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Following an external peer review process, the three research and creative activity projects described below have been funded by the College of Architecture’s “Program for Research Enhancement.” Congratulations to Dr. Little, Dr. Harris, and Dr. Pilat!
Lincoln Elementary School.
In spring 2018, Engage Learning, a non-profit, will partner with Lincoln Elementary School in a STEAM-intensive project: designing and renovating a playground. Dr. Little will provide expertise in design participation techniques with children and design assistance to the renovation project. One of the most exciting aspects of the project is a proposed behavior mapping exercise with the 5th graders. The students will document how the playground renovation impacts behavior by conducting pre- and post- evaluations of the playground renovation. The method of behavior mapping will be modified to accommodate 5th graders. Sarah Little is the Principal Investigator.
The Women’s Advocacy Network in Uganda.
This proposed study seeks to create baseline knowledge of grassroots community-based peacebuilding and development in war-affected northern Uganda. The PI, through The OU Center for Peace and Development (CPD), of which he is Co-Director, has worked with the Women’s Advocacy Network (WAN) for the last two years as part of the CPD’s core mission to build knowledge of post-conflict community-based development. WAN is a network of local groups of war-affected women made up of individuals who were either abducted during or displaced by hostilities. The proposed study seeks to better understand WAN’s network and grassroots peacebuilding by gathering survey and focus groups data on demographic information of its members, economic and livelihood data; social networks and resources; political activity; rates and types of ongoing violence against WAN members; and access to land and basic services. This project has three purposes: 1) Create a unique snapshot of the status and wellbeing of war-affected women nearly 10-years after the cessation of hostilities in northern Uganda. 2) To provide WAN essential internal knowledge about its members that can be used to prioritize programs and for future grant applications. 3) Provide baseline data and proof of concept for long-range external funding applications for investigators’ and CPD’s work. John Harris is the Principal Investigator.
Venice, Italy.
For nearly fifty years, the Venice Architecture Biennale has been the most important international exhibition venue for contemporary architecture. The Biennale draws hundreds of thousands of architects, critics, designers, students, and architecture aficionados to the city every other year to survey the latest in design on view throughout sites, gardens, and palazzi across the city. The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture has been invited by the Global Art Affairs Foundation (GAA) to author an installation on the American School at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, which runs from May to November. The American School Project aims to celebrate the long-overlooked history of the truly original design pedagogy and practices that emerged at OU in the 1940s which continues to inspire architectural practice around the world today. An installation in the Venice Architecture Biennale allows the OU College of Architecture to reassert its position in architectural history. Stephanie Pilat is the Principal Investigator.
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
