Felipe Flores, a PhD Student in Planning, Design, and Construction under the advisement of Dr. Angela Person, was recently awarded the Architectural Research Centers Consortium’s (ARCC) 2022 King Medal for the University of Oklahoma. The King Medal, named in honor of the late Jonathan King, is awarded to one student per ARCC member institution. Recipients are selected at the discretion of member institutions based on criteria that acknowledges innovation, integrity, and scholarship in architectural and/or environmental design research.
Felipe, an Ecuadorian architect, is currently conducting research involving Indigenous communities in the Amazon. He is particularly interested in exploring how design can alternatively engage with issues related to encroachment on Indigenous territories, resource extraction, and contemporary narratives of what a possible post-development landscape in the Andean Amazon could hopefully look like.
Felipe recently presented a poster with the early stages of his research at 34th Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE 2022) held in Portland, Oregon. He used the conference presentation to determine receptiveness of the audience towards the topic and gather important feedback.
Felipe also co-organized the Resilient Futures Symposium and contributed to the Muscogee Futurity exhibition, which both took place in the Spring of 2022. As part of his role as a graduate fellow with the Center for Peace and Development, Felipe co-organized the Youth Perspectives on Climate Change symposium. He also was a student editor for the most recent volume of the student journal Telesis.
On April 24, 2026, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture hosted its annual Graduate Student Showcase, a celebration of research, design innovation, and creative exploration across all graduate programs within the College.
The Gibbs College of Architecture celebrates fifth-year architecture student Haley Praytor, who has been recognized at the national level for her design work. In early March, Haley received a Graduate Division Award of Merit for her submission to the 2025 Metal Building Manufacturers Association student design competition.
Ronald Frantz Jr., emeritus professor, has been named a 2026 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient, the highest honor presented by Main Street America. The award was announced at the Main Street Now Conference in Tulsa, recognizing leaders who advance preservation-based economic development and community revitalization.
