Alumni Spotlight - Jeffrey Cruzen ('76)
September 15, 2026
Jeffrey "JB" Cruzen (B.Arch. ’76) is a retired Chief Architect with Houston Airport System In this month’s Alumni Spotlight, he reflects on his career, lessons learned from his time at the CoAD and gives some advice to current students.
Designing Better Steps
June 30, 2026
Mehdi Mortazavi has earned first place in a national rehabilitation design competition for a thesis project addressing mobility challenges for people living with multiple sclerosis. ProxiStep, a soft, passive lower-body exosuit, improves gait balance and reduces walking effort through a human-centered design approach grounded in extensive patient and clinical collaboration.
The Wearable Future
June 24, 2026
Award-winning projects from Hines College students Mehdi Mortazavi and Dillon Narcisse show how wearable technology can become more intuitive, accessible, and responsive to human needs. Recognized in the FIT Sport Design Awards, their work explores how design can translate emerging technologies into tools that support performance, usability, and everyday experience.
Donna Kacmar Named Professor Emeritus
May 29, 2026
Donna Kacmar, FAIA, has been awarded the title of Professor Emeritus following her retirement at the close of the Spring 2026 semester. For twenty-six years at the Hines College, Kacmar shaped generations of architects through design studios, research, and mentorship while advancing scholarship in architecture, materiality, and the built environment.
Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Chiarelli (B.Arch. & B.S. '12; M.S. '23)
May 28, 2026
Ashley Chiarelli (B.Arch. ’12, B.S. ’12, M.S. ’23) is Associate Partner and Director of Strategy and Foresight at Kirksey Architecture, helping organizations navigate complex decisions before design begins. In this month’s Alumni Spotlight, she reflects on her nontraditional career path and the value of thinking beyond traditional practice.