The 2023 Charles W. Graham Travel Study Benefit Dinner was a huge success, with about 200 attendees and over $34,000 raised. The 11th annual event was held Friday, February 11, at Vast restaurant in Oklahoma City. The proceeds from this event directly benefit students who are eager to travel and gain hands on learning experiences.
The travel study programs give students out-of-classroom educational experiences that allow them to connect what they are learning to real-world settings. They get the opportunity to visit firms, construction sites, and inspirational environments where they observe challenges firsthand, connect with employers, and gain a better understanding of regional and international perspectives. This year, students will travel to many places across the globe, from Dallas and Chicago to Italy and Peru. Photos from the event can be purchased here (link expires March 10, 2023) or downloaded for free here (link expires March 18, 2023).
A place setting at the benefit dinner.
This year’s event featured a special 3-course dinner with wine pairings, accompanied by music from members of the Crouse Quartet of OU’s School of Music. Throughout the dinner, students shared inspiring stories about their own travel-study experiences and how these opportunities have impacted their lives and academic careers. A new travel-study opportunity was also announced at the dinner, which will allow students to travel to Peru for a collaborative project, “Inti Wasi Sustainable and Affordable Cold Climate Housing."
The Crouse Quartet.
There were also silent and live auctions with a variety of exciting items available, including merchandise signed by Bob Stoops and Barry Switzer, an OKC Thunder basketball package, and framed artwork of this year’s Napkin Sketch Contest winners. We’re grateful to all of the auction donors!
A few of the items available at the auction.
We would like to thank our amazing sponsors, including our Framing Sponsors James Spann and his team at Boyd Street Ventures and Ted Reeds of Ted Reeds Architecture, as well as our Finishing Trim Sponsors Miller Architects and Dolese, and our table and beverage sponsors. This event would not have been possible without their support and generosity.
Bidding during the live auction.
To everyone who attended this year’s benefit dinner, we thank you for your time and support of the Gibbs College travel study program. We hope to see you again next year!
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
