Community Connection: Lesley Peréz ‘26 MSUP & ‘27 MS.Arch
Lesley Peréz (’26 MSUP, ’27 MS.Arch) is a dual-degree graduate student at CAPLA committed to advancing equity through design and policy. Inspired by her upbringing in East Los Ángeles, her work focuses on creating accessible, community-centered spaces where people can thrive. At CAPLA, she has served as a student ambassador, contributed to housing policy research with ARCHES, and engaged in community outreach through the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning and Design—shaping a future career in planning, transportation, and design at local and global scales.
CAPLA Planning Faculty, Recent Alumna Study TUSD’s Climate Impact
A report led by Associate Professor Philip Stoker and alumna Alyssa Fink delivers the most comprehensive climate assessment of Tucson Unified School District’s 2024 operations to date. The study establishes a greenhouse gas baseline and outlines strategies to reduce emissions, energy use and costs, supporting the district’s sustainability goals. Sponsored by Jobs With Justice, the project also highlights the impact of student-led, community-based research.
How Cities are Battling Extreme Heat, and Why Record-Breaking Temps Don't Tell the Whole Story
CAPLA Assistant Professor Ladd Keith explains how this year's heat wave extends well beyond Phoenix, how cities are addressing extreme heat and why record-breaking temperatures are an incomplete benchmark for understanding the effects of scorching heat.
UArizona Master of Landscape Architecture Student Wins ASLA Arizona Student Award of Excellence
The Ephemeral Essence of Plant + Place, a habitat garden designed for a community park by Krista Planinac '23 MLA, has been selected for the AzASLA Student Award of Excellence, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement.
The Heat Is On This Summer: CAPLA’s Ladd Keith Provides Expert Insight for Sierra Club, Vox, Global Heat Health Information Network and Others
As a leading expert on the impacts of extreme heat on communities, Assistant Professor of Planning and Sustainable Built Environments Ladd Keith is providing new insight for a variety of publications and media outlets this summer.
Bo Yang Named an American Society of Landscape Architects Fellow
Bo Yang, an award-winning professor of landscape architecture and urban planning and associate dean for research in CAPLA, has been named an ASLA Fellow for his "exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large."
Planetizen Names UArizona Master's in Urban Planning a Top Program
In its Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, 7th Edition, Planetizen has ranked the University of Arizona’s Master of Science in Urban Planning (MSUP) as the nation’s #5 top public program without a Ph.D. (#9 overall).
Associate Professor Laura Hollengreen Wins Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award for ‘Localizing the Sacred’ Humanities Seminar
Laura Hollengreen, associate dean for academic affairs at CAPLA, has been awarded the Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award for her Humanities Seminar Program course, Localizing the Sacred: Medieval Christian Architecture and Art. The annual award is based solely on student evaluations.
Sonoran Birds and Climate Change: UArizona Landscape Architecture Students Work with Community to Design Urban Bird Habitats
In a collaborative effort between students in CAPLA’s Master of Landscape Architecture program and key community organizations, the recent Sonoran Birds + Climate Change studio led by Mackenzie Waller took on the task of reimagining a small neighborhood park in Tucson.
CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand Elected to U.S. and International ICOMOS Organizations
CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand has been elected to two prestigious organizations of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS): the Advisory Committee to ICOMOS and the Board of Trustees of World Heritage USA.
AIA Future Focused: CAPLA Senior Lecturer Damon Leverett on Empowering Students to Excel
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. Watch the video.