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Alumni Stories

Graduates of the School of Architecture and Planning carry the qualities of next-generation leaders: grit, courage, enterprise, and collaboration. It's why our graduates are asking the questions no one else is asking, and turning those ideas into action. It's why UB graduates are leading the profession's most emergent areas of practice.

From Buffalo to Shanghai, our more than 6,500 alumni are leading the way through inspirational practice. UB graduates hold diverse positions of influence across our professions, from firm executives and government officials, to real estate developers and historic preservationists, to community activists and the heads of design research enterprises.

Meet our Graduates

Call for alumni work

We invite all alumni to share your stories of innovation and impact. Submit your work today.

Architect Michael Garz (BA '72) has managed design for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, guided by lessons learned at UB.
2/12/15
Michael Garz (BA '72)
Senior Vice President, STV
“I wanted to be in the business of making things happen, of creating a legacy, of creating something that was lasting, creating a sense of place, being an agent of change.”
2/12/15
Richard Perlmutter (BA ’76)
President, Argo Development
“My best advice to students: Take every advantage to get practical experience through internships or community work.”
2/12/15
Gary Jastrzab (BA '76)
Executive Director, Philadelphia City Planning Commission

After helping UB's NOMAS team place first in a national design competition, this dual master’s grad looks ahead.
2/25/19
Joenette Cobb (MArch/MUP '18)
A practicing architect, Martinez also works actively to raise awareness of architecture as a career path for traditionally marginalized communities.
10/10/19
Ingrid Martinez (MArch '17, BS Arch '16)
Architectural Designer, Clark Patterson Lee
"My background in all three fields allows me to approach projects more comprehensively. I’m able to understand the various aspects of each project and can move from one to the other with ease and help mediate conflicts when needed."
1/28/20
Bradley Everdyke (MArch/MUP '17, BAED '13)
Architect focusing in historic preservation, Carmina Wood Morris, Buffalo, NY
"I would not be the person I am today if it was not for the opportunities and education I had during my time at UB."
10/10/19
Andres Santandreu (MArch '17, BS Arch '16)
Design Associate, Haskell Co., Jacksonville, Fla.
“At UB, you hone your design skills. And you are also trained to have a full understanding of the coordination of the systems of a building."
2/12/15
Suzanne Musho (MArch '93, BA '90)
Vice President, Zubatkin Owner Representation
F. Jason Campbell discusses Buffalo as an architectural lens and an influence on his multidimensional career
2/12/15
Jason Campbell (Architecture BS '11)
Designer, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
“The general attitude of the school is not to project things onto the students, but to have them go out and discover things on their own. You might not have the answer, but you know how to get it. That skill set really prepares you for a career in anything.”
3/13/15
Courtney Creenan-Chorley (MArch/MUP '12, BAED '08)
Architect, Flynn Battaglia Architects
"I adore working toward a common goal. There's a can-do kind of spirit, a lightness at Studio Gang."
5/20/19
Maciej Kaczynski (BS Arch '06)
Project Leader, Studio Gang (Chicago)
"The quality of the program and faculty kept me at UB for graduate school and keeps me involved with the school today."
2/4/16
Michael Anderson (MArch '03, BPS '01)
Owner/Architect, Abstract Architecture PC
"Sometimes you've just got to take a risk."
6/11/26
Doug Swift (MArch '93)
Developer, Buffalo
“We need to think about how to pull these ‘digital materials’ into our set of design tools and expertise...to create a world where it makes sense to interact with physical space and digital things, and still be relevant for an architectural practice.”
2/12/15
Adam Laskowitz (MArch/MFA ’12, Architecture BS ’09)
Director of User Experience, Target Corp.
William Gates and a UB engineering alum play lead role in the design and construction of food gardens for the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.
2/12/15
William Gates (MArch ‘01)
Professor, New York School of Interior Design
It may seem an unlikely place for an architect to land, but Matthew Sama, assistant art director for NBC’s “The Blacklist,” says his UB education uniquely prepared him for what he’s doing today.
2/12/15
Matthew Sama (MArch ’11, Architecture BS ’09)
Assistant Art Director, NBC
"Always make yourself available and open to new opportunities and challenges. Learn to embrace the discomfort that comes from challenges. Train yourself to look at problems from multiple perspectives."
2/12/15
Alexander Morris (MArch ‘94, BPS ‘91)
Senior Associate, Wallace Roberts & Todd, Philadelphia
"The School of Architecture and Planning's open environment and access to professors allowed me to tinker. It’s quite literally what I encourage the staff to do here.”
6/11/26
Kenneth Smith (MArch '85)
Principal, Smith + Associates Architects
“In thirty-five years following my graduation from UB, I have always stayed connected, collaborative and collegial. I believe that I cultivated a rigorous attitude toward constructing links between the discipline and practice of architecture through my studies in the MArch program. ”
3/30/20
Murat Soygenis, FAIA, MArch '85
Founding Partner S+ ARCHITECTURE, Professor, Istanbul

"I saw the impact of how knowledge can change the perception and behavior of women and young people ... This is something that changes you forever."
3/4/19
Rana Abu Ghazaleh (MUP '08)
Urban planner and global activist
"I decided to combine my planning skills and technical training in community development with public health to create the concept of healthy places for healthy people."
11/21/19
Dean S. Seneca (BAED '90)
Senior public health specialist and CEO, Seneca Scientific Solutions+ LLC, Buffalo, NY
"My background in all three fields allows me to approach projects more comprehensively. I’m able to understand the various aspects of each project and can move from one to the other with ease and help mediate conflicts when needed."
1/28/20
Bradley Everdyke (MArch/MUP '17, BAED '13)
Architect focusing in historic preservation, Carmina Wood Morris, Buffalo, NY
"Our biggest challenge moving forward is creating more equitable outcomes and improving our cities."
2/21/19
Samuel Wells (MUP '14)
Neighborhood Stabilization Coordinator, City of Albany
"Placemaking in Black communities should take a context sensitive approach to customs and cultural values and their effects on the Black family nuclei."
2/23/21
Byron Nicholas (MUP '13, BAED '11)
Creator of Black + Urban; Supervising Transportation Planner, Hudson County, NJ
"We see a lot of cities and nonprofits thinking creatively on how federal dollars can go the furthest. Personally I find that exciting."
9/20/19
Taylor Hawes (MUP/JD '12)
Attorney - Advisor, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fort Worth, TX
After helping UB's NOMAS team place first in a national design competition, this dual master’s grad looks ahead.
2/25/19
Joenette Cobb (MArch/MUP '18)
As a researcher with China's Development Research Center in Beijing, Xuan Sun brings urban planning solutions to China's rapidly urbanizing cities.
9/3/19
Xuan Sun (MUP '13)
Researcher, Development Research Center of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China
"I can't emphasize enough the importance of grant writing. It's a huge piece in the urban planning field. If there's a grant writing class, take it."
5/20/19
Rebecca Yanus (MUP '15, BAED '13)
Director of Planning and Development, City of Dunkirk, NY
Geoffrey Butler’s love of Buffalo led to his work in one of the hardest hit flood areas in the U.S.
2/12/15
Geoffrey Butler (MUP '11)
Planner, Houston Planning and Development
"I had no idea the paths urban planning would open up."
5/20/19
Caitlin Donovan (MUP '11, BAED '09)
Community Planning and Development Director, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Real estate developer Daniel Crowther combines interest in design and collaborative facility as manager of projects across the region.
5/20/19
Daniel Crowther (MSRED, BAED '15)
Project Manager, TM Montante
“I wanted to live in the middle of nowhere and plant trees,” Jajean Rose-Burney recalls of his hopes for a stint in the Peace Corps. Instead, he wound up behind a desk in a big bureaucracy in Mexico’s fourth-largest city, Puebla.
4/29/14
Jajean Rose-Burney (MUP '07, BAED '05)
Deputy Executive Director, Western New York Land Conservancy
The first graduate of UB’s PhD in urban and regional planning is among the Class of 2017
5/17/17
A planning scholar investigating the experience of LGBT older adults in community and residential settings will walk the stage at the school’s Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 19, as the first graduate of UB’s PhD program in urban and regional planning.
“The general attitude of the school is not to project things onto the students, but to have them go out and discover things on their own. You might not have the answer, but you know how to get it. That skill set really prepares you for a career in anything.”
3/13/15
Courtney Creenan-Chorley (MArch/MUP '12, BAED '08)
Architect, Flynn Battaglia Architects
“I wanted to be in the business of making things happen, of creating a legacy, of creating something that was lasting, creating a sense of place, being an agent of change.”
2/12/15
Richard Perlmutter (BA ’76)
President, Argo Development
“My best advice to students: Take every advantage to get practical experience through internships or community work.”
2/12/15
Gary Jastrzab (BA '76)
Executive Director, Philadelphia City Planning Commission

“The things I learned at UB were essential to the job I do now. But even more important to me were the relationships I cultivated there."
2/12/15
Lisa Hicks (MS in Real Estate Development '17)
Director of Development, City of Buffalo, Office of Strategic Planning
Real estate developer Daniel Crowther combines interest in design and collaborative facility as manager of projects across the region.
5/20/19
Daniel Crowther (MSRED, BAED '15)
Project Manager, TM Montante
"Real estate development is a tool, a potentially powerful tool, that can effectuate meaningful change in society, in cities, towns and communities, and in the lives of individuals."
2/8/21
Connor Kenney (MSRED '18)
Real Estate Developer, SAA/EVI.

Geoffrey Butler’s love of Buffalo led to his work in one of the hardest hit flood areas in the U.S.
2/12/15
Geoffrey Butler (MUP '11)
Planner, Houston Planning and Development
"The ability to come up with practical ways to engage the general public in terms they can understand is a valuable and essential asset to any preservation organization. During my time at UB, I learned practical solutions and ways to address this."
10/1/19
Katharine Hewlings (MS Arch '18)
Historic Buildings and Structures Survey Coordinator, History Nebraska
"My background in all three fields allows me to approach projects more comprehensively. I’m able to understand the various aspects of each project and can move from one to the other with ease and help mediate conflicts when needed."
1/28/20
Bradley Everdyke (MArch/MUP '17, BAED '13)
Architect focusing in historic preservation, Carmina Wood Morris, Buffalo, NY