APA Texas Honors UTA’s Planning Community for Leadership and Engagement
Dr. Deden Rukmana, Professor of Planning and Director of the Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) program at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), received the 2026 Texas Chapter Award from the American Planning Association (APA) Texas Chapter in recognition of his service as Faculty Representative to the Texas APA Board of Directors and his advisory role with UTA’s Student Planning Association (SPA).
The recognition reflects Rukmana’s contributions to supporting student leadership and strengthening connections between planning education and professional practice, efforts that are also reflected in SPA’s selection as the 2026 Outstanding Planning Student Organization (PSO) by APA. The award to SPA recognizes the organization’s achievements and highlights the impact of an engaged student planning community at UTA.
“I see it not only as a personal distinction, but also as an acknowledgment of planning education’s significant contribution to strengthening the planning profession across the state,” Dr. Rukmana said.
As Faculty Representative, Dr. Rukmana has been instrumental in enhancing relationships among planning educators, practitioners, and students across Texas. His effort has focused on building connections among the state’s seven planning programs, bringing academic perspectives into conversations about the profession’s future, and expanding opportunities for students to engage with the broader planning community.
For Dr. Rukmana, these connections are especially important as Texas experiences rapid growth and faces increasingly complex planning challenges. He views statewide collaboration as an opportunity for educators to discuss shared priorities, emerging competencies, and new technologies shaping the field. He also hopes to make professional engagement a more integral part of students’ success and to encourage them to connect with APA Texas.
“I want students to see APA Texas not simply as a professional organization they join after graduation. However, as a community, they can begin engaging with it,” he said, emphasizing the importance of engaging students in the professional community while they are still in school.
SPA’s national recognition also highlights student leadership in connecting academic preparation with professional practice. Jordon Drumgoole, an MCRP student who serves as SPA president, was recognized at the APA Texas 2026 Conference for his leadership of the organization.
Additionally, Juan Pina, an alumnus of UTA’s Bachelor of Architecture program, was recognized at the conference for his service as Student Representative to the Texas APA Board of Directors, further demonstrating the contributions of our students and alums to the statewide planning community.
Together, these recognitions highlight the contributions of faculty, students, and alumni in advancing planning education and professional engagement across Texas. They remind us of the importance of creating pathways for students to build professional relationships while they are still in school and to actively engage in addressing the evolving challenges in planning.