Petya Stefanoff, a Ph.D. student in OU’s Planning, Design and Construction degree program, has been honored with the Annual Outstanding Plan Award by the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Planning Association, alongside her teammates. The plan features revitalization efforts in the Twin Lake area, aiming to activate the space with compact improvements that support multiple outdoor activities. The project is expected to boost the economic vitality and tourism, bringing the surroundings to a desired destination for residents and visitors. A standout aspect of the plan is its strong community engagement; the team actively applied the core principles of “inform, engage, empower,” hosting numerous public meetings and charettes that brought stakeholders together to collaboratively shape the vision.
Stefanoff and teammates accepting the Annual Outstanding Plan Award.
Stefanoff’s doctoral research explores how place attachment fosters cohesion in communities, and this project exemplifies how a built environment can unite and empower a community. Stefanoff’s doctoral adviser is Dr. Charlie Warnken.
The Outstanding Plan Award highlights the significance of her and her team’s project ability to advance the art and science of planning as a whole.
Stefanoff began her journey at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geodesy in Bulgaria. Witnessing the fall of the Iron Curtain during her college years, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and later earned an additional bachelor’s in architecture and urban planning. After moving to the U.S., she graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Kansas. Working in the field of engineering and architecture for a number of years, she was given a task at one time to create a training program for employees. As part of this effort, Stefanoff enrolled at OU and graduated with a Master of Adult Education. Her dedication to building and sustaining strong communities inspired her to enter the doctoral program in Planning, Design, and Construction within the OU School of Architecture.
Telesis, a journal produced by students in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, has earned first place in the 2026 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals for its seventh volume, “Unfold.” This marks the fourth time the publication has earned recognition for excellence in student architectural journalism. It shares the honor with student journals from Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Cal Poly.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Thinh "Henry" Duong, a master's student in the Division of Interior Design, for earning first place in the 2026 Robert Bruce Thompson Annual Student Light Fixture Design Competition.
Gibbs College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Director and Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design (PLAD) faculty member Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., recently published a new book, Collective Yearning: Black Women Artists from the Zimmerli Art Museum.
