All Studio Stories

Paul D. Coverdell Fellows are returned Peace Corps volunteers who receive financial assistance to pursue graduate degrees at universities across the country. In exchange, fellows complete internships in underserved American communities, applying the skills they learned abroad.

CAPLA’s Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program has earned initial accreditation, while its Master of Landscape Architecture program received reaccreditation from the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. The milestone recognizes the strength of CAPLA’s place-based, interdisciplinary education, outstanding faculty, innovative curriculum and commitment to preparing future landscape architects to address complex environmental and community challenges.

CAPLA faculty, students and researchers joined SCORCH’s Greenspaces and Health Photovoice Study, a participatory project that invited community members to document how parks, trees and other green spaces shape their health and daily lives. The collaboration highlights CAPLA’s interdisciplinary approach to research and design, connecting community voices, public health and the built environment.

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.

Anselmo Vinhas, CAPLA’s Class of 2026, reflects on growth, favorite projects (3D-printed housing for Angola), cherished memories, and his next steps: U.S. experience and launching a business in Angola.

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.