AIA Future Focused: CAPLA Senior Lecturer Damon Leverett on Empowering Students to Excel

June 2, 2023
Who
Damon Leverett, Senior Lecturer in Architecture
What
AIA Future Focus Video
When
May 2023
Image
Damon Leverett

In a new Future Focused video by the American Institute of Architects, CAPLA Senior Lecturer in Architecture and AIA Arizona President Damon Leverett discusses empowering the future of architecture through interactions with students.

“You must have a personal belief that everyone can succeed,” he says in the video. “When you listen to the student, you find a connection that allows you to talk to each other in a way that helps allow them to excel.”

Watch the full video:

 
Leverett, who joined the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture in 2019, is an architect, artist and educator. At the University of Arizona, he teaches design studio, environmental systems and computing in the arts in the School of Architecture and School of Information. He also advises the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students UArizona chapter. Leverett is currently the 2023 president of AIA Arizona and a past director at the National Architectural Accrediting Board. He has over 30 years of experience working as a design leader, architect and principal in the architecture and design industry.

View Damon Leverett's CAPLA faculty profile: "The Intersection of Architecture and Technology: Seven Questions".

  

Subscribe to The Studio

Sign up for CAPLA's monthly e-newsletter to get the latest news and events, insights from faculty and leadership, profiles of students and alumni and more.

Subscribe Now

Latest CAPLA News, Projects and Profiles

Image
 Sandra Bernal Cordova, Altaf Engineer and Ladd Keith

CAPLA Faculty Awarded $250K to Start Heat Consortium

A team led by CAPLA’s Sandra Bernal Cordova, Altaf Engineer, and Ladd Keith has received a $250,000 grant over two years from the Office of Research and Partnerships through the inaugural Big Idea Challenge. Their project, the Heat and Health Resilience Innovation Consortium (HHRIC), aims to develop community-centered solutions to the growing threat of extreme heat. The team—comprising experts from across the University of Arizona—will focus on wearable biosensors, mobile cooling and care structures, health system algorithms, and AI-powered education tools. Their innovations, including the solar-powered CHILL-IT Health Oasis and telemedicine-equipped Kiosk Care, aim to improve public health and infrastructure resilience in Arizona and beyond.

Image
Pele Kruse

Leading Women in Architecture Society: Pele Kruse ‘26 B.Arch

Pele Kruse, Class of 2026, is earning her Bachelor of Architecture as the first Samoan student in the program. Passionate about sustainable, community-focused design, she’s dedicated to uplifting underrepresented communities through architecture. As president of the Women in Architecture Society and a standout in studio projects, Pele is preparing to return home and help shape the future of architecture in American Samoa.

Image
Clare and Kelly

Clare Robinson and Kelly Eitzen Smith honored with 2025 Darryl B. Dobras Awards

Clare Robinson and Kelly Eitzen Smith are the 2025 recipients of the Darryl B. Dobras Awards for Excellence. Robinson was recognized for her leadership in the School of Architecture, while Eitzen Smith was honored for her work supporting accreditation and assessment in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning.