Our students come from a rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences.
View profiles of a few of our undergraduate and graduate students in the University of Arizona School of Landscape Architecture and Planning:

Architecture Student Helps Reconstruct Ancient Greek History
Architecture student Gene King is helping digitally reconstruct ancient Greek buildings at Mt. Lykaion, Greece, using a mix of classical research and modern tools like AutoCAD. Her work blends design, history, and technology, and has reshaped how she views modern architecture.

Highlighting the Class of 2025: Ollie Freshour, SBE
Ollie Freshour is graduating with a BS in Sustainable Built Environments with an emphasis in Sustainable Buildings. As an online student, Ollie made the most of their experience traveling from Indiana to Tucson to connect with the CAPLA community and explore the ENR2 Building. From designing a sustainable park in Elkhart to planning a future as a certified arborist, Ollie is ready to make a lasting impact on urban environments.

Highlighting the Class of 2025: Annamaria Pongratz BLA
Annamaria Pongratz is graduating with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a minor in Art History. Reflecting on her time at CAPLA, she shared how the experience shaped her as both a designer and collaborator. This fall, she’ll continue her academic journey as a graduate student at CAPLA. One of her proudest achievements? Designing a sensory garden for a children’s museum in her planting design class—a project that reflects her creativity and care for inclusive, engaging spaces.

Rodeo Grounds Reimagined: Abigail Power ‘26 BLA
Abigail Power ‘26 B.LA recently reimagined the entry plaza of the Tucson Rodeo Grounds in LAR301, a studio led by CAPLA faculty Erik Schmahl and Kirk Dimond. Inspired by vaquero herding techniques, her design blends cultural history with ecological function through detailed plans, GIS mapping, and a physical model.

Learning from the Best: Isabella Cleopatra de Sousa Proulx '25 B.LA
Isabella Cleopatra de Sousa Proulx ‘25 B.LA recently completed an internship with Universal Studios in Orlando, where she contributed to the highly anticipated Epic Universe theme park, opening in May 2025.

Founding ISAPD: Nathan Becenti ‘25 M.Arch
Nathan Becenti ‘25 M.Arch is the founding president of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design (ISAPD) at CAPLA, where he champions Indigenous representation in architecture. Originally from Tohatchi on the Navajo Nation in Northern New Mexico, he earned his undergraduate degree from UNLV before gaining hands-on experience in high-profile Las Vegas projects.

Building Inclusive Spaces: Lescilia Panzarella '28 BLA
Lescilia Panzarella '28 BLA is a first-generation college student and active leader at CAPLA, serving as vice president and secretary of the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design, where she fosters Indigenous voices in modern design and pursues her passion for sustainable public housing and city planning.

Class of 2024 | Paving Your Own Way
Emma Hughes came to CAPLA from Phoenix and found the BLA program amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear about her CAPLA experience as part of the first BLA graduating class this May.

Class of 2024 | Discovering Strength in Adversity
Hunter Pinke '24 graduated with his master's degree in real estate development and was named to the 2024 Academic All-America Second Team by the Intercollegiate Division of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.

The Sky is the Limit: Tiara Stephen '24 MS Urban Planning
Master of Science in Urban Planning student Tiara Stephen came to Tucson from Brooklyn to explore the Desert Southwest and work at the University of Arizona. Not long after, she joined the MSUP program, furthering her passions for affordable housing and community access.

Solving Pressing Problems: Oscar Rodriguez Ponce '24 MLA, '22 BS SBE
Master of Landscape Architecture student and Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments alumnus Oscar Rodriguez Ponce was born in Navajoa, Sonora, Mexico, but brew up in Nogales, Sonora. In 2017 he moved to Rio Rico, Arizona, and has lived in Arizona ever since.

Creating Results: Jacob Schaffer ’23 SBE, ’24 MRED
Jacob Schaffer came to UArizona from Highland Park, Illinois, after his father, an alumnus, forwarded him information about CAPLA. The combination of sustainable built environments and real estate development piqued his interest, and he has been creating results ever since.