As a part of our donor spotlights, we recently spoke with Khoi Hoang (K) about why he supports Gibbs College of Architecture (GCA). Khoi is an alumnus of GCA’s undergraduate Interior Design program (2009), and he earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from Savannah College of Art and Design (2011). Today, Khoi is a senior designer for Gensler.
GCA: What do you hope to support with your gift?
K: Giving students a chance to participate in programs that the college puts together without a strain on their limited budgets.
GCA: What excites you most about current efforts/initiatives at GCA?
K: I’m excited about more industry and outreach programs to showcase the network of OU alumni in the industry and how they can help propel students’ careers once they graduate.
GCA: What other causes are you most passionate about? How does the work at GCA relate to these causes?
K: I am passionate about mentorship and how that can improve the career outlook of someone coming into this industry. Programs that the GCA supports align with that.
GCA: What type of legacy would you like to leave?
K: That I was able to help. Even just one student is good enough for me.
We also asked Khoi to share a bit about his time at OU and where he is now.
GCA: Which program did you graduate from?
K: I got my Bachelor’s of Interior Design from the GCA.
GCA: What are you most proud of from your time at OU?
K: I am proud that, along with making lifelong friends that are in the industry, we are able to support each other. Also, I was given a competitive edge in the workplace from what I learned while attending the GCA.
GCA: What role are you in now? How did you arrive at your current role?
K: I am a senior designer ar Gensler. A ton of late nights and pure excitement and energy for what we do everyday led me to where I am today.
GCA: What advice would you give current students as they advance into their careers?
K: Be eager to ask for more responsibility. This is how you can stretch beyond your current role and find a place that allows you to be yourself. There is nothing worse than spending your first few years at a job where you are striving to fit into another mold rather than be yourself.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture professor and Institute for Quality Communities Director Dr. Amber N. Wiley’s book, Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nation’s Capital, has received two major honors from the Urban History Association.
Research initiated by Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture alumna Naila Hasan during her master’s studies at the University of Oklahoma has continued through faculty collaboration and resulted in a peer-reviewed publication in HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce Esther Thorp, Tyler Boydstun and Chukwuma Nwokoye as the winners of the 2026 Construction Innovation Translation Hub (CIThub) Student Ideas Competition.
