Accomplishments: School of Architecture

Architectural psychologist Dak Kopec (Architecture) has completed his third novel, Possessing Parker: Beyond Truth, the final installment in a trilogy examining the sociocultural forces that shape the lives of young gay men. Grounded in research on the challenges faced by this population, each book in the series explores distinct events…
Assistant professor Jung-Hwa Kim (Architecture), student Adam King (Landscape Architecture), and alumna Jacel Zeres Avila (Landscape Architecture '25) have earned first place in the 2025 Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Challenge. Results were announced at the ASLA Annual Conference on Oct. 11, 2025. Working in partnership with the…
Assistant Professor Jung-Hwa Kim (Architecture) served as a jury member for the 22nd National Exhibition of Korean Landscape Architecture student competition on Aug. 7.
Assistant professor Jung-Hwa Kim (Architecture) was invited to present "Rethinking Urban Landscapes in a Changing Climate: The Shifting Culture of Lawns" to the HY-GRIP Project Group for Future Regional Development Researchers at Hanyang University, South Korea, on Aug. 6.
Dak Kopec (Architecture) published a coedited anthology with Jennifer Burgermeister, Rice University. This anthology includes essays from members of UNLV, including Ash Quinn (Service Learning & Leadership); faculty in residence Candice Wilcken; and student Aluna Perry (Architecture). Every life holds a story — every story leaves a mark.…
In collaboration with the Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NVASLA), Jacel Zeres Avila and Jung-Hwa Kim (both Architecture) received recognition in the 15th Annual Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Challenge. Their submission, focused on Cochran Ditch in Reno, NV, earned second place and will be added to the…
Jung-Hwa Kim (Architecture) gave a virtual presentation on her research, "Elevated Utopias: The Rise of Roof Gardens in Early 20th-Century Department Stores," at the LAND/PLAN Site Planning Seminar Series, hosted by Prof. Sangyong Cho at the University of Cincinnati.
Dak Kopec (Architecture) published the 4th of edition of his authored work, Environmental Psychology for Design. The book explores questions with an in-depth look at psychosocial responses to the built environment. Awarded the 2006 ASID Joel Polsky Prize, the first edition served as an introduction to the discipline of environmental…
Two years after the release of his debut novel, Broken Boys Beyond Friendship, Dak Kopec (Architecture) unveiled his second work, Logan's Legacy Beyond Blood. Continuing his commitment to exploring social equity amid societal, governmental, and judicial prejudices, this novel brings to the forefront the challenges and discrimination many…
Dak Kopec (Interior Architecture and Design) presented at Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart (Germany) on the topic of Trauma Informed Design on October 16.  We live in a divided world where violence, in one form or another, dominates the daily news. With this global trend, Interior design is being called upon to provide environments that…
Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez (Architecture) has been inducted as Fellow of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). To be selected as Fellow, a member of ASES needs to be active in the society for at least 10 years and has served with distinction in the advancement of solar energy utilization by way of research, education, public service, and/or…
Jung-Hwa Kim (Architecture) delivered a virtual oral presentation for a Library Company of Philadelphia and Historical Society of Pennsylvania fellowship colloquium on June 5, 2023. The fellowship-awarded research, “The Design and Use of the Wanamaker’s Department Store Rooftop in Philadelphia, 1910 to the 1920s,” showed how the Wanamaker’s in…