We are pleased to announce that our Ph.D. student, Rafael Hernández, has been awarded the prestigious American Council for Construction Education’s (ACCE) National Housing Endowment Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“My family and I are truly grateful for this scholarship, which eases the financial burden of paying for school and allows me to focus on my studies and research,” says Rafael. “I look forward to becoming actively involved with ACCE and its distinguished institutions in the future!”
The National Housing Endowment is a philanthropic branch of the National Association of Home Builders. They support the residential construction industry by sharing educational and career opportunities with students.
The ACCE is a global advocate for the quality of construction education, responsible for promotion, support, and accreditation of construction education programs. Working with the National Housing Endowment, the ACCE awards a scholarship to support the children of Executive Officers in the pursuit of a college degree. To date, $330,000 has supported more than 250 students in their education.
“Rafael’s professional and military background will make him a tremendous addition to any program,” says Dr. Ben Bigelow. “I’m very excited that the National Housing Endowment has recognized him with this support!”
Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
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.
