The students, faculty and alumni of the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture comprise a dynamic community.
Meet a few of our students, faculty, staff and alumni who are building a changing world:

Retail Design Innovator Richard Altuna ’74 B.Arch Honored through CAPLA Endowed Scholarship
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.

Immersed in Architecture: Christine Ufondu '25 B.Arch
B.Arch student Christine Ufondu, who is also pursuing in a Minor in Real Estate Development, will graduate in 2025. She was born in Houston, Texas, but mostly grew up in Rivers State, Nigeria. Though she chose to come to CAPLA site unseen, it was the right decision: she loves the community of faculty, students and immersive design.

Creating Spatial Justice: Mackenzie Waller, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture
Mackenzie Waller joined the college this semester as assistant professor of landscape architecture. Learn more about Mackenzie, including current research in environmental/spatial justice and this semester's landscape architecture design studio created around preserving native bees in urban Tucson.

The Right Tools for the Job: Georgia Pennington ’19 BS SBE, ’20 MS Urban Planning
Georgia Pennington, who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, came to UArizona to study sustainability. While in the BS in Sustainable Built Environments program, she found herself most drawn to the urban planning courses, so then enrolled in the MS Urban Planning accelerated master’s program option. Upon graduation, she accepted a planning job with the City of Tucson.

A Passion for Construction and Sustainability: Tayler Forsberg '22 B.Arch
Tayler Forsberg, who is from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, will graduate from the Bachelor of Architecture program in May 2022. He then plans to attend graduate school before working towards becoming a registered architect and, eventually, teaching.

Protecting and Celebrating: Daniel Vega '21 BS SBE, '24 M.Arch
Yaqui tribe member Daniel Vega, who is from Tucson, graduated from the BS in Sustainable Built Environments program in December 2021. Continuing his passion for sustainable design, he is taking advantage of the CAPLA Master of Architecture accelerated master’s program (AMP), which he will complete in 2024.

No Building Left Behind: Dan Heinfeld ’75 B.Arch
Though Dan Heinfeld knew from a young age that he wanted to become an architect, he couldn’t have known in eighth grade—when he wrote a class paper on the profession—that his career pursuit would not only change his life but also change the design industry itself. As president of LPA, he’s done just that.

CAPLA Celebrates Heather Henricks Lenkin ’79 B.Arch, 2020-2021 Alumna of the Year
The Arizona Alumni Association has named Heather Henricks Lenkin ’79 B.Arch as its 2020-2021 Alumna of the Year for the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. Heather was chosen for her outstanding career success, passionate work to protect the world’s cultural resources and unwavering support of the university.

Art, Design and Authentic Place: David D. Ortega '77 B.Arch
David D. Ortega, who is from Globe, Arizona and has lived and worked in Scottsdale since 1978, became the first architect and Latino mayor in the country when he was elected the 12th mayor of Scottsdale. He credits his background in architecture with informing his views as a civic leader.

Accessibility for All: Irene Pineda ’22 MLA
Master of Landscape Architecture student Irene Pineda is from La Puente, California, located 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. She earned her BA in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University and served as a public school teacher before falling in love with the Sonoran Desert and joining the MLA program.

Advice for Aspiring Architects (from an Aspiring Architect): Gustavo Antonio Noriega ’20 B.Arch
Gustavo Antonio Noriega, who grew up in Sinaloa, Mexico, East Los Angeles and Tucson, graduated from UArizona at the height of the pandemic and following a sudden switch to online courses. In this interview, he offers advice to those just starting out in the architecture program, as well as those looking for their first jobs as they prepare for graduation.

Exploring Human-Landscape Connections: Adriana Zuniga ’10 MS Arch, Assistant Research Scientist
Assistant Research Scientist Adriana Zuniga came to CAPLA from Mexico in 2008 to pursue her MS Architecture degree. Since then, she has also earned a PhD in Arid Lands Resources Sciences and has taught and conducted research on human-landscape connections at CAPLA since 2015.