The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to share that Dr. Sarah Little, Associate Director of the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design at the University of Oklahoma, was named the 2025 Winner of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) Faculty Excellence in Service Learning Award (Senior Faculty Level).
This highly competitive award recognizes outstanding faculty whose teaching, research, and outreach have advanced service learning in landscape architecture education. As the premier organization for educators in the discipline, this CELA honor reflects Dr. Little’s unwavering commitment to community-engaged learning and design excellence.
Over the past several years, Dr. Little has led transformative service-learning projects across Oklahoma, engaging students with real-world challenges and diverse communities. Her initiatives have not only enhanced student learning outcomes but also produced meaningful, lasting impact in the places they served.
Recent service learning project highlights include:
In each of these projects, Dr. Little has modeled interdisciplinary collaboration and a deep respect for local knowledge and lived experiences. Her students describe her as a mentor who cultivates empathy, active listening, and a sense of professional responsibility to the communities they serve.
Please join us in recognizing Dr. Little for this well-deserved honor!
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
