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| CAP’s Spring 2026 Outstanding Graduates, from left to right: Samantha Guerra, Maddie Fulmer, Dania Morelli, Anna Nielsen, Phil Runnings, Bryn Hall, and Dan Schumacher. (Photos provided by CAP Outstanding Graduates.)
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CAP's Spring 2026 Outstanding GraduatesThe College of Architecture and Planning was honored to celebrate 77 graduate students and 65 undergraduate students at the Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at the Denver Coliseum. Congratulations to the CAP Outstanding Graduates: Samantha Guerra Bolon, Bachelor of Science in Architecture Madeline Fulmer, Master of Architecture Dania Morelli, Master of Architecture Anna Nielsen, Master of Architecture Phil Runnings, Master of Landscape Architecture Bryn Hall, Master of Urban and Regional Planning Dan Schumacher, Master of Urban Design We extend our heartfelt congratulations and wish them every success in their professional lives. |
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| Master of Architecture students Kara Hand and Mitch Widule discuss their studio project with Assistant Professor Matt Shea. (Photo by Paul Wedlake, CU Denver.) |
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PCI-Supported Graduate Architecture Studio Reimagines Denver Fire Stations as Mixed-Use Civic InfrastructureOver the last ten years, Assistant Professor Matt Shea has led graduate architecture studio six supported by PCI Mountain States, a chapter of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. This year, the studio teamed up with the City and County of Denver to develop proof-of-concept proposals for integrated mixed-use fire stations in downtown Denver. At the end of the semester, representatives from PCI, the Denver Mayor’s Office, and the Denver Fire Department attended final studio presentations and offered feedback. City officials were so impressed by the designs that the students’ work will be referenced in future city requests for proposals. |
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Mayor Mike Johnston (center) provided feedback on a model CAP students created in their course with Assistant Professor Leyuan Li (at far right). (Photo courtesy of CU Denver News.) |
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Students in Architecture Design Studio VI: Parts of Common, led by Assistant Professor Leyuan Li, had a special visitor on Monday, May 4. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stopped by to learn about the students' models for outdoor spaces that they are designing in collaboration with the Denver Mayor's Office and in partnership with local organizations. The initiative, named the Common Ground Community Design Project, aims to promote belonging in Denver through architecture. Students’ installations will be on display this September at the Denver Performing Arts Complex for the first-ever Denver Community Design Festival as part of Doors Open Denver.
We extend our congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to Professor and Associate Dean Ann Komara and Senior Academic Advisor for Graduate Architecture Kyle Danforth who reached milestone years of service to the university, 35 and 15 years of service, respectively. They were celebrated at at the annual Staff Milestones and Excellence Awards on April 30.
Dual Master of Science in Historic Preservation and Master of Urban and Regional Planning student Kitt Watkins was featured in the article "Meet the Family Behind Colorado’s Stained Glass Empire," published in Westword on May 12 and in the news segment "Watkins stained glass has window on Colorado history" on CBS News. Watkins Stained Glass, makers and restorers of Colorado's finest stained glass for over a century, received the Sage Award at the Dana Crawford and State Honor Awards ceremony held May 14 at the Denver Art Museum.
Interior Design firm CLIC, owned by Director of Interior Design Sarah McGarry, won the International Interior Design Association's IIDA Best Award in the Workplace 15,000sf or less category for CLIC's project with Harris Law Firm. Congratulations, Sarah!
Assistant Professor Leyuan Li will be featured at the Timișoara Architecture Biennial in Timisoara, Romania, from May 15 to June 28, 2026. The biennial "In Practice – as opposed to 'in theory'" focuses on direct urban intervention, the reuse of existing buildings, and creating a functional laboratory at a former school.
Assistant Professor Priyanka deSouza has several publications and appointments to celebrate. - deSouza has been selected to chair a working group to advise Governor Polis on how Colorado should implement "meaningful participation" in rulemakings.
- deSouza was on the Technical Planning Committee, featured on the opening keynote panel, and served as a session chair for the Planning Large-Scale Air Pollution Networks track at the Air Sensors International Conference from May 4 - 8 in Los Angeles. She presented research done with the US EPA on evaluating degradation in low-cost air quality sensors
- deSouza gave a talk on May 13 to the NYU Urban Systems Lab.
- She was a Co-Investigator on a team that was awarded $340k from Colorado's Air Quality Enterprise..
- deSouza has been named an associate editor for the online journal ARC Environmental Health Advances.
deSouza's recent publications include: - Winkles, J.F., Santoro, N., El Khoudary, S.R., deSouza, P., Matuk, J., Crawford, S., Colvin, A., Sammel, M. and Park, S.K., 2026. Associations between pollutants, the regularity of daily sex hormone patterns, and hormone profiles over a complete menstrual cycle. Reproductive Toxicology, p.109247.
- Ibsen, P.C., Mchale, M.R., Desouza, P., Steinharter, L., Green Jr, C., Diffendorfer, J.E. and Warziniack, T., 2026. Moving toward a more human-oriented analysis of urban heat: examining differences of heat exposure intensity at busy commuting locations.Environmental Research: Health, 4(1), p.015016.
- Longkumer, I., Ko, S., deSouza, P., Bhatia, R., Kim, R. and Subramanian, S.V., 2026. Polluting cooking fuels and life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional study from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India. GeroScience, pp.1-14.
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| In Memoriam: Andy Reid Andrew Davis Reid passed away peacefully at the Collier Hospice Center on May 2, 2026 at the age of 78. Andy was the Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration of CAP from 2005 to 2015, during a critical period in the College’s history. "When CAP separated from Environmental Design in Boulder in 2012 and obtained a new undergraduate program, Andy was instrumental in managing the complex financial and operational arrangements negotiated between the two campuses and the College," Mark Gelernter, CAP Emeritus Dean and Professor, reflected. "CAP’s subsequent success owes a great deal to Andy. Faculty and staff at the time will remember Andy as a thoughtful, caring, humorous colleague. He will be greatly missed." (Photo courtesy of Betsy Metzger.) |
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| Em Booth Lays Groundwork for Colfax Urban Micro Forest |
Bachelor of Science in Architecture student Emmett (Em) Booth chose to study architecture to make a difference by helping people through sustainable, and even philanthropic, design. As a student, she’s been deeply involved in the life of CAP, assisting Assistant Professors Sarah Hearne and Shirley Chen with impactful exhibitions, working in the Design Fabrication Lab, and working as a research assistant for Professor and Chair Carrie Makarewicz’s transit-oriented development communities. Her work with Carrie led her to compete on an interdisciplinary team in the first-ever Blair Gifford Mile High Sustainability Challenge, where her team home first prize, a $10,000 award with an additional $10,000 awarded for project implementation. Their project? A micro forest on Colfax located near the new bus rapid transit line. Read more about this award-winning project. |
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| Alum Alisha Kwon Hammett Plans with Purpose |
Alisha Kwon Hammett is owner and principal at Zipper Line Strategies and teaches Urban Design, Economics, and Equity in the Master of Urban Design program at CU Denver. Her company, named after the “zipper line” ski technique, takes land entitlements and urban planning projects from concept to completion. Alisha is passionate about inclusive spaces and community engagement and has worked on many planning and design projects throughout her 20-year career in planning, design, and equitable community development. Alisha currently serves on the City of Denver’s Planning Board. Spring 2026 MURP graduate, Amanda Spidel, sat down with Alisha to learn more about her experiences and the impact her education at CU Denver has had on her career. Read Amanda Spidel's Interview with Alisha Kwon Hammett. |
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| Graduate student Amanda Spidel showcased her Capstone project and engaged with others about her work during the Capstone poster session at the Capstone Celebration held May 14. (Photo by CAP VRC.) |
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Master of Urban and Regional Planning CapstoneOver the course of the spring semester, students complete a capstone project independently or in a small team, supported by a faculty advisor. Students work with a client organization or agency to complete a project that is of significant and practical use to the organization, producing professional-quality project deliverables that address their client’s needs and meet the high expectations for graduate-level work for the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program.
The primary goal of the course is to provide MURP students with an opportunity to synthesize what they have learned during their graduate school career by applying their academic knowledge to a real-world project that aligns with their interests in the planning field. Capstone projects contribute to students’ professional training, offer client organizations the opportunity to access MURP expertise, and strengthen relationships between the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and organizations around the city, region, state, and nation.
To share a quote from a participating client, “[The student] took a very deep dive into this topic, and then took laps around the pool to make sure that the project and the discussions considered all the possible avenues for change. She listened carefully to the thoughts and concerns of local staff and partner organizations, but also pushed us to explore and stretch beyond known and comfortable boundaries to change. Both the student and her presentation to the Board of County Commissioners received praise from a Commissioner that isn't typically a fan of planning as a discipline… During the longer discussion that followed at the Planning Commission, members were already asking about staff follow-up and future plans.” The client continued, “This is my first MURP capstone experience, and I am amazed and very pleased. I'll certainly recommend the opportunity to my peers in under-resourced small and rural governments, and will continue to propose new projects. The Planning Commission is already talking about what we might want to focus on next.” The course culminates in a review session and reception that provides students an opportunity to showcase their projects and engage with others about the work. Each of the posters on display at the end-of-the-semester event serves as a graphic summary of a much larger report.
View photos from the 2026 Capstone Celebration, including photos of the winners from the inaugural Capstone Awards ceremony. |
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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. |
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