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| From left: Don Johnson, Dean David Rifkind, Korey White, and Kaia Nesbitt celebrated their awards at CAP's 2026 Spring Celebration and Awards ceremony on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Jesse Kuroiwa, CAP VRC.) |
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Inaugural Alumni and Advocates Awards Conferred by the College of Architecture and Planning Since the first design courses were offered at the University of Colorado in the fall of 1926, our students, alumni, faculty, and staff have shaped the built environment of our state and our communities in profound ways. This centennial year of celebrations for the College of Architecture and Planning includes recognizing the oft-unsung heroes—our alumni and supporters—who increase our global reputation through their good work, advocate for us throughout their careers, and often return to share their wisdom and support our programs.
The College of Architecture and Planning introduced four new awards at the annual Spring Celebration and Awards event on May 13, kicking off a yearlong celebration honoring a century of built environment education in Colorado as we look forward to shaping the next 100 years. There are three alumni awards recognizing outstanding professional performance and an award to recognize extraordinary support in service to the college and its programs. CAP Rising Star Award: Becca Buthe, MURP
CAP Keystone Award: Korey White, M.Arch and MURP
CAP Legacy Award: Kaia Nesbitt, MLA
CAP Legacy Award: Donald H. Brandes, Jr., MLA
CAP Champion Award: Don Johnson, CU Boulder Alum and CU Supporter Congratulations to our 2026 award recipients! |
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Architecture Studio Excellence Awards Recognize Outstanding PerformanceThe Department of Architecture at the College of Architecture and Planning has a long-standing tradition of recognizing outstanding achievements in design studio courses. Architecture Studio Excellence Awards are given to students whose work best represents each course section at each level of studio, as determined by the studio instructor. Undergraduate award winners and graduate honorees were recognized at CAP's Spring Celebration and Awards event on May 13.
This year CAP added another element to this tradition, and the work produced by our Studio Excellence Award recipients will be on display at the college in the Second Floor Gallery. On view through August 31, Showcase 26 features a cross section of exceptional student work. Stop by Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. or email [email protected] to arrange a tour. |
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Dania Morelli (M.Arch 26) received the Medal for Academic Excellence from the American Institute of Architects at the 2026 AIA National Conference. (Photo by Kaylyn Kirby.) |
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Congratulations to Dania Morelli, recent graduate of the master of architecture program, who received the Medal for Academic Excellence from the American Institute of Architects at the 2026 AIA National Conference in San Diego, CA, from June 10 – 13.
Graduate students Michael Lopez and Emily Strutton attended the Vernacular Architecture Forum to accept the VAF 2026 Ambassador Award on behalf of the Dana Crawford Preservation Program. The trip to Walla Walla, Washington, was made possible through the support of Sarah Marsom, faculty advisor and consultant to the Dana Crawford Preservation Program.
Priyanka deSouza, air pollution expert, assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and co-chair of Colorado's Environmental Justice Advisory Board, was invited to provide several talks this summer. - Dr. deSouza presented at "Bridging Home, School, and Work: Integrating and Engaging Second Places in Environmental Epidemiology," a featured panel at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology North America Chapter, in Baltimore, Maryland, June 1 – 4.
- She and other public health professionals were invited to talk with congressional representatives at the Colorado State Capitol, including a conversation with aides in Lisa Murkowski's office, about her current research and the importance of public health.
- At the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE), deSouza will speak about new North Denver air toxics research she and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the University of Colorado, and other organizations recently published.
- deSouza discussed the findings of her mobile monitoring laboratory that measures traffic-related pollutants and greenhouse gases with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure's Division of Green Infrastructure.
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In Memoriam: Raymond G. Studer, Jr.Professor Emeritus Ray Studer, longtime faculty member and administrator, passed away peacefully and of natural causes on May 21, 2026, at the age of 97.
Dean Emeritus Mark Gelernter fondly recalls Dr. Studer as a great colleague and friend who was so young in his outlook, as reflected in Dr. Studer's obituary.
"Dad lived an extraordinary life. After serving in the Marine Corps, he became the first person in his family to attend college and went on to earn degrees from the University of Texas, Harvard, and the University of Pittsburgh," his son Gordon Studer reminisced. "He devoted more than four decades to teaching, research, and leadership in higher education, including leadership roles at The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Colorado."
All of us at the College of Architecture and Planning extend our warmest condolences to the Studer family.
Photo courtesy of Gordon Studer. |
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| Mark Schenberger Earns CU Denver's First Graduate Certificate in Affordable Housing |
As a recent graduate of the master of urban and regional planning program and the first student to earn CU Denver’s graduate certificate in affordable housing, Mark Schenberger is preparing to tackle some of our most pressing challenges, particularly those impacting transportation and housing. Mark now works at Alta Planning + Design, which specializes in active transportation planning, and intends to stay connected to the affordable housing sector through research and local advocacy groups. About earning the certificate Mark shared, “It added legitimacy to my experience with affordable housing and prepared me for future opportunities.” Congratulations, Mark, on the completion of your MURP degree and your certificate! We look forward to seeing how you impact our communities. |
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| Andrea Malta Approaches Architecture with Curiosity and Intentionality |
Andrea Malta completed her bachelor of science in architecture in spring 2025, and now, she is preparing to take her next step in her path to licensure. Andrea will be attending the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she will begin her first semester as a master of architecture student this fall. Andrea’s undergraduate experience at CU Denver helped inform her approach to architecture, which is rooted in inquiry, collaboration, and social impact. Andrea shared that as her career evolves, she hopes to "contribute work that remains critically engaged with the conditions it inhabits and approach architecture as an ongoing project of inquiry rather than a search for definitive answers." Congratulations, Andrea! We wish you every possible success at Harvard. |
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| Students in the Aspen Workshop with architect Harry Teague (at center) pose in front of Four Chromatic Gates, a Herbert Bayer sculpture, during their visit to the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies located on the Aspen Institute campus in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Harry Teague Architects.) |
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The Aspen Bauhaus Workshop The College of Architecture and Planning founded The Aspen Workshop in the summer of 2011 to offer students a unique opportunity to work alongside some of the nation’s leading architects in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley to gain insight into their design process, studio culture, and professional practice. The 2026 edition of the Aspen Bauhaus Workshop (ABW), taught by Professor Michael Jenson, took place this year from May 26 through June 13.
In the beautiful environment of the Roaring Fork Valley, students explored the environmental and aesthetic legacy of the Bauhaus in America through the work of Herbert Bayer who was an influential designer, artist, environmentalist, and Bauhaus faculty member. His thirty-year career in Aspen subsequently contributed to the foundation of a vibrant architectural design community that is producing some of the most innovative designs found internationally today. The central goal of this years’ edition of the ABW was to expose students to the innovative planning, design, and sustainable ideas necessary to both continually develop and maintain a culturally rich urban center like Aspen within an environmentally sensitive and beautiful mountainous landscape.
To properly frame the complex nature of this type of environment, the program consisted of two components: one focused on design, representation, and studio practice culture; the other on the history and theory of the Bauhaus in Aspen. In the former, an intensive two-week-long design charrette proposing the transformation of an old highway bridge over the Roaring Fork River in Basalt into a vibrant pedestrian space serving as an informal gateway into the town was undertaken. Students were advised and critiqued regarding their design ideas and graphic presentations by local architects as they created proposals in a sketch format for the site at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan rivers. Firms participating in this year’s addition of the Aspen Bauhaus Workshop included CCY Architects, Harry Teague Architects (HTA), Bldg. Seed Architects, R&B Architects, and 1to1 Architects.
In parallel to the representation component, Aspen’s history and its connection to the Bauhaus, especially in relation to the life and work of Herbert Bayer were also explored through various workshops, exhibitions, and campus/building tours of the Aspen Institute. To comprehend both the positive and negative forces unleashed by the popularity of the culturally rich heritage and stunningly beautiful environment of the Roaring Fork Valley, walking tours of their respective downtowns and the presentation of prominent planning strategies addressing current developmental trends and pressures were provided by the city planning offices of Aspen and Basalt. Finally, students toured a wide variety of architecture projects, both under construction and completed, such as the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies, Harris Music Hall, Aspen Music Pavilion, Powers Museum, the Aspen Center for Physics, and Anderson Ranch. |
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| | Clockwise: Students conferred with Bldg Seed Architects; explorations of the Roaring Fork Valley included a visit to the Powers Art Center in Carbondale; architects at CCY Architects in Basalt provided guidance and feedback on student proposals; students visited Anderson Ranch in Snowmass Village. (Photos by Marin Lepore and Harry Teague Architects.) |
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Clockwise: Students conferred with Bldg Seed Architects; explorations of the Roaring Fork Valley included a visit to the Powers Art Center in Carbondale; architects at CCY Architects in Basalt provided guidance and feedback on student proposals; students visited Anderson Ranch in Snowmass Village. (Photos by Marin Lepore and Harry Teague Architects.) |
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Harry Teague (at left) hosted the Aspen Bauhaus Workshop, led by Professor Michael Jenson (at far right), at Harry Teague Architects in Basalt, Colorado, sharing his hospitality, expertise, and experience with students. (Photo by Harry Teague Architects.)
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June 1 - August 31, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning We invite you to stop by CAP to view Showcase 26, featuring a cross section of exceptional student work. You'll find work on view on the second floor of the CU Denver Building and vitrine displays in the adjacent Annex Lobby and windows along Larimer Street between 14th and Speer. Stop by Mondays - Fridays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. or email [email protected] to arrange a tour.
August 25, 2026 | College of Architecture and Planning
Join us for the first guest lecture of the fall series. Miranda Lash, the Ellen Bruss Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, will moderate a discussion and exploration of the work of Florencia Rodriguez, architect, critic, curator, lecturer, and founding principal of _NESS, an international cultural platform for architecture. From 12-1 p.m. in CAP's second-floor gallery. |
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