The University of Oklahoma
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture
Oculus Weekly Newsletter
Apr. 1 - 5, 2019

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Oculus is an e-newsletter that is distributed by the OU Gibbs College of Architecture (GCA) during the fall and spring semesters. It features news about student, faculty, staff and alumni accomplishments, as well as events that may be of interest to our community. Note that there is a weekly version of the newsletter for a local audience, and a monthly version for a broader audience. Please share your news and events by noon each Friday to be considered for the following week's issue of Oculus.
GCA News
Placemaking Conference Returns TODAY

The Placemaking Conference is a biennial event hosted by the OU Gibbs College of Architecture's Institute for Quality Communities. It features leading experts on topics in economic development, healthy communities, city planning and governance, architecture and design, district management, public spaces and parks, and more.

Learn more about the Placemaking Conference here.
Project Row Houses Founder Rick Lowe Named Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture

The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that artist and MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe has been named Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture. The Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture is an endowment that was created to honor Goff's pedagogical legacy at the University of Oklahoma.

As Goff Chair, Lowe will offer a public lecture. During this presentation, Lowe will present share highlights of his career creating revitalization efforts driven by art and culture. Lowe's lecture is free and open to the public.

Public lecture: April 1, 4:00 p.m., Catlett Music Center, OU-Norman Campus

Learn more about Rick Lowe here.
Interior Design Students Win Sensory Environmental Design Competition

Junior Interior Design students enrolled in the "Lighting Design" course recently participated in the 2018-2019 Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) Student Design Competition "Sensory Environments: Designing for Independence." Join us in congratulating team members Abigail Johnston, Ryan McNitt, and Emily Gold, and adviser, associate professor Mia Kile, for winning the Southwest Region competition and advancing to the national level.

Click here to read more and view their winning entry on the Oculus blog.
Construction Science Prof. Delivers Keynote Presentation at International Conference

Professor of Construction Science Dr. Tammy McCuen recently delivered the keynote presentation at the Real Smart Cities International Workshop on the Impact of BIM (Building Information Modeling) in Smart Cities.  The workshop was held at Technological University Dublin, Ireland, and brought together partners of the Real Smart Cities project, Durham, Paris, and Guayaquil, as well as the Digital Studies Network and leaders in the field of BIM. It investigated BIM's relationship to modes of collaboration, decontextualization and education, as well as employment change and loss.

Click here to read more on the Oculus blog.
GCA Student Journal Telesis to Launch at American School Symposium

Everyone is invited to attend the launch of  Telesis, the Gibbs College of Architecture's student-run journal! Join us following  The American School Symposium  for the presentation of the journal, and an opportunity to see this exciting collection of student, faculty, and invited guests' work related to the theme " Design Against ."

When:  5:00 p.m., Mon., April 15, 2019
Where:  Gould Hall Buskuhl Gallery

Click here to read more about the launch on the Oculus blog.
Construction Science Faculty Awarded Grant for Safety Research 

Construction Science  faculty members  Somik Ghosh  and  Matt Reyes  recently received a $5,000 grant from TEXO for a construction safety project. Their research will look at trade-specific safety training strategies that bridge linguistic and cultural differences within the construction workforce.

Click here to learn more on the Oculus blog.
Regional + City Planning Student Shares Experience Volunteering with Blackspace Oklahoma

Vivek Vijay, a  Regional and City Planning graduate student with Gibbs College of Architecture, shared his recent volunteer experience with  Blackspace Oklahoma, an organization that is dedicated to creating, developing, and supporting Black communities and professionals within the realms of city planning, architecture and design.

Click here to read more on the Oculus blog.
Architecture Prof. Awarded Grant to Study Neuroscience and Proportion, Partner with USC SPaCE Lab

Visiting professor of Architecture Tiziana Proietti was recently awarded a Gibbs College of Architecture (GCA) Program for Research Enhancement (PRE) grant in support of her project entitled "The Cognitive Value of Proportion in Architecture."  Through this work, Dr. Proietti seeks to bridges the fields of neuroscience and architecture by looking at how proportion is connected to human perception and experience.

Click here to read more on the Oculus blog.
Construction Science Prof. Partners on Award-Winning Safety Initiative

Construction Science associate professor Matt Reyes, pictured at right, has partnered with construction safety firm Capital City Safety to provide industry outreach, including worker training and job site consultation. Capital City Safety was recently recognized as Service Provider of the Year by the Associated General Contractors of Oklahoma!

Congratulations, Prof. Reyes and Capital City Safety!
Students Publish Latest Issue of _543: The OU Architectural Theory and Criticism Journal

Architecture graduate students enrolled in ARCH 5543, "Research and Critical Writing," Elaheh Houshmand and Sean Harrell, have collaborated to edit the latest issue of _543: The OU Architectural Theory and Criticism Journal. For this issue, Houshmand and Harrell selected four essays:
Essays are authored by students enrolled in Prof. Deborah Richards' and Dr. Angela Person's Spring 2019 sections of ARCH 4543/5543, "Research and Critical Writing."

To learn more and read past issues, click here.
GCA to Host "The American School Symposium" with Herb Greene on April 15

American School architects, including "Prairie House" architect Herb Greene, as well as prominent architectural historian Christopher Mead, will headline the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture's "The American School Symposium" on Monday, April 15, on the OU Norman campus.

Click here to read more on the Oculus blog.
GCA Celebrates Women in Planning, Design and Construction

As Women's History Month comes to a close, we're looking back at more than 70 stories on our Oculus Blog featuring Women in Planning, Design + Construction!

Read these stories .
Alumni Highlights
Alumni Highlight: Lynnsee Boyse, Construction Science

This semester, we are highlighting alumni from each of our seven disciplines. This week, we talked to Lynnsee Boyse! Lynnsee graduated with a degree in Construction Science in 2012 and is now a Project Manager at JE Dunn in Oklahoma City. She is the Project Manger on the design-build Oklahoma State Capitol Restoration project, which includes the restoration of the Capitol's exterior façade and other exterior components of the building!

Click here to read the full interview.
Alumni Highlight: Trisha Murray, Architecture
 
In honor of March being Women's History Month, we wanted to highlight Trisha Murray, a 2016 GCA alumna and Project Architect at  MA+ Architecture. Trisha is also  NCARB certified, an  AIA certified architect and a member of Leadership AIA, Class IV. We asked Trisha about who inspires her in her field, why she chose architecture, her favorite things about her job and more!

Read all about Trisha's path on the Oculus blog.
GCA-Related Events
OU Architecture Library to Present "Building and Training" Exhibition

Designed for the University of Oklahoma Architecture Library, "Building and Training" is an exhibition of work by Art & Tech graduate student Daniel Giles Helm. Learn more here.

When: Weds., April 24, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Where: Gould Hall, Architecture Library
Note: Helm will be sharing more about this work during GCA's Brown Bag Seminar,  on Weds., April 24, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., in the Gould Hall Gallery.

To request accommodations, contact Matt Stock (mstock@ou.edu).
Save these Dates for GCA's Spring 2019 Lecture Series
If you know of a Gibbs College of Architecture event during Spring 2019 that is not listed, please submit it via the Oculus form found  here.
Brown Bag Research Seminar *
GCA faculty, staff, and students, and their colleagues from around campus, share their work. 

April:  Wed., April 24, 12 p.m. Featuring talks by Dave Boeck Natalie Ellis, Somik Ghosh, Daniel HelmSarah Little & Bryce Lowery .

Held in the Gould Hall Buskuhl Gallery.
Lunch is provided.
Rick Lowe, MacArthur Fellow ***
Founder, Project Row Houses

Rick Lowe will offer the closing keynote during the 2019 Placemaking Conference.
Free and open to the public.

Public Lecture:  Monday, April 1, 4:00 p.m. - Catlett Music Center, Sharp Hall

The American School Symposium**
Public lecture by Christopher Mead, professor emeritus of the University of New Mexico, followed by a moderated discussion with American School alumni, including Herb Greene, Nelson Brackin, Ernie Burden and Arthur Dyson.

Symposium: Monday, April 15, 1:30 p.m.  - Gould Hall, Buskuhl Gallery

To request accommodations or more info, contact Angela Person (a@ou.edu).
** Made possible with support from the Presidential Dream Course program.To request accommodations or more info, contact Stephanie Pilat (spilat@ou.edu).
*** Made possible with support from RTA Architects and the Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture program. To request accommodations or more info, contact Hope Mander (umander@ou.edu).
GCA Opportunities
OU Student Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) Recruiting New Members

Hello architecture students! National Organization of Minority Architectural Students (NOMAS) is actively seeking for new members to join our team, and we welcome any architecture students at any year level! Each year, we send a team of students to attend the national NOMA conference, where they participate in the student competition. This year's conference is in NYC! If you are interested, please fill out the sign up sheet linked here. For more info about the conference, visit the 2019 Conference website: https://lovenoma.com/.

For more information, contact Nora Lau (lauuting@ou.edu).
Outside Opportunities
EarthMonth@OU to Host Series of Distinguished Lectures, Events Throughout April 2019

EarthMonth@OU is OU's annual celebration of Earth Month. It consists of a series of campus and public events focused on local and global environmental concerns sponsored by members of the University of Oklahoma's Environmental Portfolio and others.  This year, EarthMonth@OU will host a series of lectures featuring experts from around the country, including talks that address the history of environmental movements, approaches to SuperFund sites, and the intersections of Christianity, climate and culture.

For more information about EarthMonth@OU and event highlights, click here.
Attend the Diversity Ally "Unlearning" Workshop Series and Earn Your Diversity Ally Certificate! 

Diversity Ally workshops are now open for faculty and staff enrollment! Attend "Unlearning Sexism," "Unlearning Racism," "Unlearning Ableism," and "Unlearning Classism" for an opportunity to earn the Diversity Ally certificate.

Enroll: Click  here

For more information, contact Human Resources (ohr@ou.edu).
GCA Alumnus to Offer "Drawing on Location" Rendering Class through Norman Firehouse Art Center

Join OU GCA alumnus Fred Schmidt, FAIA, for a "drawing on location" rendering class, hosted by the Firehouse Art Center in Norman. Schmidt has made numerous contributions to the architecture profession in Oklahoma. He was recently honored with the AIA's Williams Wayne Caudill Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award for distinguished leadership. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a past President of AIA Central Oklahoma Chapter.

When: Sat ., May 4, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Where:  TBD; confirm with Firehouse Art Center

For more information and to register, visit http://www.normanfirehouse.com/.
2019 COINS Grand Challenge Accepting Student Entries

The COINS Grand Challenge is a global competition to uncover students who have ideas that can improve the built environment. Enter your idea with an essay or short video for the opportunity to win cash, internships, or business investment, plus the chance to get in front of some of the construction industry's biggest players. The 2019 competition is now open undergraduate for entries! Entries are due on April 12, 2019.

For more information visit: http://coins-grandchallenge.com/.
Travel Study Highlights

 Courtesy Ben Hearn
Students Share Updates from Spring 2019 Rome Travel Study Experience

Gibbs College of Architecture students who are studying abroad in Rome during the Spring 2019 semester recently shared some updates about and stunning photos of their experiences.

Click here to read the latest updates on the Oculus blog.
Get Featured!
Get Featured on GCA's Social Media Channels!

Send your work to the GCA Communications Team! This is your chance to show the world your work! Fill out the Oculus submission form and mark your submission as an image for social media. Please include images, a description of your work, your social media handles, and a link to your online portfolio if you have one. We can't wait to celebrate all you've been up to.

To submit your work, click here,
Share your news and events with us!
Whether you are an OU Gibbs College of Architecture alumnus, student, faculty or staff member, we want to know about your news and events!

To share your news for the next issue of  Oculus, the OU Gibbs College of Architecture newsletter, or to request publicity support for an upcoming event, please complete the form found  here. This form may also be used to submit website update requests.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.  www.ou.edu/eoo.
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