News & Headlines

CAPLA alumna Kaya Orona, B.Arch ’23, has been named one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2026 40 Under 40 honorees, recognizing her accomplishments in the construction industry. Now a preconstruction manager at The PENTA Building Group, Orona has built on her architectural education to lead projects at the intersection of design, construction and development.

Nataliya Apanovich, a CAPLA lecturer, won the Gerald J. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence. She’s known for innovative, student-centered, community-focused sustainability education.

As Tucson works to address its housing shortage, research from the University of Arizona's Drachman Institute is helping guide key policy decisions. Assistant Research Professor Bill Mackey's work on zoning, land use and housing regulations is providing city leaders with research-based options to increase housing opportunities across the city.

University of Arizona alumnus and faculty member Ladd Keith has become a nationally recognized leader in extreme heat resilience, translating research into policies that help communities adapt to rising temperatures. His work has shaped federal and international heat governance while advancing the university's land-grant mission of creating practical solutions for society.

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.