Associate Professor of Urban Planning Kristina Currans is taking on a new role as Master of Science in Urban Planning Program Chair. She has a vision for the program centered around the voices of students and consistency.

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.

Ryan Smith, director of CAPLA’s School of Architecture, was elected to the National Academy of Construction Class of 2026 for leadership in offsite construction.

Teresa Rosano, associate professor at the School of Architecture, earned the 2025 AIAS Faculty Advisor Honor Award for her mentorship, inclusive teaching, and leadership. She inspires students through community-focused, real-world architectural education and over 25 years of professional experience.

Christopher Tucker, a lecturer in architecture at CAPLA, received the American Institute of Architects’ Design Pedagogy Award for his Abiotic Studio, a fourth-year course that challenges students to engage with ecological realities and reimagine post-industrial landscapes through more-than-human perspectives.

Kirk Dimond, associate professor of Landscape Architecture, was recently named program chair for the landscape architecture program at CAPLA. Hear about his background in the field and vision for the future.

Myles Peña, Lecturer in Architecture at CAPLA, finds inspiration in celebrating nature's beauty within design. With a background in various architectural realms, he now focuses on teaching young minds, sharing his expertise in design principles and technical components.

Garrett Smith serves as a CAPLA lecturer in both Sustainable Built Environments and Landscape Architecture. His research focuses on how recreation affects people, the environment and those responsible for managing it.

Brendan Sullivan Shea joined CAPLA this fall as a visiting professor of architecture. His research, creative work and teaching focus on digital fabrication and desertification, while his advice to students is simple: if you can, travel.

Noémie Despland-Lichtert joined CAPLA this fall as our second Emerging Faculty Fellow. An accomplished teacher, researcher and practitioner, she spent the last year in Brussels and has also worked at Taliesin West, the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Architecture Department of Getty Research Institute, among others.

Assistant Professor Atticus Jaramillo joined the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture this fall. His research focuses on housing and community development planning, with a particular focus on the housing-health connection.