The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
This spring, Dr. Collard will serve as a guest lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, presenting to students in “Nation Building II” (DEV 502), a graduate course focused on Indigenous governance and development. The course is taught by Prof. Eric Henson and is part of the Ittapila Program for Nation Building Education and Outreach within Harvard’s Project for Indigenous Governance and Development.
Dr. Collard’s lecture, “Reclaiming Indigenous International Trade,” will draw on more than three decades of experience in public- and private-sector economic development, examining how Indigenous nations can strategically engage global markets while advancing sovereignty, self-determination, and long-term prosperity.
In addition to lecturing at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Iron Horse Industrial Park—a groundbreaking project conceived and led by Dr. Collard during his seventeen-year tenure with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation—was recently recognized with the “Honors Award for Excellence in Economic Development in Indian Country” from Harvard during the National Congress of American Indians’ annual conference. Iron Horse is widely viewed as one of the first Foreign Trade Zones on Native American trust land with activated sites, and it stands as a national model for tribally driven industrial and trade development.
Dr. Collard’s work continues to resonate across professional and policy arenas. In the coming weeks, he will also present at the Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in Las Vegas as part of the panel “Tribes and the New Era of Global Commerce,” further advancing dialogue on Indigenous participation in international trade.
Adding to this momentum, Dr. Collard has recently launched Collard & Associates Trade Consultants, a new professional venture focused on supporting Indigenous communities as they navigate and participate in the global economy. The consultancy builds on his longstanding leadership roles, including service as Vice-Chair of the International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization and as a board member of the Forum for International Trade Training.
The Gibbs College community congratulates Dr. Collard on these significant achievements and celebrates his continued leadership at the nexus of planning, policy, trade, and Indigenous nation-building—work that exemplifies the College’s commitment to impactful, globally engaged scholarship and practice.
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
