Architecture Lecture Series

Blue and white photo of a corner of the Marvin forum up against the sky.

The Architecture Lecture Series welcomes architectural and experiential design leaders from around the country to the University of Kansas to illuminate new ideas and inspire purpose-driven design practice. Lecturers bring a wide range of expertise in areas such as sustainable building, digital environments, public interest design, historic preservation, health and wellness design, and more. 

Spring 2026 Schedule

Monday, February 23 

2:00–3:30 pm | Adams Alumni Center + livestream  

The KU Health & Wellness Symposium – Health & Wellness by Design: Innovations at the Intersections of Research, Practice, and Education 

The ninth annual KU Health & Wellness Symposium will bring together leaders in healthcare management, design, and research to examine how the built environment can improve care. Featuring opening statements and a moderated panel discussion, this year’s symposium will define today’s most urgent challenges in health and wellness settings and spotlight the innovations likely to shape patient care and healthcare environments over the next decade.

Speakers and panelists: moderator Dani Kolker Mai, healthcare planner and architect at Stantec; Darin Daguanno, senior design principal at SmithGroup; Chris Ruder, senior vice president and chief operating officer at the University of Kansas Health System; and Deborah Wingler, partner and Global Practice Director for Applied Research at HKS.

Friday, March 6 

4:30 pm | Marvin Hall, John C. Gaunt Forum 

Doug Wignall, HDR

Doug Wignall is President of HDR’s Global Architecture Practice. He has dedicated his career to HDR, beginning as an intern architect and rising to firm-wide leadership. A passionate advocate for the continued relevance of the architecture profession, Doug emphasizes the vital role architects play in addressing today’s social, environmental, and economic challenges at both national and global scales. He is also a strong champion of architectural education, deeply invested in the student journey and the preparation of future architects, encouraging dialogue, collaboration, risk-taking, and innovation as foundations for cultivating the next generation of design leaders. 

Friday, April 10 

4:30 pm | Marvin Hall, John C. Gaunt Forum

David Manica, MANICA 

David Manica has forged a vision for some of the world’s highest-profile stadium, arena, and convention projects totaling over $15 billion in construction. As president and director of MANICA, his company’s designs are recognized worldwide as some of the most innovative, iconic, functional, and cost-effective projects in the industry. Current and recent projects include Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the Chase Center in San Francisco, the new Chicago Bears stadium, and new Oklahoma City Thunder arena. Previously, as a senior project designer at HOK Sport Venue and Event (now Populous), he was responsible for leading the design of some of the largest and most recognized facilities in the world, including the Olympic Arena in Beijing, and the New Wembley Stadium in London. 

Friday, April 24

4:30 pm | Marvin Hall, John C. Gaunt Forum

Sarah Williams, MIT

Sarah Williams is Associate professor of technology and urban planning at MIT, where she directs the Civic Data Design Lab and the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism. Trained in computation and design, she creates tools and visualizations that make complex urban issues visible to the public, a process she calls Data Action, also the title of her recent MIT Press book. Her projects — ranging from mapping informal transit systems to visualizing the cost of migration — aim to spark dialogue and drive policy change. Her work has been exhibited at the Guggenheim, MoMA, the Venice Biennale, and the Cooper Hewitt and presented to Congress. She has received numerous awards for innovation in design and civic engagement. Before MIT, she co-directed the Spatial Information Design Lab at Columbia University.

 

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