October 2025 — The Lemon Family Distinguished Speaker Series in Community and Real Estate Development launched this fall with its inaugural lecture delivered by Jared Della Valle, CEO and Co-Founder of Alloy Development. Hosted jointly by the Gibbs College of Architecture and the Price College of Business, at the University of Oklahoma, the lecture took place at the Thurman J. White Forum and marked the beginning of an annual collaboration between Gibbs College and the Price College.
Della Valle’s talk offered insights into the planning, design, and community impact of the Alloy Block—a pioneering mixed-use development in Downtown Brooklyn that integrates architecture, sustainability, and civic engagement.
With more than 25 years of experience as a real estate professional and architect, Della Valle has led the acquisition and pre-development of more than two million square feet in New York City, including projects in Chelsea along the High Line, Hudson Yards, DUMBO, and Downtown Brooklyn. He also serves as Chair of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, sits on the board of the Architectural League of New York, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA).
The Lemon Family Endowed Distinguished Speaker Series was established to advance dialogue on the intersection of community and real estate development by bringing leading voices from both practice and academia to campus. The series is co-hosted by Gibbs College of Architecture and Price College of Business, with coordination duties alternating annually between the two colleges.
The event brought together students, faculty, and staff from Gibbs College and Price College, along with members of the Lemon family. Gibbs College offers its deepest thanks to all who made this event possible—especially the Lemon Family for championing this meaningful cross-campus collaboration.
To learn more about Jared Della Valle’s work and the Alloy Block project, visit thealloyblock.com.
Della Valle addresses audience members.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
