Our Fall 2025 Graduate Hooding Ceremony was a meaningful celebration of hard work, perseverance, and personal growth. As we reflect on this special occasion, we are immensely proud of the Class of 2025 and the dedication they demonstrated throughout their academic journeys. The ceremony was more than a recognition of academic milestones. It honored the resilience, relationships, and unwavering commitment that carried each graduate to this moment of achievement.

Faculty members were proud to sit alongside their students, celebrating their accomplishments and the shared mentorship that shaped their success. Surrounded by faculty, family, and peers, our graduates crossed a critical threshold, ready to lead, serve, and make a lasting impact in their fields. 

1st Annual CAPPA Research & Creative Works Symposium

Thank you to everyone who submitted proposals for the inaugural CAPPA Research & Creative Works Symposium, an interdisciplinary event exploring innovative, people-centered approaches to urban growth and resilience in North Texas.

A quick reminder that no CAPPA classes will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, to allow students to participate in the symposium being held in the CAPPA building. Attendance at the symposium is required for all students and will count toward their semester academic engagement. CAPPA faculty are encouraged to attend.

Additional details about session times, locations, and sign-in procedures will be shared as we get closer to the event.

For any questions, please contact the Associate Dean, Dr. Karabi Bezboruah, at bezborua@uta.edu.

Call for 2026 CAPPA Faculty & Staff Awards

CAPPA invites nominations for full-time faculty who demonstrate sustained excellence in multiple areas, including teaching/advising, research/creative activity, service, teamwork, leadership, client relations, and initiative while employed at UTA. Each award includes a $750 monetary award and a Certificate of Recognition. Awardees will be recognized in April during the college’s spring-semester meeting.

Faculty Awards:

Ignite Creativity in Your Teaching with CRTLE!

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 to spark new ideas and continue fostering creativity, innovation, and excellence in CAPPA classrooms.

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

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

UTA Study Abroad Program Development Grants for Faculty

UTA Study Abroad Program Development Grants for Faculty are once again available. These awards support faculty in developing study abroad programs and aim to create new and expand existing international opportunities for students, foster professional growth, and advance the internationalization of our campus community. 

Individual grants of up to $2,500 will be awarded on a competitive basis. Awards must be used to support the creation of new UTA faculty-led study abroad programs, to enhance future iterations of existing faculty-led programs, or to develop new or enhance existing exchange programs. Funding is non-renewable, and final amounts will be determined by the selection committee. 

Additional information regarding eligibility, preference factors, and the application process is available on the UTA Study Abroad website. 

🔗 Interested faculty are able to start an application now or share the application by using this link: uta-abroad.via-trm.com/program_brochure/29477 

All grant applications are due by February 1st! 

Apply by January 31: IRB Mentor Fellowship Opportunity

The Application deadline for the IRB Mentor Fellowship has been extended to January 31, 2026. The Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence (CRTLE) and the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) invite applications for two IRB Mentor Fellowship positions as part of a new IRB Mentoring Initiative. 

This fellowship enhances faculty development in mentoring by supporting students conducting human subject research, helping them navigate IRB requirements, and preparing high-quality protocol submissions.

If you are passionate about mentorship and advancing research excellence, we encourage you to learn more and apply today!

2026 CAPPA Career Fair:

As part of the yearlong celebration of CAPPA 10: A Decade Together, A Future of Possibilities, CAPPA is proud to host the Spring 2026 Career Fair on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 — a full-day, in-person and virtual event connecting students with top employers in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban design, planning, and public administration.

This milestone event reflects the growing partnerships between CAPPA and our professional colleagues. Please encourage your students to take advantage of this opportunity to engage with firms, non-profits, and municipalities shaping the future of our disciplines. The Career Fair is hosted by CAPPA’s student organizations in collaboration with the UTA Career Development Center. For more information and registration, please visit the CAPPA Career Fair Website.

The Vision North Texas Workshop Series: Water 2050 + Beyond Workshop

Building on the momentum of CAPPA 10: A Decade Together, A Future of Possibilities, we're pleased to invite you to the Vision North Texas Workshop Series, a renewed initiative designed to strengthen regional dialogue and foster cross-sector collaboration to address the region's evolving challenges.

The first workshop in this series is on Friday, February 27, 2026, from 12 - 3:30 PM. It will focus on Water, a critical issue that underpins the region's long-term sustainability, economic vitality, and quality of life. This session will convene leaders from across sectors to examine emerging trends, assess shared priorities, and consider strategies that will shape the region's future.

We are proud to help reinitiate this important regional dialogue. To assist us with planning, we kindly request that you email Eric Garner (eric.garner@uta.edu) or RSVP HERE at your earliest convenience. This is an invitation-only event.

Faculty Fellow and Adjunct Assistant Professor Lorena Toffer has been honored with the 2026 ACSA Diversity Achievement Award, a distinguished national recognition from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).

Her awarded project, La Esperanza Community Center in Dallas, TX: Transforming a Vacant School Into a Community Hub Through Design, Diversity, and Collaboration, reimagines a vacant Dallas elementary school as a vibrant community hub. Developed with high school and architecture students, residents, and civic leaders, the project stands as a model of community-engaged scholarship rooted in environmental justice and inclusive design.

Dr. Wei Zhai was recently awarded a $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a groundbreaking project addressing extreme heat in San Antonio's historic Westside. The initiative—CIVIC-FA Track A: Co-Created Digital Twins for Heat-Resilient Home Rehab Co-Design—blends advanced technology with grassroots collaboration to address one of the region's most pressing climate challenges. Read More.

Dr. Jiwon Suh has been appointed to the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing, a recognition that reflects her deep expertise and meaningful contributions to the field. 

Associate Professor of Practice in Landscape Architecture, David DuMez Hopman, recently published a new book, Creative Regionalism: Renewing the Aesthetics of Landscape in Environmental Design and Planning. The book offers a deep dive into regional design ideas, useful for landscape architects, architects, and planners, for creating regional designs that are creative, cosmopolitan, and critical.

In Creative Regionalism, Hopman highlights the best regionalist thinking by landscape architects, architects, planners, and educators during the last century. And Hopman’s historical and theoretical expositions are grounded with real examples: scores of twentieth- and twenty-first-century designs from around the world that Hopman has carefully studied and critiqued. For more information about the book, see HERE.

Congratulations to Geisel Faculty Fellows and CAPPA Dean's Interdisciplinary Initiative award winners for Spring 2026. We proudly recognize the following recipients.

Geisel Grant Fellows:

Dr. Nubras Samayeen, Dr. Malini Roy, and Dr. Xueyin Bai. Voids to Vitality 2030: Healing Downtown Arlington

Dr. Julene Paul. Cross-Functional Workforce Models for Rural Texas Public Transit Agencies: Impacts on System Efficiency, Service Reliability, and Workforce Resilience

CAPPA Dean's Interdisciplinary Initiative:

Dr. Wei Zhai, Dr. Ariadna Reyes-Sánchez, and Dr. Atefe Makhmalbaf. AI-driven Informal House Sensing for Community Resilience: An Interdisciplinary Study.

Interior Design Materials Charette

The UTA CAPPA Interior Design (INTD) program partnered with BEHR Paint, MattoBoard, and Swatchbox to host a Materials Charette, giving junior and senior INTD students a hands-on opportunity to explore finishes, textures, and color in the design process. Check out the full album HERE.

Research Funding Proposal Budget Review Form

Beginning January 1, 2026, new procedural deadlines for proposal preparation and submission will take effect to ensure a more consistent and efficient process across the University. Key Changes:

Please complete the Budget Review Form for External Grants HERE. For more details, see HERE

Early career faculty are invited to an information session on the National Science Foundation's Early Career Program on Friday, Feb. 20, from 12 - 3 PM. This session helps tenure-track faculty prepare impactful proposals for the Faculty Early Career Development Program Award, the most prestigious honor for junior faculty. 

Recognizing your peers is easy—and powerful. UTA employees are the heartbeat of our campus, from those who nurture our gardens and ensure safety to those who teach, inspire, and support our students. Every role matters. Show your gratitude by sending a Mav Up MVP Employee Recognition digital card and let someone know their contribution makes a difference. Give a coworker a virtual high five TODAY by submitting a Digital Recognition Card.

If you are trying to fix or mitigate accessibility issues with your own content, please review the Accessibility Resource Toolkit for assistance. If you received the content from another source, you may need to work with that source to fix or mitigate the accessibility issues. Also, if you originally received a PDF from the Library and it has not been updated, you will want to work with your Library resources to obtain a newer version of the material. Should you have additional questions, contact accessibility@uta.edu.

The Reflection Room, located in CAPPA South B, has closed due to demolition and construction activity that began over winter break. To ensure continued access to this important campus resource, the Reflection Room has been temporarily relocated to Swift Center room 125.

If you have any questions, please contact the Intercultural Student Engagement Center.

Jan 31 (12:00 - 5:30 PM)
AICP Exam Part I Workshop
CAPPA 204

Feb 25 (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM)
CAPPA Career Fair
CAPPA Gallery, 2nd and 3rd Floors

Feb 27 (12:00 - 3:30 PM)
Vision North Texas Workshop Series: Water 2050 + Beyond
CAPPA Gallery, CAPPA Building, 2nd Floor

Feb 28 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
AICP Exam Part II Workshop
CAPPA 204

Mar 3 (All Day)
CAPPA Research Symposium
CAPPA 2nd and 3rd Floors, Gallery and Auditorium

Mar 6 (8:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Interior Design Sustainable Design Expo
CAPPA Gallery 

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

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