TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Lecturer- University of Georgia- College of Environment and Design,
August 2021-Present
Developing and refining curriculum for a wide range of course foci. Creation of innovative and interactive site grading pedagogy alongside site engineering skillsets and professional workflow practices. Introducing new students to design thinking and the creative process throughout studio projects and experiences.
Adjunct Professor - University of Georgia- Lamar Dodd School of Art
January 2017-2018
Development of curriculum combining graphic design implementation with design process thinking in specific placemaking projects. Teaching students to work alongside clients on real-life projects, apply their design skillset to develop and convey experiential branding concepts.
Professional & Student Workshop Instructor
University of Georgia- College of Environment & Design | January 2017-Present
Creation and Facilitation of professional & student workshops covering SketchUp modeling & AutoCAD integration, Photoshop perspective rendering, and hand sketching with markers & watercolor.
CIDI Training Center For Gardening & Landscaping, Kampala, Uganda
August 2011- December 2012
Creation and implementation of a (2) year curriculum for a vocational level landscape design program in Kampala, Uganda. Developed in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of Education, this curriculum set up a new national certificate in vocational landscape design.
Students in Site Engineering projecting and delineating contour lines onto the campus landscape. These “Laser Landscapes” allowed students the opportunity to see twodimensional contour lines in relation to real three-dimensional landscapes. This greatly assisted in their initial comprehension of topography.
Utilizing over 19 years of design experience on award winning projects, I am able to weave real-world expertise alongside innovative teaching approaches. Students are exposed to experiential pedagogy through creative exercises both in and out of the classroom, forcing a connection to the realistic implications of our profession. With experience spanning a multitude of design typologies, I can discuss large scale master-planning down to specific site details.
Over my professional and academic career I have taken many opportunities to teach in unique locations and haved developed my “on-site” instruction abilities across multiple continents. Inspiring and challenging students of all ages and backgrounds.
COURSE EVALUATIONS 4.57
States course objectives and communicates the relevance
Sets performance expectations appropriate to course objectives
Clearly explains what is expected on assignments and tests/ Gives helpful critiques and other personalized feedback
Provides materials and references for further exploration/ Prepares me for more complex problems in the future
a rigorous workload
Course Work:
Assignments and activities were useful for helping me learn.
This course challenged me to think and learn.
How much do you feel that you learned in the course?
KEY FEEDBACK POINTS:
Teaching Strengths
- Enthusiastic Instructor
- Strong Rapport with Students
- Receptive to Student & Colleague Feedback
- Innovative and Adaptive
- Comprehensive Knowledge
Base
- Digital & Hand Representation
STUDENT FEEDBACK + COMMENTS
This professor is truly the creme of the crop. He has every single skill when it comes to landscape design and some interior design. He has very high-quality graphic illustration skills and knows how to run his class like a design firm, challenging us to think outside of the box while progressing our own skills towards the professional level. Prof. Berglund should be recognized for inspiring students to produce industry level work. Great teacher for Landscape architecture and graphic illustration
---2nd Year BLA Student from LAND3340: Applied Landscape Engineering, Spring 2022
Prof. Berglund is a fantastic teacher. His lectures were extremely helpful, and he was available if students needed help or had questions. His individual critiques were also very helpful, and I liked that I was able to fix my projects after getting feedback on them.
Professor Berglund covered an extensive curriculum very well, and the worksheets and videos that he created were so helpful for practicing
This course and teacher has been one of my favorites by far. I have learned so much that is practical and specific to my major. Berglund was beyond helpful and demonstrated efficient knowledge in the material. He genuinely made me excited to be doing the work and at school.
---1st Year BLA Student from LAND 2210- Graphic Communication I, Fall 2021
Very energetic and excited about teaching which makes us more focused as well. Very knowledgeable and knows when we tend to lose focus and give a 5min break so we can zone back in to what we are learning! Always willing to help with questions and concerns. Very awesome
I was dreading Engineering for my second year, but Berglund made it worth it with his sheer enthusiasm. It was clear how relevant how the material in this class was for our future careers. He is always willing to put extra time aside for students who need help, so anything we don’t know is on us because there were plenty of opportunities throughout the week. I also appreciate how he gives different ways of doing the same concept; going outside and seeing how Engineering applies in the “real world” was very helpful (apparently this has never been done in this class before as a whole, which is shocking with how helpful it is).
I really appreciated the professional experience Professor Berglund has in Landscape Architecture. He is able to answer questions other professors cannot. I learned a lot about what to expect in professional practice and how current coursework is preparing us for those upcoming experiences. He is also passionate about his work and cares about the success of his students. He even shared step-by-step videos with the other engineering classes so they get the same educational opportunities. I will recommend Professor Berglund to my peers.
---2nd Year
BLA Student
from
LAND 3330 Site Engineering for LAR, Fall 2021
Teaching Areas To Improve
- More Timely Grades
- Increase Content Organization
- Better Correlate Assignment
Work to Student Abilities
Professor Berglund did a great job in making this class exciting and productive. He offered so many opportunities for students to improve our sketching, whether that was by providing feedback on our work or by allowing us to watch his demonstration and ask any questions we had. He also made an effort to connect with each student and make sure we were enjoying our time in the class!
---3rd Year BLA Student from LAND 4800: Contemporary LAR Field Study, Summer 2023
FORMER STUDENT LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Le er of Support for Professor Cameron Berglund
January 2024
To whom it may concern,
Professor Cameron Berglund has been my instructor many �mes during my college career, and I can say with confidence that he has elevated the quality of educa�on in our department. He is a talented landscape architect and ar�st, and where many in his posi�on lack the capacity to explain that skill to students, he exceeds. He consistently demonstrates his compassion for his class and is willing to devote �me to develop resources for all students in the college.
Professor Berglund’s love for teaching is apparent to those in and out of his class. Last semester I approached Professor Berglund with ques�ons regarding modeling so�ware for another course, and he happily took the �me to answer my ques�ons and even went so far as to add me to his class’s website, where he had hours of video tutorials he had created for the benefit of his students. When I was enrolled in his Introduc�on to Engineering class, he would frequently take us outside where he had marked off contour lines with chalk. I believe the visual component, although simple in concept, was instrumental in helping many members of my class grasp the founda�on for the course. The value of his though�ulness cannot be understated.
While he’s a very well-rounded instructor, his talent shines best in his studio courses. Most professors can cri�que a design and help students develop a landscape that’s aesthe�cally pleasing and func�onal, but Professor Berglund is an excep�on. His enthusiasm for crea�vity and eye for detail takes acceptable projects and helps turn them into something noteworthy. When I recommend rising students enroll in his course, it’s because I know that in conjunc�on with an eagerness to learn, Professor Berglund’s compassion and devo�on can help them become excep�onal landscape designers.
I whole-heartedly believe Professor Berglund is a gi� to his cra�, my only complaint is that I’m not able to take his class again before I graduate.
Kind regards,
Rosie Kitchens
Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture May 24’ University of Georgia
January 11, 2024
To: From:
Ashley Steffens Associate Dean of Academic Affairs College of Environment and Design University
of Georgia
285 S Jackson St, Athens, GA 30602
Isabella Rossy Landscape Architecture Student University
of Georgia
1197 Cedar Shoals Drive #209, Athens, GA 30605
Dear Professor Steffens,
It is my pleasure to support Professor Cameron Berglund, who began his employment with the University of Georgia during my second year of the BLA program. Throughout this time, I have had the privilege of witnessing the positive impact he has had on my personal education and the BLA program as a whole.
Professor Berglund is more than just an educator to the students he teaches. He has a knack for getting others excited about learning, and has the ability to communicate new ideas effectively. His enthusiastic personality is contagious and encourages collective development amongst both advanced and incoming students. As a transfer student, I found the world of design and creative thought to be both daunting and, at times, frustrating. I remember Professor Berglund sharing his personal struggles with this, which made me feel more comfortable asking for his help and guidance. Throughout my time at the CED, I have seen the college transform into a more collaborative, supportive atmosphere as a result of his everyday actions. It is obvious to me and everyone who has had the pleasure of interacting with Professor Berglund that he has a passion for instructing and does so while uplifting his students. He truly leads by example and is dedicated to helping others. This has led Professor Berglund to become a mentor, trusted advisor, and role model for myself and many others.
I am most grateful to have had the opportunity to experience his pure joy, encouragement, and dedication. Upon graduation, my goal is to become half the person and professional Professor Berglund has proven he is. Thank you for your time.
Kind regards,
Isabella Rossy
isabella.rossy@uga.edu +1 (229) 588-1010
VISUALIZING | DATA + PROJECT NARRATIVES
Project 1: Create a series of posters / panels to explore and convey the assigned research topic about Wild Mustangs & Their Correlating Environments
The Main Project Goal is to gather and glean this information so we (as the designers) can:
A) Can better understand the users (horses, burros, natural flora/ fauna, humans) and their corresponding needs, contexts, and relationships
B) Tell the story / Info about Wild Mustangs to visitors to the ranch’s educational center (raise interest and awareness to this ecological, environmental & social issue
C) Inform the design of the ranch’s physical and design forms/ characteristics
a. Example: If we research and can determine the approximate Wild Horse & Burro “carrying capacity” for this 2000 acre property (based on its ecology and location), it will allow us to then size the horse facilities to accommodate that number!
Project “Rules/ Parameters”: Lets discuss them…
• Conveyance of your chosen/ assigned research topic and findings in clear concise language and graphics:
o It should “stand alone”- Can it be understood by anyone who walks up to it (without prior knowledge of the topic)
o Concise and purposeful use of color- should have a consistent color scheme/ theme and utilize color theory to emphasize/ focus the viewer
o Utilize the 3-30-3 rule (See Wayside Exhibit Reading on ELC)
• Contain a map graphic utilizing GIS or GE (at scale or not- TBD with Professor & group)
• Should display data and research in compelling & interesting visual way
o Data and research should come from reputable sources & should cite sources on panels / correlating graphics
• Display the same clarity, professionalism and research rigor as the examples on ELC and others from the ASLA Student Awards from previous years
o (research these, and pull together example graphics you wish to emulate)
• Answer / discuss a relevant question (or storyline) about a topic that will help/ influence how we as a class will work on the master plan for the client
o (However, you main only accomplish goals A& B with some of the topics we determine to investigate - lets discuss your foci)
LAND 4050- BLA Studio IV
Region | Site | Place
Methods:
• Research : Utilize online material and the info provided in ELC to compile the data needed to convey your topic
o Work as a group to synthesize the information down into a relevant story/ message
o Fill out ESRI storytelling outline as a guide / tool to help this process
o Create a more detailed outline storyboard in nDesign/ PPT or MIRO (CB can demo this product, or look online)
• Graphics: You are not limited to these graphic mediums but this is a helpful game plan on where to start
o GIS and/or Google Earth Imagery combined with digital and/or hand overlays via Adobe CC Apps
I will provide GIS basics as a demonstration for the class
I can provide Photoshop, InDesign, Fresco & Illustrator sessions
• also recently learned about ESRI (StoryMaps) and think this tool could be PERFECT for this project at least in part.
Deliverables: 24x36 Final Printed Posters/ Pane s (# depending on subject + group size) covering assigned/ chosen topic
• Should contain scaled map(s), legend and adequately describe outline/ answer the topic question
• Should meet the Main Project Goals
• Follow Project Parameters
• Presentation by group to class and client (5-10 min)
Schedule & Tasks:
Wk Day Date Items Due Class Topic/ Activity Details Readings/ Exercises/ Notes
1 W Aug 16 Course Intro & Overview Read Nat Geo Mustang Articles- B4 Friday
F 18 Discuss Nat Geo Article: Develop scope/ groups for P1 Discussion & start research in class
Read Signs Trails & Wayside Exhibits on ELC, Find 3 graphic Examples for Monday
2 M 21 3 Graphic Examples of panels to emulate Studio In-class research Work in Groups Fill out ESRI storytelling outline as a guide
W 23 research + graphic ideas due BOC
In -class research + graphic rough ideas due BOC
Group Progress review with prof DEMO DAY- Graphic Demonstrations in Class
F 25 Elevator pitch presentations Refined data/ info + graphic trajectory examples to emulate 3 min elevator pitch pres to class 3-30-3 Rule + Elevator Pitch
3 M 28 Infographic Poster Work (~30% completed EOD)
W 30 50% Posters as PDF to ELC Infographic Poster Work (~50% completed EOD)
Group Progress review with prof 50%= Main graphics almost done, text ok if not perfect
F Sept 1 FIELD TRIP: Thurs thru Saturday (or Films & Report) Wild Horses of Georgia UGA Equine Facility + Wild Mustang Ranch + Cumberland Island
4 M 4 LABOR DAY- NO CLASS
W 6 Infographic Poster Work (~80% completed EOD)
F 8 Final Posters as PDF to ELC Completed Infographic Posters Due BOC Friday
Revise posters per feedback
Present Posters to class (client TBD)
This assignment introduced the students to the multi-faceted issues of Wild Mustang Horses in the continental USA. Students researched and identified key social, ecological and economic data associated with this topic. They then developed illustrative infographics as the first part of this large-scale (2000 acre) masterplan project.
STUDENT WORK EXAMPLES
LAND 4050- BLA Studio IV: Region | Site | Place
Incorporating both service and experiential learning pedagogy, the course worked with the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse & Burrow Program and the Georgia-based Wild Mustang Ranch to develop infographics and explore potential solutions to this multifaceted issue. Students also had the opportunity to experience these animals first hand through a multi-day field trip to Cumberland Island National Seashore where they saw first hand the beauty of these animals and the complex issues associated with managing wild horses.
Last fall UGA Africa Studies Institute invited me to develop a collaborative design studio within their ongoing Tanzania study abroad program. After participating in the Maymester last year, teaching both a studio and sitesketching course, I developed this executive summary to help fund raise for the student designed courtyard project.
This proposal has resulted in over $5500 in funding to date and is slated to be implemented at the OKAT Children’s home this coming May (2025) with my LAND 4910 studio.
CURRICULUM EXAMPLES AND COURSE CONTENT
EDUCATION + TEACHING
EDUCATION + TEACHING
Alongside the servicelearning studio, I taught a nature journaling and site sketching course open to all majors. Through plein air sketching, watercolor techniques, and hours of practice, students were able to hone their drawing and observation skills as we toured the diverse landscapes and cultures of Tanzania.
The course setting varied from the historic urban streets of Stonetown, Zanzibar to the wild expanses of the Serengeti and we sketched in airplanes, safari jeeps, and even as we ascended Mt Kilimanjaro! The impact of learning to “see and draw” was profound for all students involved regardless of experience or skill level.
CURRICULUM EXAMPLES AND COURSE CONTENT
Athens Land Trust Main Entry Design
LAND 3030- BLA Studio III
Planting Design- Service Learning
This second year undergraduate course culminated in a community design project with Athens Land Trust’s (ALT) Williams Farm. The students designed, priced, selected, and installed a pollinator garden comprised of all locally propagated native species. In addition to the design and installation, the students created a “visual maintenance guide” that will allow ALT to maintain the pollinator garden by properly identifying each plant. (The hope is that this will prevent some of these more “weedy” looking natives from getting weeded out!)
AREA OF INVESTIGATION
Landscape architecture and design education’s role in majority world material poverty alleviation
Research & Press:
- Conference Facilitator: Jomo Kenyatta “East Africa
Visualization Conference, May 2023
- ASLA National Conference Speaker: LAR Education
Empowering Beyond Poverty, 2021 : VIDEO HERE
- Landscape Architecture Magazine article, Empowered by Landscape (LAM, Nov 2019/Vol 109 No 11)
- Experiential Research (2010-2012), Design Instruction in
Landscape Architecture Magazine article: Empowered by Landscape (LAM, Nov. 2019 / Vol 109 No 11)
Working the Ugandan Ministry of Education I developed a curriculum for post-highschool Ugandans at the CIDI Training Center for Gardening and Landscape in Kampala Uganda. I developed ways to teach design thinking and installation that were appropriate to the specific parameters found in this market.
Plein-air Site Sketching as artistic media + community engagement
Exhibitions & Conferences:
- ASLA Southeast Conference- Field Sketch Speaker / Facilitator: April 2023
- Selected Works in Lyndon House Art Center’s 48th Annual Juried Exhibition: (2) Plein-air Sketches, Show Opening- March 2023
- Plein Air 2020-2022, Solo Exhibition at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, May-July 2022
- UGA College of Environment & Design CIRCLE Gallery- Solo Exhibition: Design +Sketch + Process, Fall 2022-Spring 2023
- LABASH Site Sketching workshop- Speaker / Facilitator: March 2022
- Plein Air 2016-2019, Solo Exhibition at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, May-July 2019
DESIGN (SKETCH) PROCESS, UGA College of Environment & Design CIRCLE Gallery- Solo Exhibition: Fall 2022-Spring 2023
A “behind the scenes” tour of Cameron Berglund’s work through 17 years of professional practice. The exhibition uses a combination of interactive elements and Berglund’s pieces to highlight the pivotal role that both hand and digital sketching plays in the design process. FULL ARTICLE HERE
AREA OF INVESTIGATION
Landscape Architecture’s Role In Community-Based Tourism (majority world focus)
Research & Press:
- UGA MLA Thesis (2016): Landscape Architecture’s Role In CommunityBased Tourism – A Design Approach For Community-Based Tourism In Seacacar, Guatemala
- Experiential Research (2018), Working Alongside Q’eqchi Mayan
Community to Develop Eco-Lodge Tourism Masterplan
Current & Potential Collaborators:
- Hitesh Metah, FASLA
- Daniel Winterbottom, Associate Professor, University of Washington
- Dr. B. Bynum Boley, Professor UGA, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM)
Reserva Cañón Seacacar, El Estor Guatemala
The community of Seacacar is a burgeoning eco-tourism destination in eastern Guatemala. This community based tourism initiative was the focus of my graduate studies thesis in which I developed a beneficial approach for working with the community as a landscape architecture professional. Since completing my degree I have continued to pursue this research by working directly with the community. Currently I have helped them solidify the overall masterplan vision for the site and a comprehensive layout of the current and future component. Additionally, I paired my environmental graphic design course with their need for branding and signage. The students produced multiple concepts based on the site, culture, and multiple languages of the community.
Site Sketching
ASLA Conferences + UrbanSketchers + AthSketch
Combining my enjoyment of hand graphics and sketching I created the meetup group AthSketch in 2019 to act as a catalyst for folks to draw onlocation. Based on the global organization UrbanSketchers, our group meets weekly and sketches everything from historic building facades on UGA’s north campus to intriguing flora in the nearby ethnobotanical garden. This past summer I connected with fellow UrbanSketchers in Kenya where I helped co-host a Sketch-Crawl for +70 participants in Juja, Kenya.
Co-Lead +80 students “Sketch Tour”at the ASLA 2023 conference.
Created and facilitated a +50 student “Sketch Crawl” in collaboration with fellow UrbanSketchers and faculty at Jomo Kenyatta University in Nairobi Kenya. May 2023.
BERGLUND STUDIO
MULTI-DISCIPLINE DESIGN FIRM
A multidisciplinary design practice, blending landscape architecture, environmental graphic design, interpretive planning and illustration.
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN + INTERPRETIVE EXHIBIT PLANNING
- Innovation Hub Building Renovation, Innovation District at the University of Georgia (2021)
- Center for Art and Nature - Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum, at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2021)
- Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2019)
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & MASTER PLANNING DESIGN:
- Denver Polo Club, Equestrian Mixed Used Master Plan (2022)
- Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2019)
- Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal Studios + Lowes Hotels, Orlando Florida (2017)
- Disney’s Explorer’s Lodge, Disneyland Hong Kong, PRC (2015)
UGA State Botanical Gardens of Georgia Athens, Georgia
The 3 acre Children’s garden located within the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, provides a myriad of learning environments layered with facts and stories of Georgia’s natural world. Interactive elements and immersive spaces allow visitors to enjoy and explore many mysteries of the regions plants, geology, hydrology and flora and fauna.
Scope: Concept Design through Construction Drawings & Construction Admin
Project Role: Lead Designer, Illustration & Visualization, Graphic & Signage Design, CAD production & Detailing, Construction Administration
ALICE H. RICHARDS CHILDREN’S GARDEN
UGA State Botanical Gardens of Georgia Athens, Georgia
Prior to the 1800’s, the original town spring was located in the vicinity of the newly renovated Innovation Hub building. The site’s historical significance to UGA and Athens history was prominent and became the impetus for the environmental graphics and interpretive panels. The building renovation project features approximately 11,000 SF of flexible workspace, conference rooms, and presentation areas designed to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry engagement.
Project Role:
• Creative Director & Environmental Graphic Designer
• Concept ideas via hand sketches, 3D models, & fabrication detailing
Photo Op + Presentation Wall
• Documentary Film Creation & Interpretive Panel Graphics (CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO)
From whence the spring sprang... Every
By viewing the slope of the land beneath Athens it is easy to start to understand the flow of water from the highest point, City Hall, to the adjacent North Oconee River. Highlighted in blue is the WATERSHED or DRAINAGE BASIN for the spring and its subsequent stream. This area is essentially a sloping bowl of land that funnels the water downward forming streams and eventually rivers. This spring, like the rest of UGA and Athens, lies in the Oconee River Basin, which is part of the Altamaha River Basin. The water from this spring flows down the hill and into the North Oconee River, which joins the Oconee River, which in turn flows into the Altamaha. Eventually this long-journeying water empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Darien, GA. This stream is one of the many that flow through the UGA campus, each with a unique aquatic ecosystem.
UGA State Botanical Gardens of Georgia Athens, Georgia
Center for Art & Nature
The Center for Art and Nature houses a vast porcelain collection bridging the gap between art and nature. The building is 8600sf which includes a classroom, exhibit hall, two exhibit galleries, office and collection storage spaces. Terraced gardens leading to a large event lawn and fountain surrounded by native plants complete the site with pedestrian connections to the visitor center plaza.
Scope: Concept Design for Site, and Exhibit Interpretation. Final Environmental Graphics and Signage throughout.
Project Role: Conceptual Site Design, Exhibit + Interpretive Design, Graphic & Signage Design
A 21 acre resort hotel located within the existing amusement campus. Throughout the site, inspiring Caribbean landscapes merge with the functional building spaces creating an extensive locale including a river style swimming pool, cliff theme water slide and a cascading centerpiece that is the impetus for the hotels theme.
Project Role:
• Assistant designer through proposal, concept design development, and CD level documents
• Development of graphics and documents from Blue Sky to construction level CAD drawings including: grading and elevations, planting concepts
Work completed while employed with DTJ
Architectural Illustration has been a pursuit of mine for much of my professional career. I am versed in both traditional hand graphic approaches, including watercolor, but also enjoy blending this technique with digital mediums.
Oftentimes my illustrations start as 3D models that I produce to create the massing of the subject. Drawing by hand then allows me to study the design more efficiently than producing detailed 3D models, while also keeping it more approachable to clients. I have developed many hybrid approaches that allow me to create digital-watercolor or to blend SketchUp and Photoshop with hand drawn elements.
