Reflecting on our inaugural 2026 CAPPA Forum: Research & Creative Works Symposium, we are awed by what an incredible and inspiring event it was! A heartfelt thank you to our faculty, staff, and students for your active participation, attendance, support, and contributions that made this event a true success.

This symposium was a dedicated celebration of innovation, scholarship, and creative inquiry across CAPPA. It provided a meaningful opportunity to showcase the amazing work our students and faculty are doing to shape our cities and communities. The projects and presentations this year beautifully reflected the theme, "Designing the Future Metropolis."

We extend our congratulations to all awardees and honorable mentions. Your work exemplifies the creativity and forward-thinking spirit that define CAPPA.

Once again, thank you to everyone who played a role in making this inaugural symposium a success. We look forward to continuing to elevate and celebrate the remarkable work happening across our college next year.

Call for Proposals for Fall 2026 CAPPA Research/Creative Works Grants

Please click on the Grant Proposal Template to download the proposal outline.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, April 17th, 2026, at 5 pm
Award Notices: June 1st, 2026
Research/ Projects Begin: August 2026

Opportunity 1: Geisel Grants for Community Impact 

CAPPA aims to advance Dr. Geisel’s vision by encouraging continued community engagement by our students and faculty in addressing challenging issues that impact our local and regional communities, particularly those affecting underserved communities. Projects may include, but are not limited to, providing technical assistance; engaging in community design work to address a specific issue (flooding, housing, parks, etc.); or developing plans identified by the community to resolve a particular need (zoning, economic revitalization, historic preservation, etc.)

Opportunity 2: Geisel Fort Worth Urban & Community Design Mini Studio

The purpose of this interdisciplinary "mini-studio" opportunity through the Geisel Grant is to encourage community-engaged research by faculty and students to address challenging issues affecting our local and regional communities. We would like to invite proposals for Interdisciplinary Studio ideas to be offered as a 3-credit-hour elective course over 16 weeks during the Fall 2026 semester. This course will be held at the UTA Fort Worth Center. 

Opportunity 3: Dean’s Interdisciplinary Initiative 

The purpose of the Dean's Interdisciplinary Initiative is to promote CAPPA's interdisciplinary collaboration in research and creative ideas. We are seeking bold ideas that align with our mission and leverage the unique strengths of our interdisciplinary community. This year, up to two grants will be awarded to CAPPA faculty members to support interdisciplinary, innovative projects with the potential to pursue external funding and to enhance the College's academic offerings, community engagement, and financial sustainability. The awards can be used to pay for students' hourly wages, travel, data inquiry, event production, outreach, faculty salary, or faculty travel.

Examples of initiatives this grant aims to support:

Grant Writing Workshop Webinar

All faculty and students are invited to our upcoming Grant Writing Workshop Webinar. This session, titled "Building and Maintaining a Strong Grant Portfolio", will cover essential strategies to enhance your grant writing skills.

Event Details:

Topics to be discussed include:

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your grant writing prowess!

Interdisciplinary Research Program (IRP) Submissions Are Open!

Applications for the 2026 IRP cycle are open. This program empowers researchers to address complex global challenges through cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Program Highlights:

The Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) especially encourages proposals that leverage UTA's research facilities and institutional capabilities. This is a strong opportunity to build campus partnerships and strengthen your group's position for future extramural funding. Learn more.

Wednesday and Thursday, April 1 and 2, 2026

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) program, they are thrilled to host a speaker event featuring key leaders from the American Planning Association (APA). This event will focus on UTA's MCRP and the vision for planning in North Texas over the next 50 years!

This 2-day event will feature a discussion of UTA's contributions to planning in North Texas.  A panel of speakers, including Planning Administrator with Calvin, Giordano & Associates and President-Elect of the AICP Commission, Silvia E. Vargas, FAICP, and Past APA President, Angela D. Brooks, FAICP, will discuss the next 50 years of North Texas we need to plan for, including housing, transportation, infrastructure, policy, and more, as we continue to support future generations of city planners. Register now!

Friday, April 17, 2026

The Annual Landscape Architecture Spring Banquet, CAMP LARC 2026, celebrates the achievements and innovations in landscape architecture, bringing together professionals, students, and enthusiasts of the field. The event is pleased to welcome Ken Smith, FASLA, as the evening's esteemed guest speaker.

Tickets for the Spring Banquet are available HERE.

CAPPA proudly recognizes three exceptional faculty members whose achievements exemplify excellence in teaching, mentorship, and research innovation. Prof. Bradley Bell, Dr. Karabi Bezboruah, and Dr. Shermeen Yousif have each been honored with prestigious university awards that reflect their profound impact on student success, scholarly advancement, and UTA's academic mission.

All three of them will be formally recognized at the Spring Meeting of the University Faculty & Associates and Celebration of Creative Works on Tuesday, April 14, held on the sixth floor of the UTA Library, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm.

Associate Professor of Architecture, Bradley Bell, has been selected for induction into UTA’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers (ADT), one of the University's highest honors recognizing excellence in teaching. This recognition highlights Bell's devoted, enthusiastic, and long-standing commitment to student success and the University's teaching mission.

Dr. Karabi Bezboruah, Professor in the Department of Public Affairs and Planning, has been named the recipient of this year's Excellence in Doctoral Student Mentoring Award by the Graduate School Excellence in Doctoral Student Mentoring Award Selection Committee. Recognized for her consistent and exemplary dedication to doctoral student development at the university, Dr. Bezboruah has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to mentoring students in their professional, personal, and academic development. 

Dr. Shermeen Yousif, Associate Professor of Architecture, has received a competitive UTA grant award for her innovative research project, "Materializing AI Ecologies: A New Framework for Translating AI-Driven Designs into High-Performing Robotically Fabricated Architectural Prototypes." Conducted within CAPPA's newly established Performative AI Lab, the project advances interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, performance-driven architectural design, and robotic fabrication. By developing an integrated framework that connects generative AI, performance simulation, and robotic manufacturing, Dr. Yousif's work positions UTA at the forefront of AI-driven design innovation while fostering impactful student engagement, research infrastructure, and major external funding opportunities.

Celebrating Dr. Jiseul Kim, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Affairs and Planning, for her role as Co‑PI on a newly awarded 2‑year, $334,108 grant from the Water Research Foundation (WRF).

This interdisciplinary project—"The Foundations of Water Resource Planning: Guidance for Establishing Water Utility Service Levels" — will develop a comprehensive framework to help water utilities clearly define and apply service levels across planning, operations, and asset management. By integrating international best practices with advanced approaches such as Robust Decision Making (RDM) and Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP), the team aims to support utilities in navigating climate change, demographic shifts, and equity‑focused initiatives.

Growth of a Megacity: Planning Jakarta in the Post-Suburban Era

Jakarta has grown from 150,000 residents in the first half of the twentieth century to more than 31 million in 2024. This explosive growth has reshaped the Jakarta Metropolitan Area (JMA), presenting complex challenges and highlighting the critical role of urban planning.

To explore Jakarta's evolving urban landscape through the lens of post-suburbanization, a new book titled "Growth of a Megacity: Planning Jakarta in the Post-Suburban Era" has been published by the University of Hawaii Press. The book, edited by Professor and Director of the Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP), Dr. Deden Rukmana and Sonia Roitman from the University of Queensland, Australia, delves into the matter. Read More.

How North Texas Leaders Are Thinking about the Region’s Water Future as Challenges Mount

Dozens of North Texas officials are voicing their worries, ideas, and dreams about the area’s water resources as a regional influx of businesses and residents ramps up pressure to address looming water scarcity.

Experts and decision-makers participated in a water workshop at CAPPA as part of the Vision North Texas 2.0 Workshop Series, a revamped public-private-academic partnership. Read More.

UT Arlington Architecture Majors Have a Plan to Save Dallas City Hall

Architecture Adjunct Assistant Professors Carlos Alba, Eduardo Castaneda, and Jason Wheeler, along with their students, have been perfecting a master plan they say could give the city a new Mavericks arena and a greener, safer downtown Dallas without sacrificing City Hall.

For months, seniors at CAPPA have been laboring over an urban design that gives the city an arena for the Dallas Mavericks next to the new convention center, lets neighbors meet in walkable streetscapes, and weaves City Hall into a link to the past. Read more.

The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) 2026 Annual Conference

Our Landscape Architecture and Architecture faculty had a strong and inspiring presence at the CELA 2026 Annual Conference, “Catalyzing Connections: Integrating Strategies, Knowledge, and Action with Communities in Landscape Architecture,” held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

We are proud of our faculty’s contributions and presentations across multiple tracks, and of their continued commitment to advancing landscape architecture and community-centered design. Read More.

Important Changes to Proposal Submission Deadlines

Beginning January 1, 2026, there are updated UTA proposal submission deadlines as well as CAPPA’s internal grant budget proposal review policy, which applies to all individuals serving as PIs and Co‑PIs. For more details, see HERE. 

UTA Proposal Submission Deadlines:

CAPPA Grant Budget Proposal Review Requirement:

This is a reminder that CAPPA has an internal budget review policy that must be followed before faculty adhere to the OGCS submission deadlines.

All PIs and Co‑PIs submitting a grant proposal must:

MavsDay—UTA’s annual day of giving—is coming up on April 22, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting CAPPA.

On MavsDay, Mavericks everywhere come together to create meaningful opportunities for our community. We invite you to be part of that momentum again this year and invest in CAPPA’s future. Every gift makes an impact.

Past generosity from alumni and friends like you has strengthened our students, faculty, staff, and programs, and we’re grateful for the difference you’ve made.

P.S. Want to get a jump start on MavsDay? Make an early gift NOW!

All grant proposals submitted on or after September 1, 2023, were required to include fringe benefit allocations sufficient to cover GRA health insurance. 

The two-year transitional period for grant awards is now complete, and as of the 2025-2026 academic year, recovery practices will be fully implemented. All active grants must now directly cover GRA health insurance costs, regardless of the original award date. While the Graduate School will provide final debt relief for specific terminated grants, the Provost’s Office continues to fund health insurance for all qualifying GTAs. Learn more.

Are you preparing a research protocol or mentoring students through the human subject review process? Our newly selected IRB Mentor Fellows are available to provide expert guidance and help streamline your submission. These faculty mentors were chosen for their deep experience in ethical research conduct and their commitment to supporting the research community.

How IRB Mentors Can Support Your Research:

All faculty should be sure to review the recent updates and changes to the UTA Policies and Procedures:

Attend a virtual workshop hosted by the Office of Research and Innovation, “The World Data System: Supporting Researchers and Students Connecting with Data Repositories,” presented by Meredith Goins, executive director of the World Data System International Program Office, on Friday, April 17, at 12 pm.

The mission of the World Data System is to enhance the capabilities, impact, and sustainability of our member data repositories and data services. Register now.

CAPPA faculty shape how communities are designed, governed, and experienced. This year's CRTLE Programming collaborative lineup offers tools to enhance studio‑based teaching and support interdisciplinary learning. We hope you will join us for future engaging sessions that spark new ideas and continue to foster creativity, innovation, and excellence in CAPPA classrooms.

Explore the full schedule and register for future sessions in April: Click here 

Questions? Email CRTLE at: CRTLE@uta.edu and visit our web page at: CRTLE - The University of Texas at Arlington.

These workshops are scheduled for March in the Day Family Research Lab (DFRL) - Central Library, 5th floor:

DFRL hosts workshops on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods analysis, evidence synthesis, and visualization & mapping using software such as Power BI, ArcGIS Pro, R, and NVivo. Follow their calendar of workshops to stay updated.

The end of the semester is near, and the university needs your help to raise awareness that student survey season is here and that their feedback has a big impact on UTA's future.

These surveys provide data on overall student satisfaction with the services and opportunities offered by UTA, its colleges, and its programs, as well as how they can be improved.

The University exit survey for graduating students is now open and closes Friday, May 15. Offered every other year to freshmen and senior students, the National Survey of Student Engagement closes Monday, May 11. Both surveys will be sent directly to students' email inboxes.

Attend Your Mind & Your Well-Being: A Community Experience, a bilingual campus-community event focused on mental health awareness, education, and empowerment. The program will explore how cognitive changes can affect life, along with resources and activities hosted by campus and community partners. Wednesday, April 1. 

Join Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at the UTA planetarium for Mindful Moments Under the Stars on Wednesdays, 12:15 -12:45 p.m., starting Wednesday, January 28th- April 22nd. Mindful Moments Under the Stars is open to all UTA students, faculty, and staff. No registration is required.

To request accommodations, contact CAPS at (817) 272-3671 or email caps@uta.edu. Please submit a request for accommodations at least 5 business days before the event.  

Apr 1 (4:00 – 5:00 PM)
Lecture: Hereñu + Ferroni Arquitectos – Pablo Hereñu
CAPPA 204

Apr 2 (4:00 – 6:00 PM)
Master of City and Regional Planning 50th Anniversary Speaker Event
CAPPA Gallery

Apr 17 (6:00 – 9:00 PM)
Landscape Architecture Banquet
CAPPA Gallery

Apr 20 (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM)
All CAPPA Faculty & Staff Meeting
CAPPA Gallery

Apr 22 (All Day)
Administrative Professionals Day

Apr 22-28 (All Day)
School of Architecture Final Reviews

Apr 27 (5:00 – 6:30 PM)
Master of Public Administration Capstone Presentations
CAPPA 204

Visit our CAPPA Events SharePoint to view more events curated for faculty

Do you have news, publications, research, awards, and announcements to SHARE? Fill out the form below!

Karabi Bezboruah, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Success and Research

601 W. Nedderman Drive, Suite 203 • Arlington, TX 76019-0108 • 817.272.2801
© 2026 The University of Texas at Arlington. All rights reserved.