Student, Faculty & Alumni Profiles

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bachelor of Architecture student David Zúñiga is from Nogales, Arizona. In this profile, he discusses his passion for cinema and architecture, how architecture school makes him a critical thinker, his experience in the CAPLA Hispanic student organization PUENTE, how he's learning to be patient and more.

Ash Avila, a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments student from Nogales, Arizona, who will graduate in 2023, has been awarded an acclaimed Transportation Research Board (TRB) Minority Student Fellowship for 2022. Avila is one of 24 students selected by TRB.

Associate Professor of Architecture Eric D. Weber joined the college this fall, where he is teaching Design-Build and Techne. Learn more about Eric, including his background in architecture, his construction-focused research and his advice for architecture students.

Kenneth J. Kokroko, a CAPLA Master of Landscape Architecture alumnus, joined the college this fall as assistant professor of landscape architecture. Learn more about Kenneth, including his passions for community-based projects, a positive studio experience and plants.

Bachelor of Architecture student Athba Alradaan, who is from Kuwait, took advantage of remote learning due to the pandemic to participate in two informative internships in her home country. In this profile, she shares what she loves about architecture, how she's overcome challenges and more.