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Please join us in congratulating the 2025 Gibbs College Faculty & Staff Awards recipients. Recipients were honored by Dean Butzer during the Gibbs College Back to School Meeting and will be recognized during the college awards banquet in October. They were nominated by their colleagues via an open nomination process.
Read on to learn more about the recipients, including quotes from colleagues who nominated them.
Shawn Schaefer and Francesco Cianfarani.
“They have delivered a lasting resource for the state of Oklahoma [the Oklahoma Housing Needs Assessment]—one that supports systemic change, fosters local agency, and creates a foundation for long-term access to safe, affordable housing. Their work stands as a testament to the power of research and design in addressing structural inequities and promoting opportunities for all.”
Bryan Bloom and Ken Marold.
“Through their [Design+Build] efforts, Bryan and Ken are able to provide a valuable, memorable, and meaningful learning experience for each student that is involved. … They add in the element of community engagement and service learning which enhances the learning experience and meets a need for each community partner.”
Casey Guest.
“Casey represents the very best of our staff—someone who not only fulfills their responsibilities with excellence but does so with a genuine commitment to the success of our students, faculty, college, and university. She truly deserves recognition for the significant difference she has made in our community.”
Camille Germany.
“Camille Germany is the steady engine that drives so much of what makes Gibbs College strong—from its culture of kindness to its operational excellence. She leads with empathy, shows up with consistency, and builds community with intention. In every sense, she embodies the spirit of Ron Frantz and this award’s mission.”
Wanda Liebermann.
“Dr. Liebermann’s work is impacting not only the scholarly community but also educators in architecture who are actively searching for better ways to incorporate a more holistic approach to teaching students about disability.”
Learn more about Dr. Liebermann’s new book, Architecture’s Disability Problem.
Ladan Mozaffarian.
“During her first year of tenure-track at OU, Ladan demonstrated outstanding achievements in research. Her accomplishments were very diverse, ranging from receiving external funding to publishing. She had (2) tier 5 accomplishments—an article in the Journal of Planning Literature and a U.S. Department of Transportation grant for $172,264. She wrote 8 book chapters in CY 2024!”
Lee Fithian.
“Dr. Fithian is always going above to support our school both within the division and university wide. Thank you for your service Dr. Fithian!”
Sarah Little.
“Her efforts have kept Landscape Architecture alive in difficult circumstances. She has navigated college, university, state-wide, and national headwinds to make this happen. …. She has learned the Landscape Architecture story and been able to communicate its value in ways that no one has ever been able to do before.”
Somik Ghosh.
“He personally recruits and advises every [CNS graduate student]. … It is clear that he goes above and beyond to the point that students aren’t just going to see him for advising with his class schedule, but to seek advice and direction in personal matters. Somik is deserving of any recognition, but his graduate advising is particularly excellent.”
Amy Leveno.
“Amy is an excellent teacher on every level: from the innovation and clarity of projects and assignments, to the inspiring and supportive environment she creates for students, and to her ongoing professional development that ensures that her teaching is cutting edge. … She has the rare gift of teaching in a way that marries more abstract design conceptualization with technically driven approaches.”
Elizabeth Pober.
“She leads by example with her students and faculty. … She understands that to succeed, we must work together and be respectful of others and the space we co-occupy. She advocates for collaboration, a skill our students must learn early in their education to be successful in their careers.”
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
