference.
In his role as Assistant Professor, Dr. Liu will contribute in two key areas. He will teach core courses in the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design program, preparing students for careers that shape the built and natural environments. Additionally, he will work with communities across Oklahoma on applied planning and design projects through the OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC).
Dr. Amber Wiley, Director of the IQC, shared, “It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Wei to the team! His enthusiasm, expertise, and knowledge have already proven to be assets for the projects we will take on this academic year. I know he will make a strong impact here in the state of Oklahoma.”
Please join us in welcoming Assistant Professor Dr. Wei Liu to the Gibbs College community!
Associate Professors Lee Fithian, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Pober have published a chapter in the recently released New Perspectives in Indoor Air Quality, published by Elsevier. Their contribution, titled “Chapter 16 – Architecture and the Challenges of Indoor Air Quality,” examines the relationship between architecture and indoor air quality.
Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, Assistant Professor of Regional and City Planning, has been selected to serve as Co-Chair of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Planners of Color Interest Group (POCIG) for the 2025–2027 term.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Tahsin Tabassum, a recent graduate of the college’s Master of Regional and City Planning program and current doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine, for receiving the prestigious 2024–2025 American Planning Association (APA) Outstanding Student Award.