News & Headlines

CAPLA lecturer Sandra Bernal has been selected for the 2026 Academy for Public Scholarship on the Built Environment: Spatial Determinants of Health. She will join a national cohort of scholars working to translate research on design and public health into accessible scholarship, building on her work in heat resilience, air quality and healthy community design.

CAPLA Professor Michael Kothke and Kathy Hancox won a national AIA Interior Architecture Award for Casa Luce, a Tucson renovation honoring adaptive reuse, sustainability, and the Sonoran Desert.

Alumnus Edward Marley, FAIA, B.Arch ’82, received CAPLA’s Distinguished Service Award and FCARM Presidential Medal for advancing architectural licensure, leadership, and education, including renegotiating the North American Tri-National Agreement.

CAPLA architecture students were featured by KGUN9 for designing and constructing a shipping-container microshelter prototype that addresses housing instability while providing hands-on experience in community-engaged design and construction.

Ryan Smith, director of CAPLA’s School of Architecture, was elected to the National Academy of Construction Class of 2026 for leadership in offsite construction.

Ladd Keith, associate professor of planning, has received the 2026 University of Arizona Convergence Award for Excellence in Applied Research and Engineering for his interdisciplinary work advancing heat planning, policy and governance.

Bradley Wheeler, B.Arch ’87, built a career that extends far beyond traditional architectural practice, embracing opportunities in architectural photography, writing and marketing while remaining grounded in his design education.

The Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE) brought together leading architects, designers and expo practitioners from around the world for a workshop in Paris focused on best practices in international exposition design.

The 2nd Annual U of A Real Estate Symposium drew more than 40 real estate alumni and industry partners from the greater Phoenix area and highlighted the real estate trends shaping development and investment across Arizona. 

Third-year B.Arch student Brett Lewis earned first place in the poster competition at the 2026 Big Idea Challenge Research Showcase for his work on a climate-responsive cooling unit developed in CAPLA’s Human Factors and Wellness class. M.Arch student Nick Yang also received fully funded National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps+) training, reflecting the growing impact of faculty-led, student-powered research at CAPLA.

Bill Mackey, associate research professor, was interviewed and featured in the Tucson Sentinel for his insights on Tucson’s STAR Village safe sleeping site.

Francisco Zazueta, B.Arch '26, was recently featured by Arizona Public Media for a story as much about perseverance as it is about design.