This year’s Administrators Conference, taking place October 29–31, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona, is designed for current and emerging educational leaders. The program will feature a series of in-person sessions and roundtables focused on collaboration, idea-sharing, and discussion.
Extreme Shifts
We are living through a dizzying moment of extreme environmental, social, political, and economic shifts. These seismic forces vary in tone, intensity, and impact across the architectural ecosystem of academic institutions where, collectively, we educate the future leaders of our shared discipline and the profession it supports. At the 2026 51ºÚÁÏ Administrators Conference, we ask how leaders can manage and influence positive and proactive responses to ongoing shifts, while anticipating future change. How can we identify shared values that provide stability for our communities, while learning from our differences? How do we build a stronger field, together?
The Sonoran Desert region of Tucson, Arizona, is no stranger to extremes. In the borderland, national debates play out on the ground in daily life: growing populations of immigrants and migrants; diminishing resources due to extreme heat and water scarcity; lack of adequate housing and shelter; and tensions over land stewardship and widening economic disparities. Â At the same time, the area is a vibrant research center for the study of indigenous cultures, next-generation energy, space science, and innovative engineering. The Sonoran Desert, while uniquely extreme, is perhaps a harbinger of changes coming to other locales.
Steering Committee
Ryan E. Smith
University of Arizona
June Williamson
City College of New York
Laura Hollengreen
University of Arizona
Clare Robinson
University of Arizona
Courtney Crosson
University of Arizona
Michael Monti
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture
Location
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, is a vibrant, sunny city in the Sonoran Desert, renowned for its rich Spanish, Mexican, and Native American culture. As Arizona’s second-largest city, it is known for the University of Arizona, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and being a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Tucson offers a low cost of living, dramatic mountain scenery, and year-round outdoor adventures.
Thursday Keynote
Ladd Keith
University of Arizona
Ladd Keith, Ph.D., is a climate planner and Associate Professor in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning at the University of Arizona, where he directs the Heat Resilience Initiative. He is also an Associate Research Professor at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and a University of Arizona Distinguished Scholar.
His research focuses on heat planning, policy, and governance, helping communities, regions, and nations build heat resilience. He argues that our cities were built for a climate that no longer exists, and that we are living through a “heatshed moment” — a turning point at which extreme heat, already the deadliest weather hazard in the United States, must be addressed as urgently as any other climate risk.
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He defined heat governance in a , and co-authored , the American Planning Association’s first guidebook on heat for planning practitioners.
He has led and co-led heat research programs funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA, and the CDC, including the Center for Heat Resilient Communities and the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory. Internationally, he serves on the management committee of the Global Heat Health Information Network, a joint initiative of the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization.
He served a full term on the City of Tucson’s Planning Commission, where he chaired the development and adoption of the city’s comprehensive plan.
A frequent commentator on extreme heat for national and international media, he delivered the TEDx talk “” He has a Ph.D. in Arid Lands Resource Sciences and an M.S. in Planning from the University of Arizona.
Friday Keynote
Erika Hamden
University of Arizona
Dr. Erika Hamden is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Arizona, and Director of the University of Arizona Space Institute. Erika specializes in building telescopes that go to space and developing sensor technology to make telescopes better, with an emphasis on photon counting silicon detectors for use in the space ultraviolet. In addition to her work as a professor, she hosts a TV show about science on Arizona Public Media, has written a popular science book, “Weird Universe” published in 2025, and is a private pilot. She is also a gifted science communicator, posting short, fun videos about physics and space on social media to over 250 thousand followers.
Olga Bannova
University of Houston
Olga Bannova is an educator and researcher with a strong background in advanced engineering research, systems modeling, and interdisciplinary problem-solving. Her research integrates analytical rigor with application-oriented perspectives, addressing complex challenges in space architecture and engineering systems. She has authored numerous scholarly publications, contributed to funded research programs, and collaborates broadly with academic, industry, and government partners. Her professional interests include design for human space exploration, mentoring, and advancing impactful, translational research.
Melodie Yashar
AENARA
Melodie Yashar is a space architect, technologist, and researcher. She is the founder of AENARA, a practice developing technologies to autonomously build off-world habitats while, in the near term, redefining construction paradigms on Earth. In prior roles, Melodie was the VP of Building Design and Performance at ICON, a technology company focused on large-scale additive manufacturing for Earth and in space. As a space architect, Melodie played a lead role in the design and construction of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), a 3D-printed analog at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (2023).
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Prior to ICON Melodie was a Senior Research Associate with the Human Systems Integration Division at NASA Ames, as well as a co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a research group developing human-supporting designs for space exploration. She is the Chair of AIAA’s Space Architecture Technical Committee and a member of ASCE’S Aerospace Division Executive Committee.
Conference Partners
Michelle Sturges
Conferences Manager
202-785-2324
msturges@acsa-arch.org
Eric W. Ellis
Sr. Director of Operations and Programs
202-785-2324
eellis@acsa-arch.org