The Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Tahsin Tabassum, a recent graduate of the college’s Master of Regional and City Planning program and current doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine, for receiving the prestigious 2024–2025 American Planning Association (APA) Outstanding Student Award. This national honor highlights her exceptional academic achievement and her commitment to advancing equitable and justice-centered planning.
Tahsin’s recognition by the APA follows another significant accomplishment: she was named the 2024 recipient of the Ed McClure Award for Best Master’s Student Paper by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). Her award-winning paper, “Exploring Transportation Justice and Equity through the Transportation Justice Threshold Index Framework in Municipalities of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma,” impressed the selection committee with its innovative approach and rigorous analysis of transportation equity.
During her time at Gibbs College, Tahsin was supervised and mentored by Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, under whose guidance she developed a strong and deeply informed foundation in equitable and justice-oriented planning. Her scholarship has been shaped by both her personal experiences as an international student navigating transportation barriers in the U.S. and her broader commitment to creating more inclusive and sustainable mobility systems.
Her academic path—beginning with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, continuing through her master’s studies at OU, and now advancing into doctoral work—demonstrates her steadfast dedication to improving urban systems and advancing transportation.
Gibbs College extend its warmest congratulations to Tahsin on these outstanding achievements. We look forward to following the impact of her future scholarship and leadership.
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.
