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 Association of American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence, known as the PROSE Awards, in the category of Social Sciences: Architecture and Urban Planning.
“This recognition came as a complete surprise, but I welcome the honor,” Wiley said. “The PROSE Awardees' work represents an unparalleled depth and breadth of subject matter expertise.”
Model Schools in the Model City
The PROSE Awards have recognized excellence in professional and scholarly publishing since 1976. The awards honor authors, editors, and publishers whose work makes significant contributions to their fields. The Association of American Publishers represents the nation’s leading book, journal, and education publishers and advocates for policies that support the creation and dissemination of professional and academic knowledge.
Published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Model Schools in the Model City examines how Black Washingtonians influenced urban planning and design policy for public education. The book contributes to scholarship in architectural history and urban studies and highlights the role of community leadership in shaping educational environments.
The book has also received national recognition as a finalist for the 2026 ASALH book prize.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
In May, students from the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture's Architecture, Environmental Design, and Interior Design programs participated in an intensive five-day Studio in Residence at Taliesin West, the iconic winter home and desert laboratory of Frank Lloyd Wright.
