
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.

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.

CAPLA, Mrs. Green’s World and Pima County Team Up to Increase Participation in County’s Sustainable Action Plan
CAPLA Lecturer in Architecture Sandra Bernal-Cordova is collaborating with Mrs. Green's World and Pima County to design, implement and evaluate a new "Sustainable Action Plan for County Operations" engagement program for county employees.

From Hedgerows on the Prairie to Footsteps on the Moon: A World Heritage Site Evaluator’s Journey
CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand discusses the importance of heritage conservation and the fascinating work she does as a "mission expert" and former co-chair of the World Heritage Evaluation Panel for the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

Senior Lecturer in Architecture Oscar Lopez Wins Prestigious 2021 AIA Associates Award
Oscar Lopez, CAPLA senior lecturer in architecture and founder of Tucson architecture firm s p a c e BUREAU, was one of only three architects nationwide to receive the 2021 Associates Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Dallas, Texas Turns to CAPLA Planning and Sustainable Built Environments Professor and ULI for Guidance Following Natural Disasters
Ladd Keith, assistant professor of planning and sustainable built environments, chaired the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel that evaluated and made recommendations on rebuilding a Dallas neighborhood following a devastating tornado. Keith also provided insight into the recent Texas power grid failure.

A Balanced Mindset: Emma Nakpairat '24 BLA
Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Emma Nakpairat came to CAPLA and the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program in Tucson to be inspired by the Sonoran Desert—and to combine her love of the outdoors with her thirst to improve the environment in which we live.

Dwelling in Meaning: Laura Hollengreen, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Architecture
Laura Hollengreen, who has worked at CAPLA twice in her career, is researching theories of virtual and augmented reality to understand how some effects of digital media today were foreshadowed by immersive techniques in art and architecture of the past, especially medieval art, her area of expertise.

Lecture Recap and Video: Altaf Engineer on Synergies between Research, Practice and Education in Health and the Built Environment
In this talk, CAPLA Assistant Professor of Architecture Altaf Engineer examines the transformational impact of health-related design research on real-world outcomes, architectural practice and education.

Designing a Resilient Future: Carla A. Campos '22 BS SBE UArizona, B.Arch UPC Lima
Carla A. Campos is a fourth-year architecture undergraduate student at UPC Lima in Peru. Through CAPLA’s innovative microcampus program, she’s also pursuing her BS in Sustainable Built Environments program at the University of Arizona.

Harvesting Sunlight and Plant Power on UArizona's Greenest Building
New solar panels and a rooftop garden on the university's ENR2 building, a project headed by a team that includes Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Kirk Dimond and Professor of Landscape Architecture Margaret Livingston, not only generate electricity but also create unique environmental research opportunities.