Alumni Stories

Photograph of Willamette Hall

BArch '51 Alumnus Work Identified For Preservation and Education

DeNorval Unthank, Jr., BArch '51, joins four other black architects who's works were given preservation funding through Conserving Black Modernism, an initiative led by the Getty Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
Black and white photo of Paulett Taggart, FAIA. Shows an older woman with short hair and glasses smiling into the camera.

SAE Alumna and Dean's Council Member Wins 2024 Maybeck Award

SAE alumna and Dean's Council member, Paulett Taggart, FAIA, earned the 2024 Maybeck Award. Paulett was recognized for her dedication to creating exemplary community-serving architecture that is equitable, sustainable, and enduring. The judges also recognized her drive to advance social equity through architecture with mission-driven work that brings good design to all, especially those who often have less access to it. Congratulations, Paulett!
News header image of a rendering of the winning entry for the 2024 Student Awards for AIA COTE. Shows an exterior rendering of an educational facility made with PNW style and a lot of natural wood. Also features artificially generated people and local fauna and flora.
Six panel lock-up of different images from the Barcelona Design Class in Summer 2022

Ignacio López Busón Receives 2024 CELA Award for Excellence in Design Studio Teaching

The Department of Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture & Environment has reason to celebrate the 2024 Annual Award Winners announcement from the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, Ignacio López Busón, was one of only thirteen award winners, and one of two from the department to be picked from a competitive list of 56 applicants.
Photograph for Yekang Ko award announcement.

Yekang Ko Receives 2024 CELA Award for Excellence in Service Learning

The Department of Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture & Environment has reason to celebrate the 2024 Annual Award Winners announcement from the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). Associate Professor and Interim-Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Landscape Architecture, Yekang Ko, was one of only thirteen award winners, and one of two from the department to be picked from a competitive list of 56 applicants.
Michael Wilkes photography of an architectural feature.

Eye for Architecture

Michael Wilkes, BArch ’71, started fresh out of college as an architect at the San Diego firm that would later become Delawie/Bretton/Wilkes Associates. That’s also where he started to learn photography and how he became enamored with the discipline.
Photo of person at desk with a Taskshade

Architecture, Product Design Team Launches Taskshade to Improve Workspace Health

The “personal shading companion” provides protection from glare while keeping all the benefits of sunlight.
Photo of Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

Architecture Alumnus Johnpaul Jones Wins Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal

The TSD Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts recognized Jones for his record of high distinction in design in the field of architecture.

Graphic art of an ADU

Architecture Alumna Helps Angelenos Permit, Design, and Build Accessory Dwelling Units

Cultured magazine features the work of Architectural Designer Chazandra Kern and the Los Angeles nonprofit LA Más.

The School of Architecture & Environment Welcomes Michael Zaretsky as New Department of Architecture Head

Coming from the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, Zaretsky discusses his commitment to sustainability, social justice, and public interest design in architecture.

Graphic of architecture rendering

Dezeen Showcases Five SAE Student Projects on Environmental Justice and Inclusivity

Five architecture students present designs—ranging from a water research facility to an education hub in an underserved Portland neighborhood—for a sustainable urban design studio

Photo of a woman at a laptop

Mentorship in a Pandemic

With the launch of mentoring circles in SAE, students, alumni, and professionals are bridging the gap between current and future architects.

Photo of Oregon Coast

Architecture Alumnus to Design Oregon Coast Longhouse

The architect Todd Lawson discovered his ties to the Clatsop tribe while studying at the University of Oregon.

Architectural rendering of the exterior of a library

MArch Alum Wins a 2020 AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Student Design Award

Austin Gutierrez won the Citation Award for his public library design.

Close up photo of art installation "suffrage quilt' at Boise City Hall

Architecture Alumna Designs Suffrage ‘Quilt’ for Boise City Hall

Stephanie Inman says the 26-foot-long aluminum quilt is unfinished as there is still ‘work to be done.’