Dr. Sara Mata, a lecturer of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma, has been awarded a micro-grant from the Carceral Studies Consortium. The Carceral Studies Consortium, hosted by the Gibbs College of Architecture, brings together faculty, staff, and students from across the University of Oklahoma and beyond to cultivate and support rigorous research, pedagogy, and community engagement toward social transformation.
Dr. Mata will be working with undergraduate student Mariafernanda González for this project. The research will examine the experiences of traditional college-age students and how they have been impacted by immigration detention centers; she will achieve this by gathering testimonies from those who have had direct relationships with individuals at immigration detention centers. There is very little research about how college students recollect their experiences of immigration detention centers, and Dr. Mata’s project will fill this gap.
This project will help researchers begin to understand the gravity and depth of the ways immigration detention centers have a lasting impact on individuals who have encountered them in their lifetime and how these experiences with immigration detention centers have shaped their perspectives. The end goal of Dr. Mata’s research is to bring light to the effects a system has caused on people and humanize the crisis.
This research is a very important look into the often-ignored impacts of the immigration detention system.
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.
On April 24, 2026, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture hosted its annual Graduate Student Showcase, a celebration of research, design innovation, and creative exploration across all graduate programs within the College.
