The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Tim Stephens has accepted the position of Senior Director of Development for Gibbs College, beginning April 15, 2026.
Tim brings eight years of experience in higher education advancement and development, complemented by earlier professional experience in financial and wealth management. He joins Gibbs College from the Gallogly College of Engineering, where he has served with the OU Foundation for the past four and a half years. In this role, Tim most recently supported the School of Civil Engineering & Environmental Science and School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, partnering with faculty, alumni, and donors to advance strategic priorities across the college.
“Tim’s experience will help us continue building our fund-raising momentum,” Gibbs College dean Hans E. Butzer said. “It’s clear he’s ready to lead, and I can’t wait to introduce him to our college alumni and friends.”
Prior to joining the University of Oklahoma, Tim moved to Oklahoma in 2021 from Indiana, where he worked at Purdue University in advancement and development. Across both higher education and the financial sector, Tim has built a career focused on relationship management, strategic philanthropy, and aligning philanthropic investment with longterm institutional and client goals.
Tim is actively engaged in the advancement profession through his involvement with the Engineering Development Forum (EDF), a national organization dedicated to advancing the success of development professionals supporting university engineering programs. He has served on an EDF professional development board, most recently as Content CoChair, helping shape professional learning and content for advancement colleagues nationwide.
Tim and his wife, Taylor, have two children, Mallory (7) and Maverick (4), and reside in Blanchard, Oklahoma. Tim is excited to continue serving the University of Oklahoma and contributing to the mission and future of the Gibbs College of Architecture.
Telesis, a journal produced by students in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, has earned first place in the 2026 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals for its seventh volume, “Unfold.” This marks the fourth time the publication has earned recognition for excellence in student architectural journalism. It shares the honor with student journals from Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Cal Poly.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
