Alumni News & Announcements

In a recent story in Arizona Daily Star, CAPLA's Valerie Lane is highlighted for her new Tucson-based business partnership, the Urban Infill Project, working to help the Tucson community meet supplementary and affordable housing needs.

Congratulations to our Class of 2023 B.Arch, BLA, BS SBE, M.Arch, MS Arch, MLA, MRED and MSUP students! View student pages, projects, awards, videos, the Convocation ceremony livestream and more on the dynamic CAPLA Convocation Showcase website.

Ryan Meeks, a 2005 graduate of the Bachelor of Architecture program who grew up in Tucson and now lives in Denver, is the founder of Bosk, an urban design and architecture firm. In this interview, he offers keen insight on his B.Arch experience, lessons learned from his capstone project, what it means to start his own design firm, the best career advice he has received and more.

In honor of his remarkable career and his dedicated support, the Arizona Alumni Association is proud to name William Brown the 2023 Alumnus of the Year for the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. Read more about Brown's legacy in this profile.

Though Emeritus Professor of Architecture R. Brooks Jeffery retired from UArizona in June 2022 as associate vice president for research, at CAPLA he will be long acclaimed for his dedicated work across many roles, including associate dean and Drachman Institute director—as well for his wide-reaching service and award-winning research on heritage conservation in arid environments.

Kevin Kudo-King, a 1995 graduate of the B.Arch program, is the principal/owner of internationally renowned design firm Olson Kundig in Seattle. In this profile, he discusses his path through and beyond architecture school, offers insight for current design students, shares the collaborative process used by his design firm as well as a recent favorite project and shares how his inspirations and passions shape his design outlook.

CAPLA undergraduate architecture students Kaya Orona, Celestin Amani and Anisa Hermosillo held externships at The M Group in Washington, D.C., Onyx Creative in Tucson, Arizona, and erstad ARCHITECTS in Boise, Idaho last spring break. Learn more about their experiences and the benefits externships offer for both students and sponsoring firms.

After a full and rewarding architecture career that spans marketing, facilities, project management and corporate relations, CAPLA Director of Alumni Relations and Community Engagement Kay Olsen Brown has retired. Before she rode off into the sunset, Brown shared stories about her career, her experience at CAPLA and more.

Forest Replogle, a transportation planner with the Mid-Region Council of Governments Metropolitan Planning Organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico, graduated from the UArizona MS Planning degree after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, an experience that helped him think about "how the built environment affects health, wealth and ecology."

A Class of 1977 Bachelor of Architecture alumnus has established the Judith Chafee Scholarship to honor the legacy of the architect and School of Architecture professor, who in her classroom and studio created "new expressions in the built environment that caused in the viewer reflection and gave a new sense of existential ‘delight’."

The 12th Annual CAPLA Job Interview Fair, made possible by the Chasse Building Team and 22 other sponsors, was held February 10-11, 2022. For the first time, the interactive two-day event took place both online and in person and included 42 employers, 145 students and 536 interviews.

Richy Altuna, who graduated from the Bachelor of Architecture program in 1974 and went on to become a renowned consumer experience designer for many of the world's most iconic retail stores, passed away in June 2021. His family and friends have established the Richard “Richy” Eugene Altuna Endowed Scholarship to support CAPLA undergraduate students.