Daniel Butko, associate director and professor in the Division of Architecture, was recognized at the 2023 American Institute of Architects Honor Awards Celebration. The AIA Oklahoma Honor Awards Program recognizes exceptional members for their distinguished leadership and commitment to the quality of life in Oklahoma.
Butko received the AIA Oklahoma Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions, which recognizes architectural educators who have positively influenced a wide range of students and have maintained relevance by directing students toward the future while drawing on the past.
Butko has worked in the Architecture industry for more than 30 years and has gained a variety of academic and professional experiences with design, client management, construction administration and acoustical consultation. In Gibbs College, he regularly teaches design studios, materials and sustainable technology courses, design-build courses and an architectural acoustics elective.
Since joining the Gibbs College faculty in 2010, Butko has taught more than 1,600 students. Butko has worked diligently to create unique, hands-on learning opportunities for students, including a variety of field trips, service-learning activities and workshops. Several of his student mentees have won notable awards under his guidance, including the Newman Medal for Excellence in Acoustics and the AIA Central Oklahoma Chapter Student Design Award.
Butko has taken Gibbs students on field trips to Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico to visit sites such as design centers, archives and vegetative roofs. He has also engaged the next generation of architects through OU mini college sessions, where he introduced children to the Architecture field through model building, games and other activities.
Congratulations to Butko for receiving this award!