Student, Faculty & Alumni Profiles

Paola Ortez, who is from Tucson, entered CAPLA's BS in Sustainable Built Environments program (Sustainable Building Emphasis) following a series of unexpected physical and mental challenges, testing her but demonstrating her resilience and commitment to sustainability.

Bachelor of Architecture student Rafael Taiar, who is from the small city of Vinhedo in São Paulo, Brazil, came to CAPLA for what he knew would be a challenging and rewarding experience.

CAPLA student ambassador Lydia Roberts came to the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Arizona from Sierra Vista, Arizona, but has family across the globe.

Professor of Practice in Architecture Elena Cánovas, who came to CAPLA in 2017 from Barcelona, views service as "being a part of a community that works together to build a common vision. This is a fundamental role of architects in society.”

Anisa Hermosillo, who was born and raised in Tucson, nearly chose another architecture program out of state. She quickly realized that staying home to study architecture at UArizona was the right decision.

Alec Kelly-Jones, who came to UArizona from Sydney, Australia, to play rugby, discusses his passion for sustainability and his move from the BS Sustainable Built Environments to the Master of Architecture and the challenges and rewards of the M.Arch program.

Athena Myers, who is from Tucson, entered the M.Arch program after receiving her undergraduate degree in design studies. Prior to joining CAPLA, she spent a year in Portland, Oregon, before moving back to Tucson where she worked as a manager in an advertising agency.

Mehli Romero came to CAPLA after living in Texas, Mexico, Germany and Italy. As a violinist, she is passionate about music and also now passionate about how places and spaces impact our mental health, a passion that she shares regularly on her blog, Archipeutic.

Associate Professor of Architecture Clare Robinson, who joined CAPLA in 2012, explores how the everyday built environment facilitated the definition of social and aesthetic norms, and how professional designers used modern architecture and planning paradigms to define middle-class activities and spaces during the mid-20th century.

Despite the challenges presented by job hunting during a global pandemic, Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning recently moved across the country to Providence, Rhode Island to start her career as a staff planner.

CAPLA student ambassador Kaya Orona, who is active in several student organizations, came to the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Arizona from Chandler, Arizona.

With her MLA, Kendra Hyson has followed a path to leadership not just in landscape architecture but also in the movement for social equity in built environment design—as both a founder of The Urban Studio and in her current role as a landscape architect and planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.