Student, Faculty & Alumni Profiles

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.

Tulga N. Ericson, who is originally from Mongolia but moved to Arizona nine years ago, entered CAPLA's Bachelor of Architecture program after knowing he could stay in Tucson to attend an outstanding undergraduate architecture program.

Cordell Lee, who is originally from Hong Kong, entered CAPLA's BS in Sustainable Built Environments program after completing his high school career in the United Kingdom.

Assistant Professor of Practice in Architecture Jesús Edmundo Robles Jr, who teaches Techne 2 and second-year studios and is a principal at DUST Architects, has a focus that "oscillates between sustainable material development and poetics of space."

Anthony Van Dao, who grew up in Tucson, entered CAPLA's Sustainable Built Environments program after coming to UArizona first as a B.Arch student. After taking time off and realizing his passion was sustainability, he returned to UArizona for the SBE program.

Assistant Professor of Architecture Courtney Crosson joined CAPLA in 2016. She enjoys connecting students’ academic knowledge with real projects in the community, with a particular focus on water in the built environment and community outreach.

Suzanne Ries, who is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, entered CAPLA's Sustainable Built Environments program after coming to UArizona first as a B.Arch student. After a car accident that required an intense recovery process, she made the difficult decision to switch majors—igniting a passion for sustainable buildings and much more.

Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Planning Philip Stoker joined CAPLA in 2016. He researches how cities and neighborhoods can be designed and planned so that they have fewer negative environmental impacts.

Associate Professor of Architecture Susannah Dickinson, who joined CAPLA in 2009 after practicing architecture full-time, sees teaching and research as an opportunity for personal growth and lifelong learning and also a chance to give back to the next generation of architects.