OU Institute for Quality Communities

The mission of The University of Oklahoma is to provide the best possible educational experience for our students through excellence in teaching, research and creative activity, and service to the state and society.

The Institute for Quality Communities is a community engagement program in the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture. The program was founded in 2008 by former OU President David L. Boren and First Lady Molly Shi Boren. IQC partners with Oklahoma communities to address local challenges, and brings best practices to Oklahomans through the biennial Placemaking Conference. IQC manages the Environmental Design degree program for undergraduate students.

IQC serves Oklahoma’s towns and cities while educating the next generation of leaders.

The community is our classroom for interdisciplinary teams of students. We build partnerships with mayors, city managers, and civic organizations across Oklahoma to identify challenges in the built environment. Students learn by experience to gather community input, analyze existing conditions, and develop conceptual planning and design solutions. These partnerships enhance learning and help Oklahomans reshape their towns and cities in ways that improve health, economy, and quality of life.

We have completed more than 50 community projects in 28 Oklahoma counties. These have resulted in formally adopted plans, successful grant applications, and implemented changes.

IQC connects Oklahomans with stories and ideas that inspire them to take action.

We host the Placemaking Conference, a biennial event featuring nationally-renowned experts in city design and development. The Placemaking Conference is about how we design and build towns and cities. Design of the built environment is of critical importance to challenges facing Oklahoma, with links to important outcomes in public health, fiscal solvency of local government, economic development, and talent retention.

The Placemaking Conference has attracted a total of 3,000 visitors from 60 Oklahoma counties. Holding this conference is an essential component of our efforts to reach community advocates, civic leaders, and industry professionals.

Staff

Vanessa Morrison

Interim Director

Vanessa is a planner and community development professional who is dedicated to empowering and supporting communities. After receiving her master’s degree in Regional City Planning from the University of Oklahoma’s College of Architecture, Vanessa’s professional and academic opportunities have allowed her to design and lead approaches to address equity challenges, coordinate community engagement opportunities for marginalized groups, domestically and internationally consult urban planning related projects, collaborate on planning initiatives, and activate both spatial and social environments. She is also experienced in developing and implementing engagement strategies that reach into multi-faceted communities, including Black communities, trauma exposed adults and families, business spaces, advocacy groups, state and local governments, and more. Her robust education and experience in community engagement, planning, and crisis management give her unique and valuable insight to initiate and sustain change.

Ronald H. Frantz, AIA

Director of Small Town Studios, Associate Professor Division of Architecture, Environmental Design Coordinator, Wick Cary Professor

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.

Rebecca Blaine, AICP, CFM

Research Fellow

Rebecca is a doctoral student working as a Research Fellow for the Institute of Quality Communities. Rebecca’s hometown is Okmulgee, OK, which is known for its vibrant Main Street Program and Pecan Festival (which created Guinness record-winning pecan treats from the late 80’s and early 90’s). She holds a master’s degree in Urban Design from the University of Oklahoma, as well as a bachelor’s in Business Marketing from Northeastern State University. She served as a public planning practitioner for over seven years in Oklahoma. She is proud of her professional work getting Guthrie’s Historic Downtown District recognized as an APA Great Place in 2018 and her efforts in helping Shawnee become the first Blue Zones Project Certified Community in 2020 in the state of Oklahoma. Her passions include creating resiliency for rural Oklahoma communities through placemaking, connectivity, historic preservation, public art, the built environment, and economic development. She is a member of the American Planning Association, Congress for the New Urbanism, Urban Land Institute, and the Oklahoma Floodplain Managers Association. She hopes her research will provide meaningful substance to serve as a resiliency roadmap for communities across the state.

Mahathi Akella

Graduate Assistant

Growing up in the lively city of Hyderabad, India, Mahathi developed a keen interest in urban planning as she watched the city evolve and transform over time. Witnessing Hyderabad’s transition from its historical areas to modern districts ignited her passion for urban development. Consequently, Mahathi chose to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Techniques for Design and Planning in Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University in Hyderabad and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Regional and City Planning at the University of Oklahoma. This academic experience equipped her with valuable skills to leverage technology for urban improvement and allowed Mahathi to combine the insights gained in Hyderabad with a global perspective on urban design with a commitment to crafting community-centric, sustainable cities and promote inclusivity and community development.

Anahita Niknejad

Graduate Assistant

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.

Logan Gray

Graduate Assistant

Logan Gray received his B.A. in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Oklahoma in 2019 and is currently pursuing his Master’s of Regional and City Planning. Growing up in Tuttle and regularly visiting family in southwestern Oklahoma, Logan developed an appreciation for the small, rural communities he saw. He was inspired to pursue a career in city planning after studying abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he first observed different communities’ relationships with the built environment. Today, Logan is interested in how cities of any size can promote health and happiness among their residents.

Emily Pendergrast

Graduate Assistant

Originally from Choctaw, OK, Emily’s interest in city planning began when she attended the University of Oklahoma. There she developed a strong interest in community development and urban mobility. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Regional and City Planning. Emily would like to engage in close community work to better our transportation systems and focus on connecting the city with its residents.  

Natalie Young

Graduate Assistant

Growing up in Stafford County, Virginia, Natalie spent much of her youth exploring both the plentiful historic sites and the varied natural scenes. This inspired her to pursue a degree in Environmental Design at OU and she is currently working on a Master’s in Landscape Architecture. Natalie is interested in community green space and sustainability and would like to explore the possibilities of incorporating urban agriculture or community gardens into the urban landscape.

Special Recognition

Hope Mander

Associate Director, 2008-2019

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.

IQC Students & Alumni

The IQC works with talented students, interns, and graduate assistants throughout each academic year. Here are current students who are helping the IQC and alumni who have moved on to promising careers and further education.

Graduate Assistants

Graduate Assistants

Graduate Assistants

Graduate Assistants

  • Alice Calmon, M. Landscape Architecture candidate
  • Taylor Huizenga, M. Regional and City Planning ’20
  • Matthew Kessler, M. Landscape Architecture candidate
Graduate Assistants

Undergraduate Assistants

  • Amy Hostetter, B. Architecture ’18
Graduate Assistants

Undergraduate Assistants

  • Amy Hostetter, B. Architecture ’18
Graduate Assistants

Undergraduate Assistants

Graduate Assistants

Undergraduate Assistants

Graduate Assistants

Classroom

Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants

Classroom

  • Virginia Addleman, B.S. Environmental Design ’14
  • Grant Bankson, B. Architecture ’15
  • Amber Conwell, B. Architecture ’14
  • Connor Cox, B. Public Administration ’15
  • Layne Ferguson, B. Public Administration ’15
  • Barbara Luiza Franco, B. Architecture
  • Luan Vinicius Juliao das Virgens, B. Architecture
  • Kyler Hallmark, B.S. Environmental Design
  • Ying Li, M. Regional & City Planning ’14
  • Aaron Lout, B. Architecture ’15
  • Zac Miller, M. Architecture
  • Scott Mitchell, B. Film & Video Studies ’14
  • Michelle Oliphant, B. Architecture ’15
  • Justin Phillips, B.S. Environmental Design
  • Amy Shell, B. Architecture ’14
  • Gabe Sevigny, B. Environmental Design
  • Garrett Stouffe, B. Architecture ’14
  • Caty Townsend, B. Architecture ’15
Graduate & Undergraduate Assistants

  • Shane Hampton, M. Regional & City Planning ’13
  • Julie Tran, B. Architecture ’13
  • Sam Day, B. Architecture ’13

Classroom

Graduate Assistants

Classroom