School of Landscape Architecture & Planning Student Profiles

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Talie Bonds is a UArizona Track and Field student athlete from Las Vegas, Nevada. Though her goal is to become a professional athlete, she also understands the value of preparing for life outside of athletics. This May, she graduates with her Master of Real Estate Development from CAPLA.

Erika Schmidt, who is originally from Maryland but grew up in Sahuarita, Arizona, graduated from CAPLA's BS in Sustainable Built Environments at the beginning of the pandemic. A sudden shift in career possibilities led her to enroll in the Master of Architecture program, but her passions for performance and design remain.

This summer, graduate student Zsalina Allen participated in a sustainable transportation study abroad program in Denmark and Sweden. She documented her travels in a fascinating and entertaining blog. We followed up to learn more about her experience in Scandinavia, as well her UArizona MS Urban Planning experience.

BS in Sustainable Built Environments student Shamara Smith came to UArizona from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this video profile, she discusses how she became interested in sustainability, her passions for leaving the world better than she found it, why community engagement is important and the value of networking in building a new career.

MS Urban Planning student Christina Scarpitti made her way to Tucson in the midst of the pandemic. Although her time here came with a few trials, she looks back and reflects on the positive experience CAPLA and the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning have provided her as she enters the job field.