UF Historic Preservation Program

Congratulations to Dr. Cleary Larkin who was selected to serve as selected to serve as one of six 2026 Modernism in America Awards jury members. Presented by Docomomo US, the awards are in their 13th year and are the only national program to recognize and celebrate the documentation, preservation and reuse of modern buildings, structures and landscapes. To learn more about the awards and the other jury members please visit https://docomomo-us.org/events/modernism-in-america-awards

It was a great day at the Crystal River Archaeological State Park for the Heritage Documentation class. Nigel Rudolph, RPA and UFHP alum, led a powerful and engaging tour of the site that mined the archaeological record and created a deep connection to the daily lives of the pre-contact cultures that lived on this site for thousands of years. Thanks, for the wonderful tour!

This week the Director of the Historic Preservation Program, Dr. Cleary Larkin, celebrated with our Spring 2026 Graduates. A huge congratulations to Dr. Hisham Khafaji and Dr. Michael Murphy who earned their PhDs in Design, Construction and Planning with a concentration in Historic Preservation, and to Haley Weltzien, Eric Romo, and Delaney Cecere for earning their Master of Historic Preservation degrees! We are so proud of each of you and look forward to seeing the contributions you make to the field!

One week left to apply for our summer field program--Preservation Institute Nantucket! This summer, in addition to exploring the island, participants will help us unravel the mystery of where early residents of the New Guinea neighborhood went, and become architectural archaeologists looking for clues hidden deep within some of the remaining buildings to discover if earlier buildings are in fact hidden in plain sight. A summer at PIN's 8 week program will expand your knowledge or historic preservation while you create memories and friendships that last a lifetime.
Learn more and apply at https://dcp.ufl.edu/historic-preservation/pin/ (link also available in our bio!)

Event Announcement! "The Road to Old Florida" (2026) is a documentary short film produced by the University of Florida Historic Preservation Program. The film examines stewardship across four of Florida’s 47 National Historic Landmarks: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park in Cross Creek, Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Fort Barrancas in Pensacola, and the Norman Film Studios in Jacksonville.

Each site operates under a different stewardship model and represents a distinct chapter in Florida’s cultural heritage. Together, they pose a central question in the field of historic preservation: what does it take to protect the places that define us, and what happens when that work goes unfinished?

Directed by historic preservation student Eric Romo, the film is presented by the University of Florida Historic Preservation Program. It premieres on April 28, 2026, at the Matheson History Museum in Gainesville, Florida.

Dr. Linda Stevenson's Documentation class spent a beautiful morning at the Evergreen Cemetery in Gainesville, learning about Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) as a tool for documenting and interpreting below-ground heritage. We learned how this tool is used in preserving historic cemeteries with Rachael Kangas, M.A., RPA, Director, West Central () & Central Regions (), and Nigel Rudolph, RPA, and MHP Alum, colleagues from the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN). For more information about FPAN visit their website at www.fpan.us/about/overview and for more information on the historic Evergreen Cemetery visit https://www.thiswondrousplace.org/

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Murphy who successfully defended his dissertation "Heritage Building Maintenance Management: Evaluating Implementation of Preservation Philosophy into Practice at the University of Florida." Michael was supported in his journey by Committee Co-Chairs Drs. Cleary Larkin and Vandana Baweja, Dr. Linda Stevenson, external committee member Dr. Heather Gibson, and additional member Bahar Armaghani. Michael completed his PhD while working as the Facility and Operations Coordinator for the College of Health & Human Performance. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Michael Murphy!

What is cooler than having a recent alum who is now working for the City of Jacksonville sit in on your final presentation for the North Riverside Survey project? Having TWO alums there! Thanks Drew and Caleb for your participation, we love to see you both thriving in your careers.

Congratulations to Dr. Hisham Khafaji who successfully defended his dissertation "Modern Heritage in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia: The Preservation of Modernist Heritage of the Oil Revolution 1952–1989." Hisham was supported in his journey by Committee Chair Dr. Cleary Larkin, Co-Chair Dr. Vandana Baweja, Dr. Erin Cunningham, and external committee member Dr. Michael Heckenberger. Following his graduation later this spring, Dr. Khafaji will return to Saudi Arabia for a position as Assistant Professor in the College of Architecture and Planning at Qassim University. Join us in congratulating Dr. Hisham Khafaji!

This summer, PIN's 8 week program will hunt for the original people and properties of New Guinea, an 18th century neighborhood filled with many well-known Black whalers, formerly enslaved people, and descendants from Nantucket's Wampanoag population. In addition to helping us unravel the mystery of where these residents went, you will become architectural archaeologists, looking for clues hidden deep within some of the remaining buildings to discover if some of the earlier buildings are in fact hidden in plain sight. But PIN isn't just about conducting preservation research, it's about experiencing life on an island that is a National Historic Landmark, a resting place for migratory birds, a natural conservation wonderland, and the summer playground for some of the world's rich and famous. PIN is a place to forge life-long friendships while developing professional skills and connections! Learn more and apply at https://dcp.ufl.edu/historic-preservation/pin/ (link also available in our bio!)