Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Dr. Suchismita (Suchi) Bhattacharjee, Associate Dean of Academics and College Administration and Associate Professor of Interior Design, has received the campus-wide Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring of Graduate Students.
The Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring recognizes outstanding mentoring of graduate students by members of the OU Graduate Faculty. Dr. Bhattacharjee is recognized for her holistic and deeply student-centered approach to mentoring, which emphasizes not only academic success, but also students’ confidence, wellbeing, sense of belonging, and long-term professional development.
Her mentoring philosophy is shaped by her own journey as a graduate student. She came to the United States from India and completed multiple graduate degrees while adapting to a new academic culture. This experience informs her commitment to supporting students as whole individuals by guiding them in research and scholarship while also helping them understand and navigate the broader academic environment.
Dr. Bhattacharjee views mentoring as a collaborative and developmental process. She works closely with students through hands-on engagement, co-developing research methods, preparing them for conference presentations, and guiding them through the publication process. This approach helps build confidence and independence as scholars.
“What sets Dr. Bhattacharjee apart is her capacity to meet students where they are,” said Hans E. Butzer, Dean of the Gibbs College of Architecture. “She adapts expectations, timelines, and strategies to support students navigating cultural transition, caregiving responsibilities, or financial strain, without lowering academic standards. This balance of rigor and compassion has helped produce scholars who are confident in their methods and anchored in their values.”
Please join Gibbs College of Architecture in congratulating Dr. Bhattacharjee.
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.
