InSites MAGA ZINE 2018
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING DEPARTMENT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
CONTENTS : PAGE 02
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Greetings from the Department Head
Travel Course: Carolina’s & Georgia
PAGE 03
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Dean’s Prize
Study Abroad to Germany
PAGE 05
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Recreation & Open Space Studio
Study Abroad to Slovenia
PAGE 07
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Residential Land Planning & Development Studio
Technology Update
PAGE 09
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Urban Theory & Design Studio
Scholarship Recipients
PAGE 11
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Utah Real Estate Challenge
Student Award Recipients
PAGE 13
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Powder Mountain & Ogden Valley Charrette
Advancement Board Summary
PAGE 16
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Sustainability Course
Student Placement Summary
PAGE 17
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BioRegional Planning Studio
Carlos Licon - Sabbatical to New Zealand
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BioRegional Planning Forum
Benjamin George National Award
PAGE 21
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Community Design Teams
Faculty News
PAGE 22
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Student Chapter of ASLA
New Faculty Hires
PAGE 23
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Workshops
Incoming Graduate Students
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Speaker Series
In Memoriam/Richard Toth’s Legacy
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LAEP House Update
Alumni Awards
COVER PHOTO The cover photo shows graduate student, Matt Starley, laying out the presentation model for Urban Theory and Design which was presented to Pocatello officials for their planning of Pocatello and the Portneuf River. This project won the Utah ASLA Honor award this spring. Read more about this project on page 9.
An era of a different sort also came to a close in 2018. That change has given me pause as LAEP charts its future. Like others who moved to Logan to start a new career chapter, I could not have guessed what the future held. Similarly, when Professors Laval Morris and Dick Toth first drove over Sardine neither might have guessed that they would serve as department head for 22 and 20 years, respectively. Dick’s passing occurred as my tenure as LAEP head reached 10 years. To have had only those two gentlemen serve in this position for longer periods of time is humbling. Their decades in leadership have challenged me to ask how we honor, yet modernize, LAEP’s legacy in planning and design. The long shadow cast by their impacts as department heads are never far away, inspiring me each day.
GREETINGS FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD In 2008, I unlocked the door for the first time to my new office in Fine Arts Visual. A new adventure was beginning, and I knew inherently the challenge and potential of what lay ahead as the Great Recession was taking its toll on practitioners. That was then… As I type this, the calm and verdant Cache Valley which inevitably follows Commencement has again returned, and with it the rhythms and treasures of summer in the Northern Wasatch. A promising Japanese-Korean maple cross (Acer pseudosieboldianum x palmatum ‘Hasselkus’) is awaiting planting at our home, aka The Deer Hollow Arboretum. My feet and old Land Cruiser have recently returned from exploring the remote Maze District of Canyonlands (including Happy Canyon). And a host of delayed writings and readings (e.g., Cadillac Desert) now are receiving attention. Each is a joy.
Job placement by LAEP students has also entered a new era. In 2018, our first Careers Coordinator was hired. In fact, Tanya Rice (MLA ’17) had already been transforming how students secure internships. Now she is wearing two hats, both of which focus upon placing students into high quality professional experiences, whether during their degrees or after graduation. The fruit of her efforts, along with superb mentoring by Todd Johnson, Dave Evans and others, can be seen in recent hiring of LAEP students by PlaceWorks, EDSA, Civitas, Pacheco-Koch, Pickard Chilton Architects, Sasaki, FFKR Architects, Design Workshop, the BLM and USFS, and many others.
Sean Michael LAEP Department Head
Sean and Dolores Michael at 38°07’56”N 110°23’51”W
Yet autumn is not far off. With it brings what I believe can rightfully be termed a new era for LAEP. That may sound trite, but there’s a basis to this claim. Everywhere are changes. Three bright, energetic new faculty will have settled into their offices. Carlos Licon has returned from sabbatical, now an Associate Professor. PhD students have joined the Graduate Studio, our newest degree now underway. And we recently completed the first LAEP Strategic Plan in memory, culminating a year-long, self-reflection and visioning process. Encapsulating key program emphases the faculty defined, the Plan offers a compass bearing and a playbook for the coming years.
If your eyes are still on this page, allow me to close with a challenge. As you’ll remember, becoming a “true Aggie” takes only a moment, and requires giving only a kiss. But being a “true Aggie alum” means giving something more lasting to a fellow Aggie. Today’s Aggies need you. And so do we. Will you join us in helping prepare them for practice?
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Project #1 First Place Winners: Maddy Grant, Matt Snow & Braden Miskin
TAQUD MINTA MILIBUSCI CAPTURE
DEAN’S PRIZE
Project #1 Second Place Winners: Alyson Hill, Travis Lindberg & Kosta Sergakis
Spring Semester 2018 marked the fourth annual Dean’s Prize competition. This was the first time that the Dean’s Prize was a vertically integrated collaboration of the juniors, from the Site Planning for Residential Housing class, led by Professor David Anderson, and the sophomores and first-year graduate students from the Analysis and Design II class, led by Professor David Evans. The 2018 Dean’s Prize features two unique and important urban sites in downtown Logan. Both Project #2 Second Place Winners: Malynn Angel, Madison Pong & Chandler Christiansen
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sites are featured in the near-term plans of the city, and include a range of uses, building types, biological features, and contextual issues. The focus of both projects is a well-considered design of a mixed-use, walkable urban districts that include a mix of housing, retail, office, and civic uses, supported by well-designed streets, public sidewalks, trails, urban plazas, parks, and sustainable parking design. The Dean’s Prize provides a real-world design competition experience for LAEP students and allows them to receive feedback from high profile jurors and a well-deserved acknowledgment of the outstanding work they are producing. A total of 14 student teams of 3 students each competed. College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Dean Ken White offered $2000 in prize money that was split between the first and second place teams for each of the two projects. The jury consisted of Logan City Mayor Holly Daines, Logan City Council Member Amy Anderson, Chief of Staff to USU President Noelle Cockett, Sydney Peterson, Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Brian Warnick, and Thomas Graham, Architect for USU Facilities Planning, Design and Construction.
Judges evaluate the various projects presented by the LAEP 2720 class
THE DEAN’S PRIZE PROVIDES A REAL WORLD DESIGN COMPETITION.
“EACH YEAR THE STUDENT WORK HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING AND THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION.” ASSOCIATE DEAN BRIAN WARNICK
Project #2 First Place Winners: Rob Lozanoff, Cameron Blakely, & Hannah Green
Students gathered at Red Rock Pass in Idaho.
RECREATION & OPEN SPACE In fall 2017, Dr. Ole Sleipness again taught the Recreation Design and Open Space Planning studio. Undergraduate and graduate students engaged in a range of project scales and types, while developing and refining their technical skills in site engineering, circulation design, and graphic representation—all while tackling contemporary design challenges. As always, service-learning projects served as the studio’s centerpiece.
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The semester’s largest project was for Salt Lake City’s Folsom Corridor, an urban industrial area through which City Creek currently flows via culvert. Students developed a detailed analysis of the corridor’s potential for open space and recreation-based urban development between the downtown Gateway and Jordan River. Following a detailed analysis of the area’s historic development, infrastructural challenges, and demographic dimensions, students worked with LAEP alumna Jan Striefel (BLA, 1978) and Brian Tonetti of the Seven Canyons Trust to develop a range of design alternatives for recreational amenities along a daylighted City Creek. The project provided an awesome opportunity for LAEP students to work with alumni and community partners, to exercise their design skills in a very urban context, and to visualize design’s potential to transform an area’s existing conditions into a preferred future.
“SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS SERVED AS THE STUDIO’S CENTERPIECE.”
As a counterpoint to this urban setting, students also experienced the vast landscapes of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. As part of their engagement with the landscape, they stayed in West Yellowstone, Montana, learned about landscape architecture’s Students participate in a sketch exercise on a field trip.
This image was taken by Ole Sleipness in rural Utah
rich history of design within both national parks, and continued design activities within gateway communities, documenting their observations through photography and sketching. The experience provided a rich opportunity for sharpening students’ observational skills within one of the most breathtaking public land settings in the world. Exciting projects await students Fall 2018. Dr. Sleipness is looking forward to future collaboration with colleagues, alumni, community partners, and of most of all: LAEP’s outstanding students.
PROJECT FOCUS: WOODRUFF NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTHWEST LOGAN
RESIDENTIAL LAND PLANNING & DESIGN Professor Anderson partnered with Professor Evans’ Analysis and Design 2 studio, joining LAEP Juniors, Sophomores and 1st and 2nd-year graduate students for a unique project focused on the Woodruff Neighborhood in southwest Logan. Significant growth is expected in this part of Logan in the coming years. Over 10,000 new housing units are projected for Logan by 2040. If trends
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Over 10,000 new housing units are projected for Logan by 2040.
continue, approximately 4,000-5,000 of those new units will be located in the Woodruff and adjacent areas. The vertically-integrated project considered housing types and placement on a 60-acre parcel along 1800 South on the west side of 1000 West. Adjacent wetlands and water presented both constraints and opportunities. Various housing types and densities were investigated and the final designs were presented to Logan City planners Amber Pollan and LAEP alumni Russ Holley and Aaron Smith. The students did a great job in a short timeframe. Logan City Senior
Planner, Russ Holley, remarked: “The comprehensive design approach, thoughtful problem-solving methods and impressive graphic presentations will be extremely valuable for future community development and governmental policy makers.” Logan City Planner, Aaron Smith added further compliments, saying: “Collaborating with LAEP students on planning and design problems in the Woodruff neighborhood has allowed Logan City to broaden our vision for the area and helped us to contemplate development patterns and solutions to problems that we likely may not have considered.”
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POCATELLO & THE PORTNEUF RIVER PROJECT WON THE UTAH ASLA HONOR AWARD
In Fall 2017, Professor Caroline Lavoie’s urban design studio took on the challenge of planning and designing for a 22-mile section of the Portneuf River in Pocatello. Ben Swaner (BLA, 2011) contacted us in Spring 2017 with the idea of involving LAEP in his continuation of their Corps of Engineers “Vision Study 2016.” The mission of the studio was to understand the regional importance of the Portneuf River and its watershed to better fit the needs of its growing population in the world of shifting economies. Five key topics/geographies associated with the Portneuf River reaches and land-use activities were identified to help create structure for future growth and redevelopment of the City of Pocatello, its river corridor, and its adjacent open spaces. The topic/geographies addressed
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URBAN THEORY & DESIGN
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the most significant elements of the city’s economy: •The River and its side creeks •The railroad and its transportation •The downtown commercial core •Idaho State University and its relationship to the urban core •Creating an affordable Northern neighborhood The resulting class-wide project won a Utah ASLA Honor Award. Well-deserved recognition for the students tremendous work. We had such a successful project that this past spring, the City asked Caroline and her students to develop a more detailed concept plan for the Centennial Park and a refinement of the urban design proposal around that area to reinforce the connection of the park to the River and the City core.
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3rd Place UREC team from left to right: Aubrie Rhines (BLA 2018), Alyson Hill (BLA 2019), Tim Bokinsky (Huntsman School of Business), & Cameron Blakely (BLA 2019)
UTAH REAL ESTATE COMPETITION
Image Sources : Supo gamba nyoe nyak / Image are not included / it’s only for preview. Thank’s
The EStudio continues to push students to think for themselves, to articulate “value propositions” in their plans and designs, and to better articulate their work. The studio’s emphasis is on rapidcycling design ideas at a conceptual/idea level based on end-user and client needs. We had a broad spectrum of student interest in a variety of projects spanning the globe – a plaza in the Canary Islands, an art academy in a relic prison site near Sicily, a kayak park in Logan, and a couple of teams submitting to the Utah Real Estate Challenge (UREC) student competition in Salt Lake and Logan. One of the UREC teams, comprised of senior Aubrie Rhines and juniors Alyson Hill and Cameron Blakely, placed in the final three and presented to an audience of 200 designers, bankers and developers. We were fortunate to have the generous support of Kurt Altvater of our Advancement Board as a key mentor to the UREC teams. In the EStudio the students were at once perplexed, challenged and then enlightened by the opportunity to complete in state and national competitions. “Most importantly,” noted Professor Todd Johnson, Practitioner-in-Residence, “they come to know that the depth of investigation in competitions and in private practice is great and that this department is steadfast in preparing them for the world’s great challenges.”
FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, LAEP PLACES IN THE TOP THREE IN THE UTAH REAL ESTATE COMPETITION.
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Seniors and Graduates on a site visit to Powder Mountain in January.
Image Sources : Supo gamba nyoe nyak / Image are not included / it’s only for preview. Thank’s
CHARRETTE & SENIOR CAPSTONE STUDIO
POWDER MOUNTAIN & OGDEN VALLEY TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT SKI RESORTS
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The 2018 Capstone studio offered another “critical thinking” challenge as only USU/ LAEP can bring. The roots of the challenge lay in Dean White’s invitation to a meeting with Weber State and the University of Utah to discuss investigations into sustainable development in mountain cities. Greg Mauro, chairman of Summit Powder Mountain, presented their plans for creating a social impact recreation village at 9,000’ using NextGen technologies and inviting major universities to participate – like Utah State and Stanford. LAEP jumped at the chance, focusing on a themes of Systems-Flora and Fauna, Food/Community, Innovation/Mountain, Innovation/Valley. The students portrayed futures for the Mountain Village and the Valley that accepted 15,000 new residents with graceful planning principles.
Sophomores visit Powder Mountain and Ogden Valley during the fall semester in LAEP 2720.
Charrette presentation on visualization presented by Jennifer Coates and Connor Ross.
Professors Dave Anderson and Todd Johnson extend special thanks to Dave Bell, Joe Porter (twice studio visitor), Craig Johnson, Ann Mullins (twice studio visitor), Henry Beer, Rick Grover, Josh Ruhnaar, Dayton Crites and Dean White for their contributions. These studios are achieving increasing levels of critical thinking by taking on contextual responsibility and embracing major stakeholder groups. Once again, the entire department participated in a week-long collaborative Charrette. Intel sponsored a Benjamin George-led VizLab effort that included full drone coverage and analysis efforts undertaken in 3D. Our sincere appreciation goes to Powder Mountain, Greg Mauro and Dustin Haggett, for sponsoring this studio with a generous contribution.
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Jonathon Cook, BLA 2018, analyzing GIS maps in the LAEP Studios
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS MAPS WERE USED TO STUDY BOTH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL SYSTEMS TO CREATE AN INNOVATIVE RESPONSE TO GROWTH THAT WILL GUIDE THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN OGDEN VALLEY.
VIEW A DRONE VIDEO OF THE POWDER MONTAIN SITE ANALYSIS AT: HTTPS://M.YOUTUBE.COM/ WATCH?V=5GI-H0YOAKW
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SINCE 2012
SUSTAINABILITY COURSE
Postcards created by students in LAEP 2039.
In 2012, Professor Licon developed a new course entitled Foundations of Sustainable Systems. This course offers an introduction to sustainable systems and methodologies. Understanding sustainable development efforts through a systems perspective is critical to address current complex and interrelated development challenges. This introductory course is a requirement for students across USU in the Sustainable Systems Minor. The course has steadily grown in enrollment and is now being taught by Professors Licon and Anderson. For the first time, LAEP 2039 will be offered online this fall. Combined face-to-face and online enrollments in the fall of 2018 will surpass 120 students. A fun assignment in this course is to ask the questions: What is sustainability? How do we communicate this idea, and how can we understand it better? Students are asked to choose a theme (preserve, change, promote, etc.), a place, or an idea based on their interpretation of sustainability, and express that in the form a small postcard (4�x6�). It represents their ideas about sustainability and their ability to effectively communicate these ideas to others. The content must be presented in the form of a question, causing the reader to think. A 100-word summary is also included on the back of the postcard. Students then judge the postcards in class.
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PLANNING FOR NET-ZERO CARBON IN PARK CITY, UTAH
BIOREGIONAL PLANNING STUDIO
Students in the Bioregional Planning (BRP) studio embarked on a challenging project in the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. Funded by Park City and working under the guidance of Celia Peterson and Luke Cartin in the Sustainability Department, the students developed Alternative Futures for Park City that examine future growth in the context of the region, while exploring the opportunities and challenges of meeting the net-zero carbon objectives of Park City. Park City has established the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2022 for municipal operations and 2032 for the whole community. In other words, Park City plans to balance its carbon emissions budget for the city operations in five years. They are one of the forerunner communities in the country that is actively exploring ways to
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sequester as much CO2 as they produce. LAEP students had the opportunity to contribute to that effort through a bioregional planning study of Park City and the surrounding Summit County. Starting with questions like: “What does carbon sequestration mean? How does one map or model the potential for CO2 sequestration? What does a carbon conscious community look like?�, the students researched and interviewed experts about how to identify and protect areas of existing carbon storage as well as how to develop areas for sequestering carbon in the future and strategies for reducing carbon emissions in Park City and surroundings. Over the span of two semesters, the students benefited from the input of local stakeholders,
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university experts, the Bioregional Planning Forum experts, and members of the faculty and Advancement Board. A highlight was a two-day geodesign workshop in Park City with local decision makers, which the students prepared and participated in at the end of February. The workshop gave the students insight into how local stakeholders think about their community and how decision makers reach planning decisions. Furthermore, the outcome of the workshop helped to inform the three scenarios that students developed into Alternative Futures: “Plan Trend” that followed existing development trends; “Locals first” that focused on building strong local communities; and “Come and Play” that addressed the objectives of the tourism and recreation economy.
Graduate student Lara Gale talks to local residents about the alternative futures.
Students prepare to board their flight for an aerial assessment of their project area.
The Alternative Futures encompassed Park City and the surrounding communities that are interwoven with the goals and objectives of Park City. The students faced the challenge of unraveling the complexity of the social, ecological and economic systems associated with reducing carbon emissions. Each Future made recommendations about protecting the existing carbon sink and strategies to reduce the generation of CO2 emissions in the rural, suburban and urban context. For example, a few of the suggestions included: cluster
FINDING SOLUTIONS TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS OF OUR FUTURE: CLIMATE CHANGE recreational opportunities, no net-loss of current agricultural land, connect public transportation to housing, placemaking in downtowns. “The students should be commended on their perseverance in the face of this challenging project. Their work at the bioregional planning scale lays the ground work for future studios that can dig deeper and contribute to finding solutions to one of the biggest problems of our future: climate change,” noted Professor Barty WarrenKretzschmar.
Left to right: Dr. Ryan Perkl, Laura Ault, Christina von Haaren, and Carl Steinitz
BIOREGIONAL PLANNING FORUM In the Fall of 2016, the Bioregional Planning (BRP) Program joined LAEP, relocating its studio space from the College of Natural Resources to the LAEP Graduate Studio. To grow the understanding of bioregional planning a new Bioregional Planning Forum, held October 15-16, 2017, was conceived. Serving to inform and expand awareness about bioregional planning among students, faculty and other departments at USU.
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The two-day Forum, which was funded by the Bioregional Planning Program and CREATE 2020, provided a platform to discuss important bioregional planning topics that impact the future of our landscape and communities. The panel of invited experts included: Carl Steinitz from Harvard University, who introduced negotiation as a design method; Christina von Haaren from Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, who discussed how landscape planning is taking the lead in the transition to sustainable energy in Germany; Dr. Ryan Perkl from ESRI, who demonstrated the landscape modeling developed for ESRI’s Green Infrastructure Plan; and Laura Ault, Director of Utah Sovereign Lands Program of the DNR, who highlighted the complexities of working with many agencies at the landscape scale (e.g., on the Great Salt Lake). Rob Thayer from UC Davis, who is one of the early bioregional thinkers, was also invited but unable to attend. Instead he contributed a white paper to the BRP Forum: “A Bioregional Bridge Across the Great American Divide”, which is available on the LAEP website and well worth reading. Rob welcomes your response!
“THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE LARGER ISSUES FACING OUR LANDSCAPE AND HOW OUR DISCIPLINE CAN ADDRESS THEM” Christina von Haaren from Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany
It is difficult to measure the impact of such a Forum. However, it was evident that the attendees benefited from the ideas
presented, the questions from the faculty and students as well as the discussion among the experts that followed. The bioregional planning students also had the unique opportunity to deliberate about their studio project with this group of experts. The Forum may not have definitively answered the question: “What is bioregional planning?”, but it provided insight into the kind of issues bioregional planning is addressing. We look forward to the Bioregional Planning Forum becoming a regular occurrence, offering students and faculty the opportunity to reflect on the macro issues facing our landscape and how our discipline can address them.
COMMUNITY DESIGN TEAMS
David Evans with students Mason Powell, Andy Quebbeman & Joshua Bayan.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, LAEP students volunteered to design and plan an array of projects for community groups, non-profit organizations and public agencies throughout Utah. The Community Design Team (CDT) projects generate modest costrecovery fees that support our student chapter of the ASLA. These funds help to provide extra-curricular social and educational programs within the department, fund student participation at the State and National ASLA conferences, and contribute to the endowment of the David Bell Scholarship Fund.
Inclusive Play Area design for Grand County in Moab, a streetscape design and city-wide drainage plan for the town of Hatch, Utah, a water-wise garden design for the U.S. Forest Service Ranger Station in Logan, a planting design for the Options for Independence non-profit in Logan, and a water-wise design template for the replacement of lawn within a 44 acre 1960’s condominium project. Professional Practice Associate Professor David Evans serves as the faculty advisor to the CDT program with help from other faculty volunteers.
CDT projects represent important servicelearning experiences that teach leadership and management skills, enrich portfolios, and provide exposure to a breadth of clientinitiated planning and design opportunities. The CDT’s are vertically integrated teams of 3-7 students. During the past academic year, some of the completed projects include an 21
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Pictured left to right: David Evans, Topacio Patch, Trevor Kennedy, Noelle Cockett, Skyler Smith, Jaren Hope, Aubrey Rhines, & David Anderson
STUDENT CHAPTER OF ASLA WINS SCHOOL SPIRIT AWARD AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE
USU’s Student Chapter of ASLA continued to flourish under the leadership of the 20172018 student officers. A successful CREATE 2020 differential tuition proposal, written by the student chapter, allowed the department to send fourteen students to the Annual ASLA Meeting in Los Angeles. During the event, LAEP students won the School Spirit Award, which earned fifteen free student registrations to the 2018 Meeting in Philadelphia. Building on that success, the student chapter again applied for and was awarded a CREATE 2020 grant that will pay for travel and room accommodations for the fifteen students travelling to Philadelphia. The newly elected 2018-2019 student ASLA officers include: President-Ashley Casperson, President Elect-Anthony Manzione, Public Relations Specialist-
MEETS USU PRESIDENT NOELLE COCKETT
Braden Miskin, Professional Development Coordinator-Cameron Blakely, TreasurerJaren Hope, Outreach Coordinator-Alyson Hill, Events Coordinator-Sarah Tooley, and Secretary-Madison Pong. Many of the successful programs initiated by the student ASLA, such as ‘Genius Hour’ luncheon presentations in the Common Studio, ‘101 Nights’ where advanced students teach less-experienced students software skills, the collaboration with the Utah ASLA Chapter, which includes the mentorship program, the Christmas Social and the portfolio review nights will be continued and expanded. The incoming officers will honor the legacy that this year’s officers advanced, and will continue to make the USU/LAEP Student ASLA one of the most active and effective chapters in the nation.
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WORKSHOPS
HAND GRAPHICS TUNE-UP WITH BRIAN LIN In late February of the Spring 2018 semester, LAEP hosted a Be Loose Graphics Workshop. This hand graphics workshop was presented by Brian Lin – son of Mike Lin, whose book “Drawing and Design With Confidence” has been a landscape architectural mainstay for decades. The workshop was funded through a CREATE 2020 proposal. Over 75 students and local professionals attended the two-day event which was held in the LAEP Common Studio. Brian was a very effective instructor and remarkable story teller that had the students laughing throughout the two-day event. The workshop covered the following topics: •Principles and Attitudes on Graphics •Before/After graphics assessment •Pen, pencil, color pencil, marker rendering technique •1-point and 2-point perspective drawing and rendering •Plan Graphics •Entourage (people, trees and groundcover, cars, site furnishings) •Integration of hand and computer graphics Additionally, Brian provided a lot of practical career and work advice while regaling the attendees with stories of his experiences in both practice and the academy. Student feedback from the event was very positive with requests that it become a reoccurring event that be held in the fall semester every other year.
PORTFOLIO TUNE-UP WITH HAROLD LINTON Nationally recognized expert and author Professor Harold Linton provided a hands-on two-day workshop on a comprehensive approach to portfolio development. The workshop helped students refine their existing portfolios and gave them the confidence to apply to internships and jobs around the nation and world and then acquire those jobs they applied for. Funded by CREATE 2020, the workshops were open to design students across USU.
SPEAKER SERIES : Mike Albert
Robb Berg
A Partner at Design Workshop, Mike spoke to students about integrity of place. He also offered a workshop on: “Best Practices for Competitions and Award Submittals.”
A Principal at Design Workshop, Robb spoke to students on “A Love Affair with Design.”
Spencer Burt
Stephen Goldsmith
A recent LAEP alumnus (BLA, 2017) and designer at Design Workshop, Spencer spoke on “Start, Design, Learn,” offering advice on how to succeed after college.
A Professor with the City and Metropolitan Planning Department at the University of Utah, Stephen spoke to the students on “Ecology of our Cities: Understanding the Relationships of Place.”
Andrew Gulliford
Jennifer Guthrie
Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Fort Lewis College, Andy spoke to students on “Protecting Native American Sacred Landscapes.”
The founding partner of Gustfson Guthrie Nichol Jennifer was funded by the Vern Budge Lecture series and spoke to students and Advancement Board Members on “GGN: Building Stories.”
Craig Johnson
Blake Wright
Professor Emeritus Craig Johnson spoke to the students on the topic “It’s All Connected.”
An LAEP alumnus (BLA, 1986) and a Principal at Design West in Logan, Blake spoke to the students on “The Business of Landscape Architecture.”
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS! We also had additional speakers this Spring with Fritz Steiner, Kenneth Helphand, Davorin Gazvoda and Henry Beer for the Vern Budge Lecture Series. To take part in the Speaker Series, please contact our Speaker Series Faculty Coordinator, Todd Johnson, at todd.johnson@usu.edu. You can find out more about the Speaker Series on our website: http://laep.usu.edu/speaker-series.
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outdoor fixtures, 8 walkway and handrail fixtures, and a Luxor controller that is programmable and can provide a wide range of lighting themes that can be operated through an app on a cell phone. Uplighting was added to the beautiful hawthorn tree on the east side of the driveway. Accent and spot lights were added to the arbor and stone sculpture and downlights were installed in the large ash tree in the backyard. In addition, Shawn provided a Genius Hour overview of outdoor lighting as well as helped the students install the lighting system, giving them hands-on experience. The lighting system is very adaptable and expandable. We anticipate incorporating additional fixtures in the coming days.
THE LAEP HOUSE IS NOW POWERED BY BOTH SOLAR AND WIND ENERGY WITH AN ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING SYSTEM LAEP House with new LED outdoor lighting.
STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT OUTDOOR LIGHTING State-of-the-art LED outdoor lighting has been added to the LAEP House thanks to an in-kind donation from FX Luminaire Landscape and Architectural Lighting. LAEP alumnus Justin Hamula facilitated discussions and planning for the donation, valued at more than $7,000. Shawn Knudsen, local sales manager for FX Luminaire, provided 11 color-changing LED
Katie Gerratt, BLA 2018, installs outdoor lighting with Shawn Knudsen.
LAEP HOUSE GOES GREENER LAEP HOUSE GETS A WIND TURBINE
In January, the first ground-mounted wind turbine at USU was installed on the east lawn of the LAEP House. Much preparation and coordination were required to permit the installation of the regenerative turbine. Approvals were required from Logan City and USU Facilities, where a presentation was made to the Architectural Review Committee. An open house was held, inviting the local neighbors to tour the LAEP House, learn about the wind turbine, and provide feedback and questions. To envision the 35’ tall turbine’s visual impact, highly accurate visual simulations of the turbine’s position and appearance were created by now LAEP alumnus Alonzo Rhodes, which greatly helped to inform the neighbors and USU community. Information about audible noise, as well as power generation was also provided. The Xeres Skystream wind turbine is grid-connected and can produce up 820 kWh of electricity per month, with an average wind speed of 11 mph. The turbine’s installation resulted from a generous donation by LAEP alumnus John Gottfredson. According to John, “From a practical perspective, green technology is an area of growth for the future and those that can gain skills in this area will be well served through their careers. From a broader perspective, I believe the purpose of higher education in landscape architecture is to open minds to possibilities, to spur creative growth and to build a philosophy of using design thinking to solve problems.” Department of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning
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“THE WHOLE TRAVEL TRIP WAS INCREDIBLE BUT VISITING BILTMORE WAS MY FAVORITE PART” JARED WHITE
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THE CAROLINA’S & GEORGIA IN A WEEK Students gathered outside Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
2018 FACULTY-LED TRAVEL TRIP In Spring 2018, Dr. Ole Sleipness and Tanya Rice led 25 students on a week-long study trip to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. With deep family roots and having lived in the area for several years, Ole was especially excited to show students some of his favorite places and design projects in Charleston, Savannah, Greenville, and Asheville and the transect of biophysical and cultural landscapes from the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge Mountains. On the trip’s first day, they made a scheduled stop at South Carolina’s Congaree National Park. While walking on a boardwalk pathway, Ole was bitten by a juvenile Copperhead snake. Copperheads—which are venomous—are rarely encountered in the South except in natural areas, neighborhood parks, suburban backyard patios, Lowes garden centers, and your motherin-law’s front porch. After an exhilarating ambulance ride, a day in one of Columbia’s most exciting ERs, and 6 vials of antiven in, Ole spent the night in ICU, while LAEP rock star Tanya Rice continued the trek with students to Charleston. From their hotel in historic downtown Charleston, students visited Rainbow Row, Angel Oak, new urbanist development I’on, historic Middleton Place, and Spring Island.
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STUDENTS STAND UNDER ANGELS OAK ON JOHNS ISLAND OUTSIDE OF CHARLESTON, SC. IT’S THOUGHT TO BE OVER 400 YEARS OLD AND THE CANOPY EXTENDS 2,000 SF.
In Savannah, they toured the city’s historic squares, resting in the humidity under the shade of huge oaks, planted 300 years before. During their subsequent trek to Greenville, S.C. an air conditioning malfunction on the tour bus created a situation—which was reported by some as an experience they called “Hell on Wheels.” Students’ and faculty’s perseverance and steadfastness was rewarded when they arrived in Greenville, where they stayed at a cool new downtown hotel complete with rooftop swimming pool at One City Plaza— designed by LAEP alumnus Mark Johnson’s firm Civitas—and within walking distance of Falls Park on the Reedy River, an amazing variety of restaurants, and the city’s annual Artisphere art festival. Following a bike tour on the city’s Swamp Rabbit Trail, students met with Senator Tim Scott’s Regional Director, Danielle Gibbs, who provided insights into the political, financial, and design leadership that enabled Greenville’s dramatic transformation into a vibrant pedestrian-friendly downtown.
Travel Trip Leaders: Phil Waite, Tanya Rice, & Ole Sleipness.
Meanwhile, following his escape from the hospital, Ole recuperated with family in Greenville, where he was forced to elevate his leg, and watch Tales from the Tour Bus, which he thoroughly enjoyed. With Ole called off the battlefield, LAEP sent Prof. Phil Waite as reinforcement for Tanya.
In Asheville, students spent a day at the Biltmore Estate, an amazing place designed by someone named Olmsted. The Carolinas offer a wealth of educational opportunities and design precedents for LAEP’s students and faculty. Ole appreciated the opportunity to share the area with such a great group of students and supportive colleagues.
By this time, Ole had reunited with the group, and they traveled to Asheville, N.C., stopping at Clemson University, the South Carolina Botanical Garden, and Whitewater Falls. Hidden in the below picture is the copperhead snake that bit Professor Ole Sleipness.
A SEMESTER IN GERMANY Miria Smith with the other students completing the MLA program at Hochschule Anhalt.
Image of Prague taken by Miria Smith.
MIRIA SMITH IS THE FIRST STUDENT FROM LAEP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY ABROAD EXCHANGE TO GERMANY
As the first USU student to participate in the Hochschule Anhalt Germany exchange program, I experienced both challenges and many amazing opportunities. The differences in class structure broadened my perspective and the interaction with various cultures enriched my educational experience. Hochschule Anhalt is a university located two hours southwest of Berlin, Germany on a beautiful campus in the countryside. Though still a bachelors student, I participated in master’s courses with students from ten other countries. Learning together was an adventure as we worked in the classroom and travelled internationally. As part of our studio course, we travelled to Yerevan, Armenia to work with an NGO called Green Lane, whose mission
is to educate farmers within Armenia. The founder had a passion that was contagious, and the opportunity to travel to ancient stone monasteries created picture-perfect memories. The experience was unforgettable! Outside of the classroom, my favorite memories came from interacting with the German people. From a surprise birthday party, to random strangers on a hiking trail stopping to chat, the local people touched me with their kindness. Learning to speak a little German gave me many opportunities to connect with them, and many were surprised and pleased that I had taken the time to learn their language. I loved learning the stories of locals; from the hardships experienced of living behind the Berlin Wall, to the pride of being home to great composers like Bach and Handel. I gained such a deep appreciation for the rich local culture.
Through the ups and the downs, the Anhalt Study Abroad brought both growth and many good memories. As I move forward, my time in Germany has left me more proactive about my education and more passionate about cultures/nature around the world, including the rich opportunities in the United States of America.
“THE EXPERIENCE WAS UNFORGETTABLE!” MIRIA SMITH
Miria with her husband James in Berlin, Germany
Lest I forget to introduce you to my number one sidekick, my husband James was present for the wildest of the adventures! One weekend, with only a few days’ notice, we decided to take a train trip to Prague. We got lost the first night and ended up finding the most delicious restaurant, woke up at 5 am for a sunrise on St. Charles Bridge (my crazy idea), and had a lovely conversation with an older Czech woman in our limited common language of German.
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Lucas Otto, Ashley Casperson, Tommy Smith, and Maja Merz.
STUDY ABROAD IN SLOVENIA
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“GOING TO SLOVENIA WAS A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR ME” ASHLEY CASPERSON
BY TOMMY SMITH Slovenia is a country rich with culture and diverse landscapes. It is a considered a hidden gem in Europe with a charming capital, the rugged Alps, and the Mediterranean coast. Two of the students from the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department had the opportunity to study in this incredible country. Ashley Casperson and Tommy Smith shared a few of their insights of their four-month visit. “My favorite part of studying in Slovenia was meeting people from all over the world. I was able to become friends with individuals from Germany, Belgium, China, Poland, Serbia and many more. It was amazing to compare similarities and differences in our cultures and languages. Being able to travel with these friends and experience the big tourist cities (with giant skyscrapers and narrow streets) to the rugged mountain ranges and open valleys showed me how diverse the people and the landscape really are,“ said Tommy. Ashley said, “Going to Slovenia was a life changing experience for me. I loved being
able to travel to so many incredible cities, and to learn about the people through the architecture, history, food, and by simply talking to the locals. Of all the places I went, Ljubljana always felt like home though. It was definitely challenging at times, but the incredible relationships that I made with people from all over the world, made it all worth it.” Though Ashley’s and Tommy’s experiences were fun and interactive, they studied while being in the country. Taking three classes from the local university in Slovenia. They drew landscapes, analyzed architecture, studied the history and culture, they analyzed urban and rural places and compared differences and similarities between the different continents. When asking Ashley and Tommy if they would suggest a study abroad to other students you get a resounding yes from both. Both expressed they would never be able to convey how much they truly learned from the experience or be able to share how they have changed because of it. They hope that by studying in Europe they have become more adapt to change, more open to new ideas, and overall better landscape architects.
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DRONE TECHNOLOGY PUTS CURRENT AND ACCURATE SITE DATA AT THE FINGERTIPS OF LAEP STUDENTS
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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Over the last year virtual reality has begun a revolution within the LAEP Department and beyond. Prof. Benjamin George and his research team of three MLA students, Brandon Blauer, Drew Hill, and Andrew Quebbeman, partnered with Intel and Puget Systems to evaluate and develop the use of VR in the design process. The research team collaborated with Prof. Todd Johnson and the Senior Capstone course to apply their innovative VR design strategies to the capstone project at Summit Powder Mountain. As a result of the partnership with Intel, the VR research being done in LAEP has been featured on Intel’s website, Puget System’s website, and at several international conferences and trade shows. This summer, Prof. George and his team presented at the Utah ASLA Annual Meeting in Park City, and were invited to landscape architecture firms in Utah and Colorado to provide demonstrations of their VR workflow. LAEP will also co-host a booth with Intel at the National ASLA Expo in Philadelphia this fall, where attendees will have the opportunity to experience designing using VR, and demo the technology themselves.
Sophomore Corinne Lloyd is using virtual reality to create site analysis material of Powder Mountain.
Drone operator Andrew Georgopoulos of Intel seen flying a Falcon 8 drone atop Powder Mountain.
Virtual reality has the potential to revolutionize the way design decisions are made by situating the designer within a project in a manner never before possible.
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Top left: Survier Castillo, Drew Hill, Ariel Wright, Lisa Aedo, and Lara Gale
A NIGHT FULL OF SMILES 2018-19 LAEP AWARDS BANQUET
Thank you to all of our donors! LAEP scholarships allow student recipients to focus less on finances and more on learning. Today’s students benefit in countless ways from scholarships, and are grateful for the generous support made possible by our alumni donors. THANK YOU FOR GIVING BACK!
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Left Diversity in Landscape Architecture Scholarship: Survier Castillo David Jensen Scholarship: Drew Hill Kenji Shiozawa Scholarship: Ariel Wright & Ashley Casperson (not pictured) Kenneth G. Volkman Scholarship: Lisa Aedo MLA Class of 1981 Scholarship: Lara Gale Utah ASLA Memorial Scholarship Patricia Beckhart (not pictured) Top Right LAEP Faculty Scholarship: Anna Farb The 75th Anniversary & TERRA Scholarship: Paul Stead (not pictured) Bottom Left Craig Johnson Scholarship Alyson Hill Bottom Right Josephine Beach Travel Scholarship: Tonya Randall GAIA Travel Scholarship: Tonya Randall Laval Morris Travel Scholarship: Aubie Douglas John Nicholson Memorial Scholarship: Ashley Casperson & Tommy Smith (not pictured)
Left to Right: Colin Olson, Mary Oliver, Kyle Funk, Jonathan Cook, Skyler Smith, Katie Garrett, Professor Dave Evans, Aubrie Rhines, Bryce Ward. Not pictured: Courtney Fernelius.
Graduate Awards: Drew Hill, Aubie Douglas, Anna Farb, Mary Oliver. Undergraduate Awards: Aubrie Rhines, Cameron Blakely, Patricia Beckert.
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ASLA AWARDS Undergraduate Merit Awards
Skyler Smith & Katie Garrett
Undergraduate Honor Awards
Jonathan Cook, Kyle Funk & Aubrie Rhines
Graduate Merit Award
Courtney Fernelius (not pictured)
Graduate Honor Award
Mary Oliver
STUDENT AWARDS Outstanding Sophomore
Patricia Beckert
Outstanding Junior
Cameron Blakely
Senior Faculty Medal
Aubrie Rhines
Outstanding 1st Year Grad
Drew Hill
Outstanding 2nd Year Grad
Aubie Douglas
Graduate Medal
Mary Oliver
Faculty Research Support Award
Anna Farb
Undergraduate USU Olmsted Scholar Aubrie Rhines Graduate USU Olmsted Scholar
Courtney Fernelius (not pictured)
LAEP ADVANCEMENT BOARD 2018 SUMMARY USU LAEP IS REGAINING ITS STATURE AS ONE OF THE BEST LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY As summer comes to an end the students who have had an internship this summer are thinking of gearing up for another year at LAEP. The Board’s Placement Committee has been hard at work and will be seeing the fruits of its efforts as the students return with a taste of what life in a real office environment is all about, including improved skills and knowledge of what employment could be. A lot of credit goes to Tanya Rice who was hired in part by funds from the Advancement Board to work with students to identify firms that have offered to host an intern, pairing them with students that have a desire to work in an office. Like many fellow interns, Jessica McGarvey praised Tanya’s help and direction, expressing her appreciation in finding an internship. Here is a summary of placement highlights so far: 2018 BLA, MLA & MsBRP Graduates 16 Full Time Employment 5 Internships 2019 BLA, B+MLA, MLA, MsBRP 24 Internships 1 German exchange 1 Job search 2020 BLA & MLA 17 Internships (See full graphics of Student Placement results on the next page)
To sum up – all juniors and sophomores from last year had an internship that wanted one. Only five students didn’t seek an internship. The goal of the Placement Committee is to find an internship for every student who wants one, which will give them a head start when it comes to finding full time employment. Thank you to all of the firms that hire USU LAEP interns. If you haven’t been hiring LAEP interns and want to get in the mix, please reach out to Tanya. Development Committee – As we attended the awards ceremony last spring it was impressive to see how many scholarships were awarded to the students. Seven years ago when I, Jay, was helping my son get registered for the program there were only a couple of scholarship opportunities. This year there were a dozen or more scholarships awarded to deserving students mostly from funds raised by members of the Development Committee and Advancement Board. These alumni gifts are making a difference. Thanks to all those that serve on the Advancement Board. Through your efforts LAEP is regaining its stature, and becoming one of the best landscape architectural programs in the country. Randy Jackson and Jay Bollwinkel USU LAEP Advancement Board Co-Chairs
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TOTAL STUDENT PLACEMENT Total Student Placement
STUDENT INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES:
BLA Graduate Classes 2018, 20192019 & 2020 BLAand and Graduate Classes 2018, & 2020
2018 STUDENT PLACEMENT Job Search 2
German Exchange 1
Inactive 9
“THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE IN THE WILDEST, MOST AMAZING WAYS POSSIBLE, FROM EXPLORING A NEW CITY TO GETTING TO WORK UNDER SOME OF THE GREATEST LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS IN THE REGION.” -ALYSON HILL “MY INTERNSHIP HAS BEEN A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND HAS HELPED ME DEVELOP BETTER COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN SKILLS.” -DREW HILL “I HAVE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS AND ABOUT THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES WORK IT TAKES TO KEEP A FIRM GOING. I KNOW THAT THIS EXPERIENCE HAS HELPED ME BECOME A MORE DISCIPLINED AND COGNIZANT DESIGNER.” -CAMERON BLAKELY
Full-Time Employment 15 Internship 46
Inactive - Not participating in LA work Job Search - Actively job searching
2018 Placement
Distribution by Employment Type
Practice Type Landscape Architecture Firm Public Agency Multidisciplinary Firm Private Sector Design Build Firm 0
2
4
6
Employment
8
10
12
14
16
18
Internship
“I’VE GAINED SKILLS IN WORKING THE FINE DETAILS OF A SITE, SUCH AS MATERIAL AND FORM SPECIFICATIONS. THERE IS ALSO THE BENEFIT OF GAINING REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE, WHICH HAS ENHANCED MY ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND UNDERSTAND THE WORKFLOW OF AN OFFICE SETTING.” -CONNOR HILLMAN 41
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Class of PLACEMENT 2018 CLASS OF 2018
25
BLA, MLA & MsBRP BLA, MLA & MLA+MSBRP
Inactive 4
CLASS OF 2018 PLACEMENT DISTRIBUTE BY2018 DEGREE Class of
Internship 6
Distribution by Degree
20
>
4
15 12
10
Full-Time Employment 15
5
Firms/Agencies hiring our graduates:
0
5
Sasaki, Pacheco Koch, Bowen Collens, Loft Six Four, FFKR, Design Workshop, Placeworks, EDSA, Landform Design Group, USFS, BYLA
BLA Internship
2 1
1
MLA
MLA+MsBRP
Full-Time Employment
Inactive
Class of 2019
Class of 2019
CLASS OF 2019 BLA, B+MLA, MLA, MsBRP & MLA+MsBRP BLA, B+MLA, MLA, MSBRP, MLA+MSBRP
Distribution by Degree CLASS OF 2019 B+MLA, MLA, MsBRP & MLA+MsBRP
German Exchange Job Search 1 2 Inactive 3
Internship
>
Inactive
14
BLA 2019
JUB Engineers, SBD Studio, Civitas, Design Workshop, The Landscape Co., IO Design, USFS, Salt Lake Sity Parks and Public Lands, In-Site Design, Loft Six Four, Idaho Transportation District
German Exchange
1 1
Internship 23
Firms/Agencies hiring our students:
Job Search
1 3
4
3 1
B+MLA 2019
MLA 2019
MSBRP 2019
1
Class of 2020
CHART by TITLE Distribution Degree
CLASS 2020 Class of OF 2020 BLA, BLA, MLA MLA
Internship
Inactive
Inactive 2
>
15
2
Internhsip 17
Firms/Agencies hiring our students:
2
MGB&A, Earthscapes LLC, Lawn Butler, multiple nurseries, Canyon Landscaping, Ellison Landscaping, Focus Engineering
BLA
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MLA + MSBRP 2019
A SABBATICAL WITH THE KIWIS CARLOS LICON’S RESEARCH IN NEW ZEALAND
Beginning in July 2017, Carlos spent his first sabbatical year in New Zealand. This provided him with a unique learning opportunity that allowed him to share, discuss, reflect and review professional interests and work in sustainable development planning and design. Although Western U.S. and New Zealand are different in many ways, both places share core similarities and concerns in terms of environmental planning and design issues. Hosted by Lincoln University – near Christchurch on the South Island – a small land-focused public institution focused in Agriculture, provides a large home for many
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applied disciplines, including landscape architecture. The School of Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University, one of the three programs in the country, is very similar in size and composition to our program, with a very strong approach to applied knowledge in studio learning environments. There is also a very clear commitment to sustainable development through planning and design. With similar degree offers and number of students, Carlos spent a lot of time meeting with faculty and administrators to talk about their school’s scope and vision. Even though the contrast between the New Zealand and the Utah landscapes and climate are evident, we share interest in water related issues, the urban-agriculture interface, the long-term implications of development patterns, rural communities and lifestyles, and the role of design and planning in advancing sustainable development through real life projects and research activities. There is also a strong sense of collaboration with other disciplines. Conversations were also about possible mutual visits and exchanges with LAEP. Outside Lincoln University activities, Carlos and his family had the chance to travel all over the South Island to visit incredible landscapes and meet the great people in this place. New Zealand offers a great learning opportunity and a fantastic discovery journey, even if you are not searching for Lord of the Rings locations. You may return with a developed interest in rugby, cricket, tramping (backpacking), mince pies, and hakas‌ KiaOra!
CONVERSATIONS WERE ALSO ABOUT POSSIBLE MUTUAL VISITS AND EXCHANGES WITH LAEP.
2017 NATIONAL ASLA AWARD
DR. BENJAMIN GEORGE WINS NATIONAL AWARD Professor Benjamin George with wife Pamela George. at the National ASLA Award Ceremony
FIRST PROFESSIONAL ASLA AWARD THE LAEP DEPARTMENT HAS WON SINCE CRAIG JOHNSON IN 1993 Dr. Benjamin George was presented with the Award of Excellence in the Professional Communications Category at the national ASLA Meeting in Los Angeles for his project: The Digital Library of Landscape Architecture History (DiLiLAH). Working on the project with Prof. George was current MLA student Tonya Randall and David Durfee (BLA 2017). The Digital Library of Landscape Architecture History (DiLiLAH) is a freely available, online public repository of virtual tours of historical landscapes created to encourage education and exploration of historic landscapes. Using immersive panoramic tours, filled with historic
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information hotspots, images, sounds, and videos, students are virtually transported to important historical sites across the globe. There are currently 40 virtual tours on DiLiLAH from Europe, North America, and Oceania, representing 2,000 years of history and 24 historic styles and cultures. Over 175,000 visitors from 102 countries have accessed the website. The virtual tours are available on multiple platforms, including desktop, mobile, Google Cardboard, and immersive virtual reality headsets such as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. DiLiLAH raises awareness and promotes the history of landscape architecture to the public through an engaging and easy to use medium. It is a valuable recruiting tool for introducing primary and secondary school students to the field of landscape architecture, and includes free education worksheets for teachers to integrate into their curriculum.
DILILAH IS ACCESSIBLE AT: HTTP://WWW.DILILAH.ORG
Several virtual tours on DiLiLAH can be viewed using virtual reality.
DiLiLAH is used in classrooms across the globe to help children of all ages learn about the history of landscape architecture.
FACULTY NEWS CONTINUED AWARD FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE:
OLE SLEIPNESS & BENJAMIN GEORGE Dr. Ole Sleipness and Dr. Benjamin George received the Award for Research Excellence, at the Digital Landscape Architecture conference in Bernburg, Germany in 2017 for their research on “Using virtual reality as a design input: Impacts on collaboration in a university design studio setting.”
OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD
SEAN MICHAEL Department Head Sean Michael was honored to receive the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Texas A&M College of Architecture. He graduated from their MLA program in 1992. He was nominated by former students of Texas A&M and is being recognized for the incredible work he’s done as department head, his research on landscape design’s impact on crime, and being a director of the USU Outdoor Product Design & Development program. He will be attending a banquet in November to be honored for this recognition.
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ALYSSA STASTNY
KATIE STRINGHAM
DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH ASSISTANT Alyssa Stastny graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Brigham Young University-Idaho in July of 2018. Her studies focused on advertising and public relations. She grew up around agriculture and was involved in organizations such as 4H and FFA. These experiences bolstered her love for agriculture. Her goal is to use her communication skills to inform people of the diversity of agriculture. She loves that her joint position as the Development Research Assistant for LAEP and ADVS allows her the opportunity to do this for two very different aspects of agriculture.
GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR & STAFF ASSISTANT II Katie Stringham graduated from USU in 2016, with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Communications, with an emphasis in Public Relations. Beginning in 2015, she worked in USU’s Research & Graduate Studies Department. She helped plan TEDxUSU, monthly Graduate Training Series, and the first university-wide graduate student recruitment weekend visit. While working with the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, Katie met with numerous faculty members to develop strategies to enhance their graduate recruitment efforts. She had met with Keith Christensen and gained both an appreciation for and interest in the work being done within the LAEP Department. When the opportunity arose in 2018 to join the LAEP Department, she excitedly sought the position, with hopes of engaging graduate students and assisting them with their degree requirements.
FAREWELL After five years, I bid farewell to the LAEP Department. It was a gift and unique opportunity to end my teaching career in the LAEP Department, where I started it in 1981, after thirty years of living and working in Germany as a landscape planner. For me, the highlight of the experience was teaching once again with Richard Toth and facilitating the return of environmental planning, as it is embodied in the Bioregional Planning program, to the LAEP Department. Universities, departments, faculty and students change over the years; however, I hope the legacy of and commitment to the bioregional planning program and environmental planning in the LAEP Department will continue to grow and be strengthened. All the best, Barty Warren-Kretzschmar MLA, PhD
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NEW FACULTY HIRES JAKE POWELL The Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department at Utah State University is pleased to welcome Jake Powell to our faculty beginning Fall of 2018 as Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor. Jake’s professional career has focused on uniting communities to their surrounding landscapes through collaborative planning and design efforts. His work as the director of a non-profit conservation corps has been centered on pairing the conservation efforts of young adults with public lands and communities through service learning. He has worked throughout the Intermountain West to envision and implement watershed planning and restoration projects, natural resource conservation projects, recreation infrastructure, and community economic growth opportunities. Jake’s interests revolve around how the design of communities, infrastructure, and sites affect water quality, quantity, and conservation at the site and watershed scale. Jake earned his BLA from Utah State University, and a Master’s of Science in Landscape Architecture from Penn State University where he studied in the Penn State Center for Watershed Stewardship.
Jake Powell is replacing David Bell as the new Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor.
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DR. BRENT CHAMBERLAIN The Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department at Utah State University is pleased to welcome Dr. Brent Chamberlain to our faculty beginning Fall of 2018 as an Assistant Professor.. Brent received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. focused on geographic information systems from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Chamberlain’s research and teaching is focused on developing geospatial and geovisualization tools which bring together landscape planning, ecology, and ecosystem services-oriented theories to address longterm spatial planning problems at the regional and/or watershed scales. Brent joins us from Kansas State University’s Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning program, where he has served as Director of the ALIVE Laboratory.
DR. KEUNHYUN PARK The Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department at Utah State University is pleased to welcome Dr. Keunhyun Park to our faculty beginning Fall of 2018 as an Assistant Professor. Keunhyun is a multi-disciplinary researcher with experience as an urban/landscape planner. His interests lie at the intersection of landscape architecture, urban planning and design, and landscape technology. His doctoral work at the University of Utah involved measuring the dynamics of public space use using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Keunhyun’s study of the relationship between built environment design and activity living, and quantitative landscape analysis, calls for multiscale approaches and technologies. He earned his MLA from Seoul National University, where he held the position of Research Fellow in the Korean Institute of Human Settlements.
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WELCOME TO INCOMING GRADUATES AARON BLIESNER MsBRP
Aaron has worked in some of the most water-scarce communities in the West Since 2006, he has served as a planning commissioner in his hometown. By working toward his MS of Bioregional Planning, he intends to seek understanding that can inform the solution’s our communities will need in the future.
CHRIS BROWN MsBRP
Chris graduated from Utah State University with a BS in Watershed Science and Earth Systems. Chris has found a strong interest in developing and working with Land Reclamation practices. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Bioregional Planning, and a Master’s degree in Rangeland Science.
IAN KOLA MLA
LIZ BRAITHWAITE MLA
Liz completed an undergraduate degree in Ornamental Horticulture. from Utah State University. After completing an internship with USU Extension, she worked as a residential landscape designer and consultant. She is pursuing a MLA to further her ability as a designer.
KENZY FOGLE MLA
Kenzy graduated with a BS degree in Horticulture from Brigham Young University-Idaho. While there he competed on a National Collegiate Landscape Competition team two years, placing top in the nation both years. Kenzy enjoys studying plants and how they can be used to enhance the outdoor space.
DOO HONG LEE PhD
Ian graduated from the University of Vermont in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. Coming from an artistic, nature-loving family, Ian is interested in designing functional, ecological and inspiring landscapes that will stand the test of time.
As a researcher at the National Institute of Ecology in South Korea, Doo Hong Lee conducted practical conservation planning utilizing environmental resources to improve ecological diversity. Doohong’s work aims to restore damaged ecosystems based on connecting corridors (e.g. streams, mountains, and forests) in the landscape.
NICHOLAS LESCHOFS MLA
ERIN MANN MsBRP
Nicholas LeSchofs graduated with honors from Utah State University in May with a BS in Residential Landscape Design and Construction and an LAEP Minor. He will pursue a Master of Landscape Architecture. After interning at BrightView, he discovered a passion for creating sustainable environments. 51
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Erin graduated from the Huntsman School of Business with a bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Economics. Erin would like to use her background in economics and her passion for ecology to help create sustainable public policy for Utah lands.
GRADUATE STUDENTS CONT. HYE YEON PARK PhD
ADAM PAINTER MLA
As a graduate in residential landscape design and construction from USU, Adam learned to love designing different landscapes. His love for the landscapes in theme parks is what drove him to pursue a master’s in landscape architecture.
Hye Yeon graduated from Chonbuk National University in South Korea and has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture. While developing her master’s thesis, she realized that both a cultural and historical approach are essential for ecological restoration design in conflict areas.
NIMROD SPILLMAN MLA
AMELIA THEOBALD MLA
Major Nimrod Spilman (Ret) earned an Associates Degree in German from Grossmont College, followed by a BS in Kinesiology from San Diego State University. He now is looking to incorporate his experiences he has gained, into his studies as a Landscape Architect.
REBECCA THORPE MsBRP
Rebecca graduated from Utah State in Landscape Architecture in 2015. Since then she has been doing design-build for her company, Eden Landscape Designs, and design work for Applewood Tree and Landscape. Rebecca wants to get more involved in the big picture of working with cities and states, especially on water.
After working as an engineer, Amelia knew her desire to create outdoor spaces in which others find encouragement, inspiration, and refuge was worth pursuing. She excitedly looks forward to learning all she can about making the world a more beautiful place by applying her technical knowledge and developing her creative skills.
Not Pictured: Lindsie Smith (B+MLA) Tiffany Woods (MsBRP)
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IN MEMORIAM STUDENT:
MADISON DEAN Madison Dean, a returning sophomore in the BLA program, was involved in a tragic accident and passed away August 9, 2018. She had recently returned from a misson to New Jersey and was excited to be in a major that combined her love for the outdoors and designing. Madison also worked at a local nursery, Freckle Farm, gaining plant knowledge, and taking her first steps into our profession. Our hearts go out to the Dean family, Madison’s friends and classmates. The studios of LAEP and the lives of all who study and work here will miss her smile and creativity.
ALUMNUS:
MICHAEL DAVIS JONES The Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department is sad to hear of the passing of Michael Jones, BLA 2004, on August 10th, 2018 from an accidental drowning. Michael was a licensed Landscape Architect in the State of Utah and worked for Design West in Logan, Utah. He subsequently worked for Idaho Department of Transportation, and was most recently employed with Horrocks Engineers. Michael will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him. His dedication to our profession and love of Utah State were an inspiration.
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ALUMNUS:
DAVID JENSEN LAEP alumnus, David Jensen passed away on August 9, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. A central figure within the LAEP community, Jensen established the David Jensen Scholarship Endowment Fund in 1989. This scholarship is used to support first and second year graduate students.
“I would like to donate an annual amount to my great-grandpa’s scholarship. Let this be a reminder of how important higher education was to him. He always immersed himself in research, ancestry history, land planning, photography, hunting, fishing, flower walks with his great grandson, family and most of all teaching. He taught me so much during my first 3 years of life. Let this be one of the many ways to carry on his amazing legacy. I will continue to love learning, discovering new things, being curious, and reading books after books. I love you forever my greatgrandpa. Love your first grandson, Braden Richard Lane”
In spring 2018, the award was given to first year graduate student, Drew Hill. Hill’s work with upscale residential areas, construction documents for city submittals and design review boards, resort design and the creation of a proposal for urban design work at a ski resort in Chile, is reminiscent of Jensen’s illustrious career as founder and CEO of David Jensen Associates Inc. Throughout his career, Jensen worked with more than 600 innovative communities, ranging from 25 acres to 7,000 acres. Previous to founding David Jensen Associates, Inc., Jensen worked for fifteen years as the Chief Operating Officer for Harmon Odonnell Henninger Associates. While there, he oversaw 72 employees and coordinated efforts internationally in places such as Sardinia, Spain, Mexico and Canada. We will forever be grateful for the influence of David Jensen, and his legacy will live on through both his work and the work of the many students he’s helped succeed within the discipline of landscape architecture.
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IN MEMORIAM 1937-2018
RICHARD “DICK” TOTH “WE ALL HAVE SUCH A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR DICK’S BRILLIANCE AND TOUGHNESS; AND HOW HE HELPED DEFINE THE FIELDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AT THE REGIONAL SCALE. “ -ALUMNA, LINDA SNYDER
Former LAEP faculty member Prof. Richard “Dick” Toth, FASLA/FCELA passed away peacefully on January 3, 2018. An iconic member of the faculty team that established USU’s national reputation in design and planning, Dick’s twenty-nine years in the Department began in 1973. Having earned his Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design a decade prior, his career first began with the University of Pennsylvania followed by a return to Harvard in 1968. Only Prof. Laval Morris, LAEP’s founder, served a longer tenure as Department Head of LAEP, and Dick’s shepherding of the program helped entrench large-scale land planning as a pillar of any degree earned in the Department. His devotion to that vision grew stronger with time, ultimately leading him to join the College of Natural Resources at USU, where he established the Masters of Science in Bioregional Planning, a program he directed until his retirement in 2014. Even following his 50th year as a faculty member in Logan, Dick devoted his time and talents to that program’s future as he joined the ranks of USU Emeriti. Today, Dick’s legacy lives on through hundreds of LAEP alumni whose education and careers he touched. Their own determination to make sound, evidence-based solutions reflects and honors his tough, tenacious devotion to
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DICK SURROUNDED BY FORMER STUDENTS AND COLLEAGUES DURING THE LAEP 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
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Dick Toth and Carlos Licon serve up breakfast at the 75th Anniversary.
stewarding the land, while at once demanding excellence in decision-making and scenario forecasting. The degree he helped envision while in the Department, and subsequently direct for thirteen years, was able to return to LAEP as a result of him. Consequently, through enduring curricula and a new generation of talented faculty, environmental planning at USU continues. In recognition of the impact of Dick’s career, LAEP alumni established the Richard E. Toth Graduate Scholarship in 2014. The Scholarship was created to “insure the ongoing excellence of education established by Prof. Toth and his colleagues, and to provide for the recruitment of exceptional graduate students into the Department’s programs.” Alumni and friends wishing to contribute to the Scholarship’s Endowment can do so at: laep.usu.edu/giving
“I CONSIDER HIM TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EDUCATORS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE.” -DR. CARL STEINITZ
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Excellence in Research and Creative Works from CELA was awarded to alumnus Dr. Richard “Buck” Sutton (MLA, 1974) (pictured on left).
ALUMNI AWARDS Pamela Blackmore (BLA, 2013) is receiving a $4000 grant from the National Garden Club of America to study green roofs and butterflies.
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InSites 2018 The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Magazine College of Agriculture & Applied Sciences Utah State University 4005 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-4005 www.laep.usu.edu
