Associate Professor of Interior Design Mia Kile received the Award for Excellence in Transdisciplinary, Convergent Research, which recognizes excellence in leadership in the creation of collaborative teams of recent faculty projects. Professor Kile and her team also received the Annual Award for Excellence in Research Grants, for acquiring over $1,000,000 in grants in 2022.
Mia Kile is one of the leaders of the Happy Teacher Wellness Intervention Team, which is a four-year research project being conducted by an interdisciplinary team of OU researchers. Funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the team will take a holistic view of physical, psychological and professional well-being, as well as the impact of workplace conditions, for Head Start teachers in Oklahoma.
Elizabeth Pober, the Director of the Division of Interior Design, spoke about Mia Kile and her work: “Mia has dedicated numerous hours towards her research impacting local communities and educators. This award recognizes the significant contributions she has made and will continue to make in the future.”
Congratulations to Professor Kile for these well-deserved awards!
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
