NEWSLETTER - February 14, 2025

Four students from the HCOA ‘Design for Health and Wellness’ program, led by Dr. Saif Haq, attended AIA-Houston’s Health SES Student Design Charrette on February 7th, 2025. Texas Tech’s Max Tanner Halwas, Gunner Murrell, Jonathan Alexander Perez, and Zoe Anne Wall participated in the 12-hour charrette alongside students from Louisiana State, Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M, and the University of Texas at San Antonio. The goal was to design a futuristic healthcare campus that integrates advanced AI technologies to enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency, and promote environmental sustainability. The site for the project, titled "AI Enhanced Medical Hub: A Vision for 2050," is set within Houston’s Medical District.

Prior to the charrette, students attended the Health Symposium Exhibition & Social Event, which featured a keynote and panel discussion on “The Foundations & Applications of AI in Healthcare.” Earlier, students were hosted by HCOA alumnus Frank Marquez and received a tour of Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital, followed by a lunch to network and discuss career opportunities.

The charrette was sponsored by Tarkett and the Huckabee College of Architecture.

LPMD PhD students Seyed Alireza Seyedi and Sadaf Alikhani, alongside Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan, recently presented their research on Lubbock’s urban planning at the symposium Orienting Imagination: What Are the Stakes on the Llano Estacado? on January 31, 2025, at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts Firehouse Theater in Lubbock, Texas.

The symposium provided a platform for in-depth discussions on architecture, art, and regional identity, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Bryan E. Norwood from the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture. The event concluded with a series of receptions and networking opportunities supported by the Huckabee College of Architecture, the School of Art, and the Ryla T. & John F. Lott Endowment for Excellence in the Visual Arts.

Professor Joseph Aranha has received the 2025 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award. This award distinguishes Texas Tech University faculty for teaching excellence both within and beyond the institution, recognizing faculty who have made outstanding contributions in education. Professor Aranha is the first architecture faculty member to receive this honor since its inception two decades ago. A ceremony honoring the award recipients was held on February 13, 2025, at the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center. Along with the recognition, four recipients per academic year were also bestowed a monetary award and medallion.

To learn more about the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2025 recipients, click here.

Undergraduate Advisor Vondee Langehennig has been recognized as the February Advisor of Excellence by the Office of Advising Excellence. This award honors TTU advisors who provide outstanding support for student success, both individually and within their departments.

Vondee started her position as an academic advisor with the Huckabee College of Architecture in February of 2023, where she provides guidance to undergraduate students, including high school graduates and non-traditional learners. In the Fall of 2025, she will begin the Graduate Communication Studies program at Texas Tech University.

To learn more about the Advisor of Excellence award and past winners, click the link here.

Assistant Professor Dr. Asma Mehan has co-authored the chapter "Participatory Budgeting" in Inclusive Placemaking Driver: Different European and American Practices. The chapter explores how participatory budgeting (PB) serves as a mechanism for encouraging inclusive urban spaces in Switzerland, Poland, North Macedonia, and the United States.

Participatory Budgeting (PB) is an innovative democratic process that empowers residents to decide how to allocate public funds, thereby creating community-driven placemaking initiatives. The study investigates the effectiveness of PB in promoting inclusivity, enhancing civic engagement, and improving urban development through bottom-up governance strategies. By analyzing diverse case studies, the authors explore how PB practices vary across cultural and political contexts, identifying key trends and challenges in implementation.

Written in collaboration with Dr. Paulina Polko from WSB University, Dr. Kinga Kimic from the Institute of Environmental Engineering at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Simone Tappert and Aline Suter from the Institute for Social Planning at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern, and Dr. Aleksandar Petrovski from Faculty of Architecture in Skopje, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, the work is featured in Placemaking in Practice Volume 2: Engagement in Placemaking: Methods, Strategies, Approaches.

For more information on "Participatory Budgeting," click the link here.

CALLING ALL STUDENTS, ALUMS, FACULTY, AND DEANS: As we look forward to celebrating the 100th anniversary of Texas Tech’s architecture program in 2027, we’re calling on the HCOA community to share their memories and experiences with the program. YOUR STORIES are a vital part of the shared history of our College. Our upcoming book, Limitless Horizons: The First 100 Years of Texas Tech’s Architecture Program, will highlight this rich legacy.

We invite YOU to help us fully capture the impact and influence of Texas Tech’s architecture program—stories that reflect the experiences we all remember, share, and celebrate!

All contributors will be recognized in the book.

To share your story, please reach out to 1972 alumni Noel Barrick and Gary Lindsey at architecture.limitlesshorizons@ttu.edu.

ROBERTO BECERRA JR.

1978 - 2025

It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the death of one of our colleagues, Roberto Becerra Jr. He passed away on Friday, February 7th, 2025.

Roberto graduated from the Huckabee College of Architecture with a master’s degree in 2017, and was a curious and intelligent student who loved being part of the design community.

His interest were vast and he participated in many college activities, including the Land Arts of the American West program in 2016. By the fall of 2022, Roberto joined the College as an instructor and connected with many students.

Roberto was an uplifting member of the Texas Tech and Huckabee College of Architecture community who found meaning in both teaching and studying architecture, and was never shy about sharing a smile with colleagues and students alike.

On behalf of the College, we extend our sincerest sympathies and condolences to Roberto’s mother, Maria Alma Trevino Becerra, and the rest of his family and loved ones.

For details regarding Roberto’s memorial services, please visit:

 https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/roberto-becerra-obituary?pid=208532211

Additionally, the Becerra family has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral expenses and other related costs. Should you feel led to donate, please visit:

 https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-roberto-becerra-jrs-memory

Donations are critical to the advancement of our program. With your contributions, we can fund our merit-based scholarships, recruit extraordinary faculty, fund research endeavors and improve our facilities. No gift is too small to make an impact on our students, faculty, and staff. If you're interested in giving, the Texas Tech University Office of Institutional Advancement has a convenient web portal for making secure, online donations to one of the established Huckabee College of Architecture funds. Click here to donate.

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