College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs
Vision
In CAPPA, we work with our hands, heads, and hearts to change the world one place at a time.
Mission and Philosophy
The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) interweaves the unique gifts and expertise of each person and profession to co-create urban, ecological, and social fabrics that unleash the inherent potential of places and communities in the DFW region and beyond.
A New Era Begins
In 2015, The University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Architecture and School of Urban and Public Affairs combined to form the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs. The integration of the two schools strengthened the academic, research, and outreach opportunities available for students and faculty at UTA.
CAPPA offers degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, public administration, and public policy. The college also hosts the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture, Digital Architectural Research Consortium, and Institute of Urban Studies, and partners with the City of Arlington on the Arlington Urban Design Center located at City Hall.
Accreditations
CAPPA offers the Master of Architecture and the Master of Landscape Architecture as first professional degrees in the respective programs. The former is accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) and the latter by the Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board (LAAB). The Bachelor of Science in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Master of Public Administration degree is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) and the Master of City and Regional Planning is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB).
Undergraduate Degrees
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture
- Bachelor of Science in Interior Design
Graduate Degrees
- Master of Architecture
- Master of City and Regional Planning
- Master of Landscape Architecture
- Master of Public Administration
- Master of Public Policy, MA
- Ph.D. in Public and Urban Administration
- Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy
Graduate Certificates
- Development Review
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Public Budgeting and Financial Management
- Urban Nonprofit Management
Undergraduate Minors
- Architectural History
- Environmental and Sustainability Studies
- Urban and Public Affairs
Scholastic Activity and Research Interests of the Faculty
CAPPA faculty are actively engaged in research and community service projects that benefit local jurisdictions, public and nonprofit agencies with expertise that is beyond the normal scope of their particular services and resources. Typical projects include revitalization studies for inner-city neighborhoods, development plans for central business districts, economic development strategies for municipalities, inter-local contracting studies, and assessments of service delivery alternatives in communities and school districts.
The broad range of faculty research interests primarily focuses on local issues and provides support for local officials and urban professionals, but it also includes basic research into urban problems and public policy that is published in national journals and used in university texts. Research topics include such planning issues as urban design, land use analysis, environmental planning, economic development, community service and development, focus group research and group facilitation; such public administration issues as public management, intergovernmental relations, entrepreneurship in government, education and economic development; and such urban affairs issues as urban theory, development, management, politics, social welfare policy, social service administration and minority relations.
Institute of Urban Studies
The Institute of Urban Studies was established in 1967 by an act of the Texas Legislature. The institute’s mandate was to offer Texas city and county governments and other public agencies high-caliber, university-based research, training and other technical services. In 1992, after significant expansion of its staff and programs, the School of Urban and Public Affairs was created. The Institute of Urban Studies continues to operate as a vital research and outreach arm of the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.
The Institute is the state’s only university-based center for applied research and service in urban affairs. It is called upon routinely to study and recommend solutions for problems confronting government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private industry.
During its more than 40 years of existence, the Institute of Urban Studies has conducted hundreds of studies on such topics as transportation, housing, local economic development, public safety, corrections, education, human services, child care and regional governance. These reports are included in the collections of virtually every major library in Texas and have been adopted as texts at many colleges and universities.
Students are offered a wide array of opportunities for projects, internships and employment. CAPPA faculty, staff and students work on "real-life" urban and public affairs projects in cooperation with city governments, public agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Faculty
Adrian Parr
Dean / Professor
Douglas Klahr
Associate Dean / Associate Professor
Rebecca Boles
Assistant Dean / Associate Professor of Practice in Interior Design
Ardeshir Anjomani
Professor
Jianling Li
Professor
Madan Mehta
Professor
Guoqiang Shen
Professor
Diane Allen
Associate Professor / Landscape Architecture, Program Director
Ivonne Audirac
Associate Professor / PhD Program in Urban Planning and Public Policy, Interim Director
Bradley Bell
Associate Professor / School of Architecture, Program Director
Karabi Bezboruah
Associate Professor
David Coursey
Associate Professor / Master of Public Administration, Program Director
George Gintole
Associate Professor
Rod Hissong
Associate Professor / PhD Program in Public and Public Policy, Interim Director
Kathryn Holliday
Associate Professor / David Dillion Center for Texas Architecture, Director
David Hopman
Associate Professor
Maria Martinez-Cosio
Associate Professor
John Maruszczak
Associate Professor
Joshua Nason
Associate Professor
Taner Özdil
Associate Professor
Steven Quevedo
Associate Professor
Alejandro Rodriguez
Associate Professor / Department of Public Affairs, Interim Chair
Bijan Youssefzadeh
Associate Professor
Dennis Chiessa
Joowon Im
Assistant Professor
Oswald Jenewein
Hyesun Jeong
Charles MacBride
Atefe Makhmalbaf
Jiwon Suh
Assistant Professor
Bang Dang
Richard Greene
Professor of Practice
Jerry Kunkel
Kevin Sloan
Austin Allen
Mark Lamster
Associate Professor in Practice
Jerald Kunkel
Assistant Professor in Practice
Heath MacDonald
Assistant Professor in Practice
Dustin Wheat
Assistant Professor in Practice
John Fain
Lecturer
Thomas Rusher
Lecturer
Pia Sarpaneva
Lecturer
Bill Boswell
Professor Emeritus / Sr. Lecturer
Martin Price
Professor Emeritus
Lee Carroll Wright
Professor Emeritus / Sr. Lecturer
Amy A Archambeau
David Gattis
Adjunct Professor
Steven Nunez
Amanda Aman
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Sumaia Alamoudi
Adjunct Assitant Professor
Andrew Barnes
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Jay Cantrell
Gregory Cartwright
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Mark Dennis
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Cheryl Donaldson
Adjunct Assistant Professor / Asst. Director for Academic and Student Affairs / Advising Coordinator
Southern Ellis
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Halima Areval Essary
Boback Firoozbakht
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Kay Godbey
Marisa Gomez
Bob Hart
Jill Jordan
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Ashlee Lehmann
Adjunct Assistant Professor
James Lengen
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Amy Wynne Leveno
Mark Leveno
Heath May
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Brad McCorkle
Adjunct Assistant Professor
David Messersmith
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Murray Miller
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Ricardo Munoz
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Ed Nelson
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Robert Pavlik
Joseph Portugal
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Lorena Toffer
Kristin Walsh
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Joshua Hallett