Friday, February 27, 2026
By: Kyle Niblett
The Stephen C. O’Connell Center buzzed with handshakes, portfolio reviews and first impressions Tuesday as the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning hosted its annual Design and Planning Career Fair.
A near-record crowd of 408 students filled the floor throughout the day, engaging with representatives from 61 registered companies spanning construction, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning. From first-time attendees to seasoned upperclassmen, students arrived prepared and ready to take the next step in their career.
“We have an incredibly great group of students who are great designers and great thinkers,” said Dan Manley, associate dean for undergraduate education and facilities at DCP. “Our students have a lot of terrific skills and are sought after for their abilities.”
That preparation was on full display as students navigated the aisles, trading business cards, discussing studio projects, and setting up interviews for internships and full-time positions. For many, the fair offered something that online applications simply cannot.
“As an interior design student, we focus on the essence of design as connection,” said Karon Delgado, an interior design student. “We’ve lost a lot of that connection through emails and digital forms. Thanks to this event, we’re able to gain that human connection back—and I really needed that.”
Delgado credited DCP faculty for emphasizing both technical and personal growth. “The program has pushed my computer skills, but also the personal skills you need for the workforce,” she said. “Professors really pay attention to us and guide us, rather than just telling us what to do.”
That balance between rigor and mentorship is something employers continue to notice.
“We love the University of Florida and the way they prepare their students to enter the workforce and live out their dreams,” said Don Hearing (BLAE ’82), founder of Cotleur & Hearing Land Planning and Landscape Architecture. “They are well rounded, have a great education, and enter their professional career already set up for success.”
For Miriam Ganesh (BDES ’04, MID ’05), director of interior design at RLF Architecture Engineering Interiors, the students’ readiness stood out once again.
“DCP has done a great job preparing their students,” Ganesh said. “Every student we’ve ever had from UF has come prepared to work. They have the knowledge of the tools we use, but they also have the drive.”
That preparation helped ease nerves for students like Natalie Cecil, a second-year master’s student in interior design attending the fair for the first time.
“It was a little nerve-wracking coming in,” Cecil said, “but everybody has been super nice and welcoming. The more I talked to people, the better it got. I’m excited to reach back out to these companies and explore internships.”
Cecil pointed to professional practice courses as key to her confidence. “We made sure we had strong resumes, portfolio teasers, and advice on how to approach recruiters. That made a huge difference.”
For landscape architecture student Nick Liuzzo, this year’s fair marked a turning point. Now a third-year attendee, Liuzzo returned not just to make connections, but to build on them.
“I’ve made a lot of connections in the past, and now I get to come back and actually meet these people again as I get ready for my big junior-year summer internship,” he said. “It’s inspiring to see new students coming in and asking questions. I feel like I’m really coming into my own as a landscape architecture student.”
Liuzzo left the fair with multiple follow-ups—and a phone interview scheduled for the very next day.
The event also highlighted the college’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainability. Kenny Stephen, a second-year sustainability and the built environment student pursuing a master’s in urban and regional planning, attended both as a student and a DCP ambassador.
“I’m looking for companies interested in sustainability or urban planning, especially with LEED or green energy involvement,” Stephen said. “DCP really encourages career readiness through resources like the C3 and competitions that teach collaboration early on. It prepares you to talk to recruiters and market what you’re doing.”
As conversations wrapped up and resumes found new homes in recruiters’ folders, one theme echoed across the room: connection. Between students and firms, classrooms and careers, preparation and opportunity, the 2026 Design and Planning Career Fair once again reinforced DCP’s role as a bridge between education and professional practice.