ISE - Key Persons
Afrah Faheem, growing up on the coastal plains of Chennai, India, experienced the effects of urbanization, droughts, and floods firsthand, inspiring her passion for sustainable development and ecological restoration. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Landscape Architecture, focusing on designing spaces that integrate human needs with nature while addressing climate challenges and preserving ecosystems. Her background in Architecture sparked a deep interest in environmental studies, landscape design, and biophilic principles. Afrah is particularly drawn to stormwater management, green infrastructure and riparian corridors. As also secretary of SCASLA at OU, she is committed to leadership and advancing her field. Through her studies and involvement, she strives to create resilient design solutions that benefit both the environment and communities.
Amber is a historian with over 15 years of experience teaching on the university level. She joined 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.
Amber received her Ph.D. in American Studies from George Washington University. She also holds a Master's in Architectural History and Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and a B.A. in Architecture from Yale University. She is a native of Oklahoma City with roots in Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, and Arkansas.
Growing up in the vibrant city of Tehran, Anahita‘s attention was always drawn to the historical and contemporary buildings that surrounded her. Growing up in a region rich in diversity and culture, she found herself pondering various aspects of design as she encountered these architectural wonders. As she traveled to different cities within her country, she came to the realization that architecture is, at its core, the art of solving problems. While her mind operated more like that of an engineer, she possessed a deep sense of artistic appreciation that eventually led her to pursue a degree in architectural design at the Iran University of Science and Technology. During her undergraduate studies, Anahita‘s passion for designing buildings was undeniable, but she couldn't ignore the feeling that something essential was missing. It was during this time that she discovered the concept of sustainability and the profound influence of nature that could be seamlessly integrated into architectural designs. She firmly believed that outdoor spaces held equal importance in promoting public health and well-being, if not more so than indoor spaces. Consequently, she decided to embark on a journey to study landscape architecture for her master's degree at the University of Oklahoma. This decision allowed her to merge her architectural background with the natural world, paving the way for more innovative and holistic designs for the future.
Job Titles:
- Division Head
- Vice President, Campus Operations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
Job Titles:
- Senior Administrative / Finance Coordinator
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- Senior Accounting Specialist
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
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- Administrative Support Specialist
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- Adjunct Professor
- Public Administration
Layne has over a decade of professional experience where he has performed a variety of roles including urban designer, project director and planner. He is skilled in public space and multi-modal street design. He has extensive experience working with Cities and Districts on placemaking and place-branding initiatives. Layne currently serves at the Activation Team Lead for Yard & Company.
Prior to Yard, he served as the Director of Placemaking for CivicBrand and the Director of Design for Team Better Block, where he worked with cities across the country on engaging the community through pop-up urbanism projects. Most notably, he wrote the award winning ‘Pop-Up Placemaking Toolkit' in coordination with AARP Livable Communities that has been used as an accessible tool to implement placemaking demonstrations across the United States.
He is an alumnus of the University of Oklahoma where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Affairs and Administration. In 2016, he completed the Master of Science of Architecture degree at the University of Oklahoma.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
Max Westheimer Airport (MWA), owned and operated by the University of Oklahoma, is an integral component of the transportation infrastructure serving the City of Norman, the University, and the surrounding region. Westheimer is a public-use airport located within the city limits of Norman, Oklahoma. The airport consists of two runways: a 5,200-foot-long, grooved, asphalt primary runway; and a 4,750-foot-long, grooved, asphalt crosswind runway. Max Westheimer Airport has an instrument landing system (ILS), non-precision landing system, an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) with thunderstorm and lightning detecting, a locally operated FBO (Cruise Aviation), an aircraft avionics shop (Avionic Services), Airframe & Powerplant Repairs (Sooner Aviation), a flight school (University of Oklahoma: School of Aviation), and an air traffic control tower staffed 365 days a year.
Job Titles:
- Asst VP, Operations Administration / OU Clery Act Compliance Coordinator
Phil is a Regional and City Planning Masters student who loves all places where people gather. Phil is interested in all elements of quality urbanism, but most especially in food systems planning and active transportation. When Phil isn't reading about cities, he is usually tending to his backyard garden/chickens, riding his bike, logging films on Letterboxd, or pretending like he will actually learn to sew this weekend.
Job Titles:
- Regional and City Planning
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- Director of Small Town Studios, Associate Professor Division of Architecture, Environmental Design Coordinator, Wick Cary Professor ( Emeritus )
For 41 years, Ron Frantz focused on the historic preservation of Oklahoma's landmarks and the revitalization of the State's Main Streets, neighborhood commercial districts, and streetcar suburbs. As an architect intern, he first worked in the small towns of Guthrie, Chandler, and Pawhuska, Oklahoma, while restoring a bungalow in the Paseo Neighborhood of Oklahoma City. As a licensed architect, much of his professional career was with the Oklahoma Main Street Center at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at The University of Oklahoma. Through this work, Ron worked with community organizations and revitalization programs in almost 200 cities, towns, and neighborhoods in Oklahoma including Oklahoma City's Automobile Alley and Plaza District, Okmulgee, Ponca City, Altus, Newkirk, Cordell, Hobart, and Woodward. He serves on advisory committees with the state agencies or programs ranging from the Oklahoma Main Street Center and the Oklahoma Arts Council to the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office. Ron has bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture from The Tulane University of Louisiana in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
Sanjita is currently pursuing her Master's in Regional and City Planning. Her passion for city planning began during her undergraduate studies in architecture. While working as a trainee architect in the Metropolitan City of her home country, Nepal, she developed a strong interest in community engagement and transportation networks.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants Team
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- Associate Director, 2008 - 2019
- Founding Member of IQC
Umit "Hope" Mander is a founding member of IQC, who dedicated over a decade to shaping the vision and programs of IQC. She served as Associate Director until retiring from OU in 2020. Hope is a beloved mentor to dozens of IQC Graduate Assistants and many more students at the Gibbs College of Architecture. During her time at IQC, she was a key leader shaping IQC's programs, especially the biennial Placemaking Conference. Hope holds degrees in Environmental Design and Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma. Today, she and her husband Clive live in Istanbul, Turkey.
Amber is a historian with over 15 years of experience teaching on the university level. She joined 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.
Amber received her Ph.D. in American Studies from George Washington University. She also holds a Master's in Architectural History and Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia School of Architecture, and a B.A. in Architecture from Yale University. She is a native of Oklahoma City with roots in Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, and Arkansas.