In a showcase of architectural excellence, CAPLA earned prestigious accolades at the 2023 AIA Arizona Design Awards. The distinguished recognition extends to not only the exceptional faculty but also talented students and accomplished alumni, reinforcing CAPLA's commitment to excellence in design and innovation within the architectural landscape.

MSUP student Ash Avila received the prestigious Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, allowing her to explore the urban planning and transportation field, with a focus on climate and urban issues. Her long-term plan involves working on city government initiatives and pursuing a Ph.D. in the field.

Laura Carr, a Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture, is part of a team that secured a $200,000 grant for the Native People's Design Coalition. This grant will support their efforts in collaborating with tribal communities to plan and design sustainable and resilient built environments.

Arthur C. Nelson, an emeritus professor of urban planning and real estate development, has received the Western Planner 2023 Stan Steadman Article of the Year award for his “Homes on the Range” article series.

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.

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."

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.

Two B.Arch student teams made the finals of this year's Solar Decathlon Design Challenge, while the Casa Verde team took third place in the Attached Housing Division. As much as we tout the students’ success, however, the more significant impact is on the students themselves.

Congratulations to our Class of 2023 B.Arch, BLA, BS SBE, M.Arch, MS Arch, MLA, MRED and MSUP students! View student pages, projects, awards, videos, the Convocation ceremony livestream and more on the dynamic CAPLA Convocation Showcase website.

Assistant Professor of Practice Teresa Rosano has won the prestigious Margaret M. Briehl and Dennis T. Ray Five Star Faculty Award for 2023, which recognizes excellence in teaching and mentoring and is the only university-wide award for faculty members that is determined by undergraduate students.

Thanks in part to a 2022 grant from Chicago-based Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Associate Professor of Architecture Beth Weinstein is synthesizing more than a decade of her research on architecture and dance into a book that “establishes a field of practice, raises many critical questions” and also aims to “inspire people interested in interdisciplinary dialogues.”

The UArizona Theme Park Entertainment Group, comprised of CAPLA and College of Engineering students, received the highest commendation overall—with distinctions for technical skill, feasibility, innovation and communication—at the esteemed Toronto Met Thrill Design Invitational held last fall at Universal Orlando Resort.