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, sustainable urban 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
• Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Urban 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
• Master of Sustainable Building Technology, MS
• 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
• Transportation Planning and Policy

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

Maria Martinez-Cosio
Associate Professor of Public Affairs, Interim Dean

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

Qisheng Pan
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

Barbara Marini
Associate Professor / Director

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

Narjes Abbasabadi
Assistant Professor

Letora Anderson
Assistant Professor

Dennis Chiessa

Joowon Im
Assistant Professor

Oswald Jenewein

Hyesun Jeong

Julia Lindgren
Assistant Professor

Charles MacBride

Atefe Makhmalbaf

Evan Mistur
Assistant Professor

Emily Nwakpuda
Assistant Professor

Ariadna Reyes-Sánchez
Assistant Professor

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

Hannah Lebovits

Thomas Rusher
Lecturer

Pia Sarpaneva
Lecturer

Bill Boswell
Professor Emeritus / Sr. Lecturer

Todd Hamilton
Professor Emeritus

Martin Price
Professor Emeritus

Lee Carroll Wright
Professor Emeritus / Sr. Lecturer

David Gattis
Adjunct Professor

Steven Nunez

Amanda Aman
Adjunct Assistant Professor

Sumaia Alamoudi
Adjunct Assistant Professor

Amy Archambeau
Assistant Adjunct Professor

Andrew Barnes
Adjunct Assistant Professor

Jay Cantrell

Gregory Cartwright
Adjunct Assistant Professor

Mark Dennis
Adjunct Assistant Professor

Cheryl Donaldson
Adjunct Assistant Professor / 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