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NOMAS Café Pop-Up

2:00 - 4:00pm | Chalmers Cafe

Need a break? Come join KU NOMAS and grab some yummy matcha! They’ll have a variety of flavors for you to choose from. Don’t want to wait in line? No worries! You also have the option to PRE-ORDER.

Flu Shot Clinic 

12:00pm – 2:00pm I Kansas Union, Jayhawk Ink

Watkins Health Services is offering this walk-in flu vaccine clinic for KU students, faculty and staff. The cost of the flu vaccine is $41. Please bring your health insurance card with you to the clinic to have your insurance billed. 

Full Flu Shot Clinic Schedule 

The Power of Art : Making Opportunities for Indigenous Artists 

3:30pm - 4:30pm I Spencer Museum of Art, Lee Study Center 

Barkandji photographer Nici Cumpston discusses her art and curation practices within the context of working with Indigenous collections and communities. Cumpston is the director of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia. This presentation connects with themes of contemporary Australian art in the exhibition “Christian Thompson: Future Ancestor.”

Portfolio Workshop

6:00pm | Chalmers 312

Looking to make your portfolio stand out? Join Prototype on Tuesday October 13th for a portfolio workshop with Design professor Ann Alcasabas! We can't wait to see you there!

📲 Follow KU Prototype on Instagram 

AIAS Portfolio Review Night 

6:20pm - 8:00pm I  Marvin Hall 

Get your portfolio and resume reviewed by professors and professionals before Mock Interview night in late October.  *Participation form is closed at this time. 

📲 Follow KU AIAS on Instagram 

SUA Mosaic Magic 

12:00 pm – 2:00pm I Hawks Nest 

SUA is hosting a mosaic coaster-making event! Create your own coaster using colorful mosaic tiles. Snacks, desserts and refreshments will be provided.

SUA Instagram 

Design Series Lecture: Matthias Pliessing 

6pm | Wescoe 3140 

This Thursday, the KU Design Professional Lecture Series welcomes Matthias Pliessnig, an internationally recognized artist, sculptor, and furniture designer known for transforming steam-bent wood into striking sculptural forms. 

Blending digital technologies with traditional craftsmanship, Pliessnig creates work that explores movement, materiality, and the relationship between art, design, and making. His work has been exhibited internationally, collected by major museums, and featured in publications including Dwell, Interior Design, Forbes, and Architectural Record.

Cyanotype Workshop

2:00 - 4:00pm | Chalmers Hall

Kick off Fall Break with Prototype and local Kansas artist, Kim Belanger! She will be teaching a Cyanotype workshop on Friday, October 16th! We are so honored to have Kim share her talent with us; you don't want to miss out on this event! 

Spots are limited, so visit @ku_prototype on Instagram for sign-up and location details to come

13th Annual Mock Interview Night  

October 28 | 5:00-8:00 p.m.| Marvin Hall 

The 13th Annual Mock Interview Night is just around the corner! 

Architecture and interior architecture students are invited to participate in this valuable professional development opportunity. 

Designed to help students prepare for internships, careers, and the annual KU Architecture & Design Career Fair, Mock Interview Night provides a low-pressure environment to practice interviewing, present portfolio work, and receive personalized feedback from professionals representing leading architecture, design, engineering, and construction firms from across the country. 

Registration closes October 16. Don't miss this opportunity to build confidence, sharpen your interview skills, and expand your professional network. 

Learn about the attending firms & sign up

Christian Thompson: Future Ancestor | Spencer Museum of Art

On view until January 10, 2027

In Future Ancestor, Thompson creates a multimedia installation that weaves together history, language, and imagined futures. Blurring the boundaries between storytelling and visual culture, voice and gesture, Thompson’s artistic practice becomes a method of language preservation and cultural survival, allowing Bidjara to resonate across generations.

Learn More  

Alien Forms / Future Worlds | Spencer Museum of Art

On view until January 10, 2027

Alien Forms / Future Worlds brings together artists across time, media, and geography who imagine bodies, environments, and worlds that feel unfamiliar but strangely recognizable. From early visions of space travel to contemporary explorations of ecological crisis, these works reflect a persistent desire to picture what lies beyond the known.

Learn More

👀 View all current exhibitions at the Spencer

Techstars Startup Weekend

November 13-15 | Capitol Federal Hall, KU Campus

Startup Weekends are a high-energy three-day experience designed to help participants transform ideas into real startup ventures and step directly into the startup world — no prior experience required.

Over the course of the weekend, participants will move through an accelerated startup-building process and gain direct exposure to the realities of entrepreneurship while building meaningful relationships with collaborators, mentors, and future founders.

Whether participants arrive with a startup idea, a side project, or simply curiosity about entrepreneurship, the Startup Weekend will offer an accessible and collaborative environment to explore, experiment, and connect with the next generation of innovators.

Participants interested in applying are encouraged to do so before the 4th of November, as spots are limited.

Apply & Learn More

ArcD Student Organizations: Get involved! 

Get involved with student organizations to improve your educational experience! Learn more about ArcD Student Organizations here & keep in touch with them via social media! 

Study abroad in Italy and Greece this winter break | faculty-led program

Program dates: December 26, 2026 - January 17, 2027

Extended Application Deadline: October 15, 2026

• Spend 3 weeks over winter break exploring Athens, Rome, Florence, Milan and Turin
• Explore the architectural and urban legacy of the Mediterranean in Greece and Italy
• Directed by KU Architecture Professors Francesco Carota and Gustavo Amaral

Learn more about the Architecture in Greece and Italy program & start an online application today!

2027 Hart Howerton Travel Fellowship Program

Each summer, selected Fellows join our New York or San Francisco office for a professional internship and receive funding to pursue independent travel and research on a topic of their choosing.

Through the Fellowship, students gain professional office experience, exposure to collaborative interdisciplinary design, and the opportunity for global travel and research. The perspective gained through the program helps Fellows explore the possibilities available after graduation and approach their careers with greater confidence.

Deadline: January 19, 2027

Learn More & Apply

KUltura. 001.Approaching is OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS 

KUltura is now accepting student work for the next edition of the School of Architecture and Design’s student-led publication. This year’s theme, “Approaching,” invites students to explore the ideas, processes, and perspectives that shape their creative work. We welcome submissions across a wide range of mediums, including photography, writing, artwork, poetry, design work, and more. To learn more about KUltura, follow us on Instagram for submission deadlines, engagement events, upcoming meetings, and other updates. 

The open call for submissions runs through December 31.  

Learn more & submit your work 

Rural Kansas Photography Contest 

Through the Rural Kansas Photography Contest, amateur and professional photographers alike share compelling images that celebrate the beauty, character, and spirit of Kansas communities while helping promote rural Kansas to future healthcare professionals.

Cash prizes are awarded in each category, with first-place winners receiving $100 and second-place winners receiving $50. In addition, all entries are automatically eligible for the Kansas Country Living Grand Prize. The magazine's editorial team will select one photograph to receive a $100 award and a featured cover spot in the January 2027 issue. Additional photographs may also be selected for publication in the magazine.

Deadline: October 25 

More info & Submission 

👀 See past winners 

ArcD Advisory Board Design Excellence Awards

The Design Excellence Awards recognize ArcD students who demonstrate exceptional design skills and creativity in 3rd- and 4th-year studio projects. Award winners will receive a cash award, and all winners will receive a certificate and digital recognition.

The annual Design Excellence Awards recognize students who demonstrate exceptional design skills and creativity. The program is open to students in both the architecture and design departments.

Eligibility:

• Studio projects produced in the Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 semesters in students’ 3rd and 4th years.
• Students must have received Grade ‘A’ for the studio project.
• Students must have a current cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Only one submission per student.
• DesignBuild studio projects are not considered for this award.

Deadline: February 15, 2027

More Info & Submission

SmithGroup Design a Better Future Scholarship program 

The scholarship mission is to create a more inclusive design industry by providing students with opportunities to pursue their academic and professional goals. Students committed to advancing inclusion in the design industry are encouraged to apply.

The scholarship provides a one-time award of $6,000 to five students studying either architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning or engineering, to help offset their tuition. Each recipient will also serve as a paid summer intern at any SmithGroup office in the United States where their discipline is located. 

Deadline: December 6

Learn More & Apply 

St.Louis-area Architecture & Interior Architecture Scholarship 

The M+H Scholarship will annually award one $5,000 scholarship to a student studying architecture or interior design at an NAAB-accredited school of Architecture or a CIDA-accredited Interior Design program.  

Deadline: April, 5, 2027 

More Info & Apply 

🍁 Saturday, October 17, 2026, – Tuesday, October 20, 2026 (no classes Monday or Tuesday)

📣 Please expect next week's issue of the Week Ahead to arrive in your inbox on Monday (10/19) rather than the normal Sunday time. Enjoy your long weekend!

Check out the Fall 2026 Academic Calendar for details & as always, Submit news and events to The Week Ahead throughout the week! 

🇲🇽 Mexico Modern: Architecture and Interiors  

A captivating exploration of Mexican architecture, from iconic homes by legendary masters to new groundbreaking work shaping the future of design.

Mexico has long been a wellspring of inspiration for designers, with its rich architectural heritage shaping both national and international discourse. Visionary architects featured in this book such as Agustín Hernández Navarro, Luis Barragán, Ricardo Legorreta, and Javier Senosiain have left an indelible mark on modern architecture, as can be seen in the groundbreaking recent works that are also showcased in these pages.

In this lavishly illustrated volume, Christiansen explores Mexico’s architectural diversity, presenting homes that embody a profound sense of place through exceptional design. From organic dwellings that merge seamlessly with rural landscapes to bold urban structures that challenge conventions of form and space, to sculptural seaside sanctuaries that rise like temples from the sand, each project offers a unique perspective on the country’s evolving design language.

The Hatch Reading Room, on the 4th floor of Marvin Hall, is here for you to de-stress, work on projects, take a break to read, and enjoy a quiet view of campus. Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday. 📚 

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