Gibbs College, in partnership with its OU Institute for Quality Communities, is announcing a leadership transition.
Shane Hampton has stepped down from the role of executive director of the Institute for Quality Communities, effective Aug. 25. Hampton served as IQC director since 2015 and has worked for IQC in other capacities since 2011. During his tenure there, Hampton partnered with IQC staff and Gibbs College team members to deliver technical assistance to more than 70 rural and urban communities across Oklahoma, produce programs like the Placemaking Conference and provide inspired instruction in support of Gibbs College’s Bachelor of Environmental Design program.
Hans E. Butzer, dean of Gibbs College, said, “Shane has played important roles in the IQC since 2011, helping shape the incredibly impactful Institute that we know today and that is respected nationwide as an urban design authority and community engagement leader.” He continued, “We wish Shane all the best and affirm our deepest appreciation for his contributions that have undoubtedly improved the lives of Oklahomans across our state.”
Hampton has accepted a new role at Main Street America as senior manager, Thriving Communities. MSA is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the leader of a movement dedicated to strengthening downtowns and commercial districts since its founding in 1980. Hampton will manage MSA’s implementation of the US Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program. Over the next two years, the initiative will provide tailored technical assistance to 20 rural and indigenous communities across the country, to help them better access funding for infrastructure projects.
The IQC team, including Vanessa Morrison, IQC Associate Director; Ron Frantz, IQC Director of Small Town Studios; and Rebecca Blaine, doctoral research fellow, will continue to lead programs and projects in the 2023 – 2024 academic year.
Gibbs College leadership is working proactively alongside IQC staff to finalize a timeline and process to identify a permanent replacement for the Executive Director position within IQC.
Gibbs College is grateful to Shane Hampton for his years of service to OU and dozens of Oklahoma communities. Please join us as we celebrate Hampton’s contributions to IQC and the start of his next adventure. A come-and-go event will take place in Gould Hall room 130 (Buskuhl Gallery), on Friday, August 25, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Please contact Vanessa Morrison (vanessa@ou.edu) with event questions or to request accommodations.
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
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.
