News
Wed, 05/06/2026
Interaction design student named a 2026-2027 Self Memorial Scholar
Twenty-one students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year. The award is given to outstanding seniors from KU who will be transitioning into their first year of a master’s or doctoral program at KU in the fall 2026 semester.
Wed, 05/06/2026
KU students earn top honors at 2026 National Student Show and Conference
University of Kansas students earned multiple top honors at the 2026 National Student Show and Conference in Dallas, with the program also named Best School by the national jury. KU students were recognized across portfolio, motion design, branding and conceptual categories, highlighting the strength and national impact of the program.
Tue, 05/05/2026
KU illustration and animation students earn national honors from Society of Illustrators
Two students from the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design earned national honors in the Society of Illustrators Student Competition. Senior Bella LeJuerrne and Waverly Altis were selected from more than 4,500 entries, with their award‑winning work featured in a New York City museum exhibition May 2-16.
Fri, 05/01/2026
Home on the range: Kansas sabbatical inspires artist
Barry Fitzgerald is returning to Lindsborg to show paintings he made while spending a month at the nearby Red Barn Studio. It was his first artistic residency after a long and successful career as an illustrator.
Thu, 04/23/2026
KU Architecture & Design Student Showcase exhibition at Kansas City Design Week, Friday, April 24
The exhibition will feature twenty-two 12-foot-tall posters, video displays, digitally fabricated objects, furniture, and printed work representing the diversity of projects created by KU Architecture & Design students.
Thu, 04/23/2026
Spencer Museum announces 2026 Brosseau Creativity Award recipients
The Spencer Museum of Art has awarded four KU undergraduate students from Kansas with Brosseau Creativity Awards, which honor innovative and risk-taking creative work in any area of study.
Wed, 04/01/2026
Architecture professor’s research rebuilds coastal habitats along Florida waterways
KU architecture professor Keith Van de Riet is redefining how coastal infrastructure is designed. For more than a decade, his research has focused on developed shorelines along the Florida Atlantic and Gulf Coasts where traditional seawalls contribute to habitat loss. In this story heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, Van de Riet discusses his research and the digitally fabricated seawall panel system he designed to mitigate habitat loss along coastal waterways.
Tue, 02/17/2026
Architecture professor Suncica Milosevic a featured scholar in series hosted by the KU Commons, Friday, Feb. 20
The Commons at the University of Kansas will host Red Hot Research sessions in February, March, April and May, including one session in conjunction with the Office of Faculty Affairs and one Red Hot Graduate Research event. The first event will take place at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at Watson Library, 3 West.
Wed, 02/04/2026
University of Kansas announces fall 2025 honor roll: 201 architecture and design students earned dean's list distinction
Nearly 9,600 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned dean's list distinction for the fall 2025 semester. The honor roll comprises undergraduates who meet requirements in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and in the schools of Architecture & Design, Business, Education & Human Sciences, Engineering, Health Professions, Journalism & Mass Communications, Music, Nursing, Pharmacy, Professional Studies and Social Welfare.
Mon, 02/02/2026
KU School of Architecture & Design announces spring 2026 Architecture Lecture Series lineup
The University of Kansas Architecture Lecture Series schedule features practitioners, researchers and interdisciplinary leaders focused on advancing public well‑being through evidence‑informed design, sustainable practice and community‑centered solutions. The series kicks off Feb. 23 with the ninth annual KU Health & Wellness Symposium.
Fri, 01/23/2026
KU School of Architecture & Design announces spring 2026 design lecture series schedule
The University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design Spring 2026 Design Professional Lecture Series begins Jan. 29 with a lecture by graphic designer and arts preservationist JD Hooge.
Thu, 01/15/2026
How KU Architecture Helped Emily Almloff Become the Youngest Licensed Architect in America
Emily Almloff didn’t plan to break a record. She followed her curiosity, found support through her program’s community, and discovered a specialty in healthcare design that shaped her future.
Thu, 01/15/2026
New design awards program for KU architecture and design students accepting submissions – deadline February 15
The newly established Design Excellence Awards recognize KU School of Architecture & Design students who demonstrate exceptional design skills and creativity in third- and fourth-year studios. This year, up to 28 awards will be granted to students for projects produced during the Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 semesters.
Mon, 01/05/2026
Read the School of Architecture & Design’s winter newsletter
Alumni spearheading KU’s Gateway District and the School’s new building project. Students win AIA Kansas and AIGA Kansas City awards. Annual career-building event welcomes 40+ firms to campus. Students present at national healthcare design conference. Industrial design students create custom guitars with a combination of digital fabrication and hand assembly. And much more.
Thu, 12/18/2025
Student projects honored in student and professional categories at annual AIA Kansas awards
The KU Department of Architecture dominated student categories at the annual AIA-Kansas Excellence in Design Awards earlier this fall, including two top-prize honor awards. And notably, two student design-build projects were recognized with top-prize honor awards in professional categories.
Fri, 12/05/2025
Submission Call: KU Health & Wellness Design student design competition focused on using principles of nature to create healthy environments
The KU Institute of Health & Wellness Design is sponsoring a student design competition to explore ways nature can enhance human health and well-being in the creation of built environments. Cash prizes of $1,000, $500 and $300 will be awarded to the three top entries. Open to students in all KU architecture and design academic programs.
Mon, 11/03/2025
Five architecture and design students receive KU Libraries art awards
KU Libraries’ LibArt program, a year-round, juried exhibition of student art in library spaces, celebrated its largest-ever display of student artwork and named award recipients at a reception Oct. 28 at Watson Library.
Thu, 10/30/2025
KU Design students, faculty and alumni win AIGA Kansas City awards
KU students took home a total of 13 awards in the student category, including the Best in Class Award for Brand and Identity. Matthew Cook, KU assistant professor in the animation and illustration programs, won two awards in the professional category.
Mon, 10/06/2025
Read the Fall 2025 School of Architecture & Design newsletter
Bjarke Ingels visits campus to discuss School of Architecture & Design building project. Architecture & Design Alumni Award winners announced. Academic success director honored for service to veterans. Studio 804’s 1040 New York Street House. Alumni news and more.
Thu, 10/02/2025
KU School of Architecture & Design announces alumni award winners
The KU Architecture & Design Alumni Awards celebrate the wide-ranging influence Jayhawk design leaders have in Kansas and throughout the world. They represent achievement in disciplines from architecture and urban planning to design, data visualization and creative leadership.
Tue, 09/30/2025
Architecture professor Kapila Silva awarded Chancellors Club Teaching Professorship
The University of Kansas has announced 17 faculty members from the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses as recipients of KU’s annual teaching awards. They will be honored at the University Teaching Awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Jayhawk Welcome Center.
Thu, 09/11/2025
School of Architecture & Design announces fall 2025 Architecture Lecture Series
The University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design Fall 2025 Architecture Lecture Series begins Sept. 12 with a lecture by Kay Sargent, an interior designer and author working at the forefront of workplace design and research.
Tue, 09/09/2025
KU design professor lets students in on book cover illustration job for big publisher
Matt Cook’s yearlong illustration project for Simon & Schuster comes to fruition with the release of the children's science fiction book “Press 1 for Invasion,” by J.A. Dauber. The KU professor allowed his students to watch the steps along the way.
Mon, 08/18/2025
KU School of Architecture & Design announces fall 2025 design lecture series schedule
The fall 2025 design lecture series kicks off at 6 p.m. Aug. 21 in Wescoe Hall with a lecture by designer and KU alumnus Tad Carpenter. Following the lecture, an opening reception for an exhibition of Carpenter’s work will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Edgar Heap of Birds Family Gallery in Chalmers Hall.
Fri, 08/01/2025
Read the Summer newsletter
The Forum at Marvin rededicated to honor Dean Emeritus John C. Gaunt. New building project update. KU architecture graduate is the youngest ever registered architect in the US. KU Design camp expands. These stories and more in the School of Architecture & Design summer newsletter.
Wed, 07/16/2025
Research shows freshwater fish like complicated shoreline environments, just as saltwater species do
A University of Kansas associate professor is co-author of new research seeking to ascertain how fish react to waterfront edges using a variety of underwater seawall panels made to resemble plant roots. The intent is to attract wildlife — both plant and animal — improving species diversity and water quality.
Wed, 07/16/2025
KU professors awarded Big 12 Faculty Fellowships for 2025-2026 academic year
Six KU faculty members have been selected to participate in the Big 12 Faculty Fellowship over the summer and the upcoming academic year. These scholars will visit and collaborate with faculty and students across the Big 12 Conference.
Mon, 06/30/2025
University of Kansas announces spring 2025 honor roll
Nearly 8,700 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the spring 2025 semester.
Mon, 06/23/2025
Researchers work to perfect conservation signs in nature reserves
A University of Kansas professor is headed to Lake Tahoe this summer to continue his experiments refining the best types of nature-conservation signage. Jeremy Shellhorn and colleagues emphasize the importance of “telegraphic messaging” and proper tone in the effectiveness of designing warning signs in bear country.
Tue, 06/10/2025
University of Kansas drives $7.8 billion economic impact in Kansas, study shows
The University of Kansas is a powerful engine of economic growth and job creation for the state of Kansas, according to a new study detailing the university’s impact.