December 2, 2025

December 2, 2025

Dear Friends of the IQC,

As we wrap up another busy and inspiring semester, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the work we have accomplished together. Stepping into this role this past January was both an honor and a humbling responsibility. As we look toward the coming winter months, I am amazed at how quickly my first year with the IQC has gone by. I was fortunate to follow in the thoughtful leadership of our interim director, Vanessa Morrison, whose guidance helped ensure a smooth transition.

Since its establishment in 2008, the IQC has been shaped by countless students, faculty, partners, and community members who believed in the power of design to improve the places where people live. That history—built through workshops, partnerships, studios, and the passion of so many—has made it possible for us to step confidently into new challenges and opportunities, while reflecting on the almost-20-year legacy on we stand.

This academic year has been a reminder of how strong that foundation truly is. This year’s partnerships engage seven faculty members and at least eighty-five students across six programs. We have hired a new Program Manager, Molly O’Connor, who comes to us from an impressive career at the Oklahoma Arts Council. We have three Faculty Affiliates – Layne Ferguson, Wei Liu, and Andrew Stone – working directly with IQC Graduate Assistants to complete Community Assistance Projects across the state. Those Graduate Assistants – Sanjita Basnet, Afrah Faheem, Taylor Fleming, Dez Harris, and David McPherson – bring energy and creativity to projects in Del City, Grayson, Moore, and Poteau.

Thank you for welcoming me into this role, for your collaboration, and for your belief in the work we do. The IQC’s past is impressive—but what lies ahead is just as inspiring.

Sincerely,

Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D.

Wick Cary Director

Institute for Quality Communities

The Institute for Quality Communities is pleased to introduce our academic year 2025-2026 team leadership, faculty affiliates, and graduate assistants.

During the month of September we highlighted individual team members on our social media channels. Please find their full bios in our “About” page.

The Institute for Quality Communities in the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture and the University of Oklahoma seeks applications for a Program Manager, Job Number 250621. This full-time position is located onsite at the Norman campus. Targeted salary $72,500 based on experience. Benefits included. For full consideration, please apply by May 30, 2025. Detailed information can be found here.

Job Description

Support the management, coordination, and direction of community engagement at the Gibbs College of Architecture in the Institute for Quality Communities, including program development, grant writing and management of internal and external partnerships.

About the Institute

The Institute for Quality Communities was established in 2008 by the University of Oklahoma to enhance the quality of communities throughout Oklahoma and around the world. The IQC collaborates with faculty and students across Gibbs College’s Divisions of Architecture; Construction Science; Interior Design; and Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design. As the Gibbs College community outreach arm, the IQC is a leading source of community engagement, placemaking, and urban design expertise in the region. In addition to the work, it performs in communities across the state, the IQC hosts the nationally recognized biennial Placemaking Conference and its approximately 700 attendees on the Norman campus. The IQC has completed 112 projects while involving over 825 students by partnering with communities and non-profit organizations across 60 counties and securing external funding to support our work. For more information, visit http://iqc.ou.edu.

Job duties to include but not limited to:

• Develop and coordinate projects to advance community engagement efforts of the IQC and Gibbs College of Architecture
• Assist in establishing strategic vision and goals for IQC projects and initiatives
• Identify external funding sources, prepare successful grant applications, and assist with their management
• Develop relationships and coordinate partnerships with (a) external community partners and (b) internal faculty/staff partners in support of engaged teaching and research
• Support engaged teaching by working with faculty to implement public engagement methods in IQC class-based projects
• Develop conferences, workshops, training, and other programs
• Supervise and mentor interdisciplinary teams of graduate assistants
• Coordinate IQC communications across various platforms, including Constant Contact, the IQC website, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages
• Performing other related duties as assigned

Landscape architecture student Nana Reimers presents a Nature Explore design that integrates native plants to enhance children’s learning and play. Photo provided.

Thirteen graduate students in the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma are helping bring nature-focused design to the Child Study Center at the University of Central Oklahoma. The project, part of the Nature Explore program, integrates native plants and natural materials to create immersive outdoor play spaces that foster children’s learning and connection with nature.

The initiative gave landscape architecture students their first opportunity to work with a real client, translating classroom concepts into practical applications. Through collaboration with UCO faculty, staff and students, and specialists in children’s play environments, the students developed designs that balance structured learning with free play.

“Nature Explore emphasizes immersiveness, incorporating natural elements that encourage children to touch, feel and learn,” said Leslie Palacios, Ph.D., a Teaching Fellow in the college’s landscape architecture program. “It’s more than just play – it is about learning through play.”

As part of their coursework, the students conducted site analysis, researched best practices and participated in a collaborative design process known as a charrette. This intensive workshop involved input from various stakeholders, including LaDonna Atkins, Ed.D., faculty in child development at UCO, who provided insight into the center’s needs. Landscape architecture students also met with children, teachers and Nature Explore’s Jill Primack to ensure their designs met certification standards.

“The process was a true partnership,” Palacios said. “Our students learned firsthand how to incorporate client needs while maintaining a cohesive vision for a nature-based learning environment.”

Each student created an individual playground design within specific parameters, including space limitations and the requirement to incorporate existing playground equipment. The final designs emphasized native plants, sustainability and interactive elements that support child development.

The project was facilitated by OU’s Institute for Quality Communities, which has been working with communities across Oklahoma since 2008 to enhance quality of life through design. “One of the institute’s main goals is to work on small-scale projects where students can gain hands-on experience while positively impacting local communities,” said Amber Wiley, Ph.D., the institute’s director.

Because the graduate students are not licensed professionals, UCO will work with licensed landscape architects to refine and implement the final plans. Palacios says the project was an exciting opportunity for landscape architecture students to see their ideas take shape in a real-world setting. “It was not just about designing a space but about understanding the needs of children, teachers and the surrounding environment. We hope this collaboration will inspire future projects that blend education, design and community engagement.”

View the original post by Lorene Roberson through OU News.

Taft, Oklahoma community engagement. Conversation between Taft town treasurer Kim Lee and IQC graduate assistant Afrah Thasneem. Photograph courtesy of Leo Perez.

OU IQC Invites Community Assistance Project Proposals

The Institute of Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025-2026 Request for Proposals (RFP) process for Community Assistance Projects. The Community Assistance Projects seek to answer the question: How can we plan and design our communities in a way that promotes health, economic development, celebrates culture, and strengthens community well-being?

The IQC works in partnership with local leaders across the state of Oklahoma. We encourage municipalities, organizations, and community groups to apply for assistance with projects. Through these partnerships, communities become laboratories for interdisciplinary teams of students from the Gibbs College of Architecture to develop and apply their skills.

Since 2011, we have completed 112 projects while involving over 825 students by partnering with communities and non-profit organizations across 60 counties and securing external funding to support our work across the state. Project topics have included neighborhood planning, walkability, street design and safety, parking inventories, public space design, interior design, heritage conservation, and more. Check out the Community Assistance Project Library for dozens of examples.

Both the university and community benefit from these partnerships. Community partners provide a real-world challenge and context that helps our students learn to apply the skills and knowledge they are learning in the classroom. In return, our community partners benefit by getting ideas, plans, and drawings that can help them get started on local solutions for pressing challenges. For more information on how the community assistance process works, visit our website.

2025-2026 Request for Proposals Timeline

• March 31st: RFP opens
• May 15th: Extended proposal deadline
• May-June: Project interviews and selection
• Fall 2025 – Spring 2026: Project collaborations

Submit a Proposal

• Option 1: Fill out an online proposal form.
• Option 2: Download and fill out a Word document and submit to iqc@ou.edu.

Once your proposal is submitted, an IQC team member will contact you as updates become available. Please reach out via e-mail at iqc@ou.edu with any questions.

Photograph courtesy of SIKE Images.

The next Placemaking Conference, a cornerstone program of the OU Institute for Quality Communities, is now scheduled for Spring 2027. While the conference has traditionally occurred every two years, this adjusted timeline allows the IQC team to ensure a meaningful and impactful event following recent leadership changes. In the meantime, IQC remains committed to fostering learning and collaboration through initiatives like the Community Assistance Projects, with a Request for Proposals (RFP) launching later this month.

A message from Dr. Amber N. Wiley, director of the OU Institute for Quality Communities.

Dear Placemaking Community,

I hope this email finds you well. I am excited to introduce myself as the new Director of the Institute for Quality Communities. It is an honor to join this organization and contribute to its mission of fostering vibrant, sustainable, and thriving communities throughout the state of Oklahoma.

As an Oklahoma-raised historian and preservationist, I have advocated for better preservation policy and practice in local, federal, and international settings. This includes consulting on and curating exhibitions at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC and Rutgers University in New Jersey, developing preservation programs and interpretation for National Historic Landmarks (NHL) in Philadelphia and across the country, and serving as a policy advisor for the National Park Service NHL program.

My scholarship covers African American and African diasporic cultural heritage, urbanism in New Orleans, school design, urban renewal, and preservation policy. My book, Model Schools in the Model City, will be released by the University of Pittsburgh Press this April. You can learn more about my preservation projects and research here.

I am eager to bring my professional experience to collaborations with our partners, stakeholders, and community leaders to build on IQC’s strong foundation. I have already enjoyed site visits with community partners in Oklahoma City, Taft, Sallisaw, and Westville, and look forward to maintaining existing relationships as well as fostering new ones.

As you know, two of our cornerstone programs at the IQC are the Placemaking Conference and the Community Assistance Projects. I understand this already great excitement expressed about both for this year. Unfortunately, given the timing of my transition into the IQC, I have made the difficult decision to forgo the Placemaking Conference this spring 2025, looking to resume it in spring 2027. While I know this news is disappointing to many, we remain committed to providing valuable opportunities for learning, collaboration, and community impact.

To that end, please stay tuned for the launch of our Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the Community Assistance Projects later this month. Expect a separate communication with more information including the RFP process timeline. We encourage municipalities, organizations, and community groups to apply for assistance with projects. Check out the project library for dozens of examples.

I look forward to connecting with you in the coming weeks and months to learn more about your perspectives and explore ways we can work together. Please feel free to reach out at any time—I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Best,

Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Quality Communities
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture
The University of Oklahoma
https://iqc.ou.edu

Following a national search, the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma has named Dr. Amber Wiley as the new director of the Institute for Quality Communities. An award-winning scholar, Wiley brings more than 15 years of experience in teaching, research and professional practice in historic preservation, architecture and community engagement.

She has dedicated her professional career to advancing the history and narrative of design and preservation in Black communities, as well as advocating for theoretically rigorous, thoughtful and inclusive expansions of preservation policy and practice.

“We are elated to welcome Dr. Amber Wiley to Gibbs College as the new director of the Institute for Quality Communities. Her groundbreaking work in historic preservation and community engagement, combined with her deep ties to Oklahoma and a nationally recognized career, makes her an exceptional addition to our team,” said Hans E. Butzer FAIA and dean of the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture. “Dr. Wiley’s leadership will continue to elevate the IQC’s mission and positively impact the communities we serve across the state and beyond.”

Wiley joins OU from the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, where she served as the Matt and Erika Nord director of the Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites and as a Presidential Associate Professor of Historic Preservation. Her academic career includes teaching roles at research-intensive universities, liberal arts colleges and schools of architecture.

Wiley’s scholarship has been honored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the DC Preservation League, and the Vernacular Architecture Forum. Her work has been supported by the American Educational Research Association, Artstor, Dumbarton Oaks, the Mellon Foundation, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the SRI Foundation. She has served on the National Park System Advisory Board Landmarks Committee, and on the boards of the Vernacular Architecture Forum, Latrobe Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, and the Yale Black Alumni Association.

She holds a Ph.D. in American studies from George Washington University, a master’s in architectural history and a certificate in historic preservation from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale University. She is an Oklahoma City native with roots in Oklahoma, Washington, DC, Arkansas, and North Carolina.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Dr. Wiley will be bringing her skills and expertise to Gibbs College and the IQC,” said Dr. John Harris, Director of the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design at Gibbs College. “I truly believe that she will have a major positive impact on communities across the state and lead the IQC into its next chapter. We are also excited that her wealth of knowledge will enhance the professional and personal development of our students.”

The IQC, established in 2008, serves as the community engagement arm of Gibbs College, partnering with faculty, students and professionals on more than 100 community-based projects across Oklahoma. The institute also hosts the nationally recognized Placemaking Conference, which brings together experts, students and practitioners in urban design and community development.

“It feels really good to be home in Oklahoma, and to have the opportunity to collaborate with the powerful team of students, faculty, and staff at the Gibbs College of Architecture.” said Wiley. “I respect the work my colleagues and predecessors have done before me, and I am excited to take up the torch and carry it forward.”

The Gibbs College community congratulates Dr. Wiley on this appointment and looks forward to supporting her leadership in advancing the mission of the IQC