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The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to announce that the University of Oklahoma Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships has awarded $30,052 through the Strategic Equipment Investment Program (SEIP) to support the launch of the Mobile Urban Design Unit (MUDU). This new resource will allow OU teams to bring high-quality tools for research and community engagement directly into towns and neighborhoods across Oklahoma.
Led by Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Amber Wiley and co-PI Dr. Wei Liu, the initiative brings together faculty collaborators across the Institute for Quality Communities, Architecture, Environmental Design, Interior Design, and Regional & City Planning. Contributors include Dr. Francesco Cianfarani, Dr. John Harris, Prof. Chelsea Holcomb, Prof. Mia Kile, Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, Dr. Angela Person, and Dr. Shakil Shimul, working in partnership with the OU Institute for Quality Communities. The team will share and steward a consolidated set of digital, audiovisual, and environmental assessment tools organized within a custom-built mobile unit.
Since 2008, Gibbs College faculty and IQC teams have partnered with communities in 60 Oklahoma counties, collaborating on planning, revitalization, infrastructure, and public health initiatives. The MUDU addresses a longstanding need for a single, coordinated set of equipment that can be transported efficiently—reducing preparation time, improving on-site workflow, and supporting a wider range of collaborative field activities.
“This investment allows our faculty to bring high quality research and design tools directly into Oklahoma communities—where people live, work, and make decisions about their futures,” said Angela Person, Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement. “By consolidating our fieldwork tools into a single mobile system, the MUDU strengthens OU’s role as a statewide partner in community-engaged design and expands our ability to respond quickly and meaningfully to local priorities.”
The award aligns with OU’s Lead On 2.0 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes real-world problem-solving and interdisciplinary collaboration. The MUDU strengthens partnerships focused on environmental quality, mobility, spatial analysis, and community-centered design while increasing OU’s competitiveness for future large-scale grants.
Four Gibbs College divisions—the Institute for Quality Communities, Architecture, Interior Design, and Planning, Landscape Architecture & Design—have contributed cost-share funding to make the MUDU possible.
With this investment, OU becomes one of the first universities in the nation to deploy a purpose-built mobile unit dedicated to community-engaged research and design, expanding the university’s capacity to support healthier, more resilient, and more vibrant communities across Oklahoma.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
