InSites Magazine 2026

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

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2026

contents

INSITES 2026

5p.

28p.

MESSAGE FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD

FINDING DESIGN FREEDOM IN A TECHNICAL WORLD

6p.

30p.

HOW DISNEY REWROTE THE MODERN ZOO

ADDRESSING BEDROOM COMMUNITY SYNDROME IN NIBLEY CITY

10p. INSIDE THE LICENSURE JOURNEY

12p. CAROLINE LAVOIE EARNS THE PRESTIGIOUS ROME PRIZE

13p.

32p. CONNECTING DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY

34p. AN AWARD WINNING VISIONARY PLAN FOR KAMAS VALLEY

A JOURNEY THROUGH CITIES, CULTURES, AND ECOLOGIES IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

35p.

17p.

36p.

DESIGNING FOR DROUGHT: LESSONS FROM THE RED BUTTE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN

APA & ASLA STUDENT CHAPTERS

19p.

WISDOM FROM INTERNSHIPS

38p. 2026 DISTINGUISHED ALUMS

FINDING MY PASSION AND PATH AS A DESIGNER

40p.

21p.

STUDENT THESES & DISSERTATIONS

LEARNING CONFIDENCE THROUGH GRAPHICS

42p.

22p. SPARKING AWARD WINNING CREATIVITY

24p. REIMAGINING OF AGGIE NATION

27p. GROWING INTO A DESIGNER AT VISUALMAX

SCHOLARSHIPS 2026-2027

44p. FACULTY UPDATES

45p. SPEAKER SERIES 2025-2026

46p. IN MEMORIAM

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ENROLLED STUDENTS

192 undergrads 29 graduates

$2,230,000+

IN RESEARCH GRANTS

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COMMUNITY PROJECTS GRADUATING NUMBERS FALL ‘25 & SPRING ‘26 CERTIFICATES & ASSOCIATES

16 Various Certificates of Proficiency 6 Digital Modeling & Visualization A.S. BACHELORS

5 Planning & Design Technologies 1 Environmental Planning 30 Landscape Architecture MASTERS

4 Environmental Planning 3 Landscape Architecture

IMPACT REPORT

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FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

by Keith Christensen, PLA, ASLA | Department Head for LAEP

MESSAGE FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD

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couple of years ago I wrote to you about the value of a good map, one that highlights the paths previously traveled and those yet to be experienced. As I shared, a good map reminds you of where you have been and shows you future opportunities. I still believe that. But this past year taught me something about the limits of a map. A map is good for terrain that someone has already charted; it assumes the trail is where the trail has always been. Anyone who spends time in the mountains, though, knows that trails come and go, and now and then you find yourself in country no map accounts for. When that happens, the map can only tell you where you have been. To find your way forward through unfamiliar ground, you need something else. You need a compass. This past year, higher education felt very much like unfamiliar ground. Our beloved Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning spent much of the year navigating a rapidly changing academic landscape; shifting expectations, uncertain conditions, and pressures that no map fully prepared us for. And yet LAEP navigated this landscape, and we did so remarkably well. When I think about what kept us oriented, three things stand out. First, our engaged alumni. Time and again this past year, our alumni showed up—mentoring students, advocating for the program, hiring our graduates, and reminding all of us why this work matters. Your steady presence has been a source of strength when conditions were anything but steady. Second, the strength of our program, our faculty, and our students. Our students remain the most enthusiastic, curious, creative, and passionate students at USU. Our faculty

continue to be world-class scholars and dedicated teachers who care deeply about engaging with their students and communities. The quality of the people who fill our studios did not waver, and that quality carried us. And third, a clear understanding of our history, our culture, and our values. LAEP has been preparing exceptional practitioners for more than eighty years. That long history, our remarkable studio culture, and the values we articulated in our strategic plan gave us a fixed point to steer by when so much else was in motion. Which brings me back to the compass. I have come to believe that the past acts less like a map than like a compass. A map hands you the one right route across ground that has already been charted; a compass tells you which way is true no matter where you happen to be standing. Our history, culture, and values did not hand us a route through this past year, no one had charted it, but they never stopped pointing us toward true north. That is why I am so optimistic about where we are headed. LAEP continues to move in the right direction. Supported by the LAEP community and culture, we continue to deliver an exceptional learning experience in preparation for practice where our alumni go out into the world and empower prosperous communities across the globe. That is the direction our compass points, and we are holding to it. Wherever your own compass has taken you, I hope it brings you back to LAEP. We would love to hear where you have been, and which way you are headed next. Come back and visit, share your bearings with our students, and help us continue to find our way forward together.

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insites by Benjamin George, ASLA, Utah State University and Dave Gottwald, University of Idaho

HOW DISNEY REWROTE THE MODERN ZOO

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espite zoos generating nearly $23 billion in revenue with over 700 million annual visitors worldwide, zoo design has received scant scholarly attention (Gusset & Dick, 2011). Zoos have been studied by anthropologists, biologists, and sociologists. But what little design discussion exists remains limited to practitioner circles. As designers and design educators, we are interested in the contours of this unique praxis. Similarly, serious discussion of Disney Park aesthetics and mechanics are lacking in the literature. Our study, spanning over four years, addresses both. Since its 1998 debut, Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK) has remained the world’s most popular zoo, and in the decades since most zoos have adopted Disney’s design techniques. This demonstrates a unique tension between fantasy and reality, in that zoos have always been artificial constructs. Even the term captive wildlife is a contradiction. At post-Disney zoos, entertainment is combined with education and credibility is complexified with theatricality, resulting in quite an irony, because themed spaces have always been criticized as inauthentic. Paradoxically, because zoos are by their very nature of artifice, themed wildlife exhibits feel more real rather than less. In this sense, DAK represents the realest fake possible.

and former Disney Imagineers. Site studies were conducted at DAK and nearly 50 zoos worldwide, supplemented by archival research and a review of zoo and Disney Park literature. This has enabled us to deeply understand the interplay between mainstream zoo design and WDI’s methods during DAK’s long development, and to best describe the park’s impact. Three primary aspects of zoos have shifted over time—function, organization, and narrative. An evolution from prison, to gallery, to educational theater. DAK was presaged by Carl Hagenbeck, Jr., who in 1896 patented a kind of naturalistic stage set which obscured the boundaries between animals and visitors with moats and rockwork, making exhibits appear cageless. Though initially derided as garish hucksterism, other zoos soon followed suit until postwar modernism turned to abstracted concrete and sterility (Ames, 2009). The landscape immersion movement began at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. These exhibits, which flourished starting in the 1970s, immersed visitors in naturalistic foliage

Zoos have shifted over time... An evolution from Our analysis is based on interviews with over three dozen zoo designers, managers, and other prison, to gallery, to professionals; as well as landscape architects educational theater.”

and rockwork which approximated an animal’s actual habit—a resurrection of the Hagenbeck approach (Coe, 1994). Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, cultural resonance, a method of combining landscape immersion with relevant architecture, gained traction (Jones, 1989) [Figure 1]. All these developments prepared the zoo community to be greatly affected by Disney as a theatrical company. Today, contemporary zoo design exists along a spectrum of suspended disbelief we characterize in a fluid, tiered taxonomy of implicative theming, evocative theming, and integrated immersion in which landscape immersion is brought full circle to deliver what we conceive of as guest habitats. These environments leverage all aspects of a Disney park—architecture, interiors, props, sets, and graphics—to support the wildlife habitats they are paired with. Spaces which only imply a sense of place are apt to be architecturally muted, and the graphics resemble museum exhibits. Spaces which evoke a sense of place utilize more theatrical techniques, but often present an exaggerated, what has been described as cartoon nature (Coe, 2019). Integrated immersion is defined by themed set design, as popularized

Figure 1: Clockwise from top left: Tierpark Hagenbeck’s natural stage set, modernist abstraction at Louisville Zoo, landscape immersion at Zoo Atlanta, cultural resonance at Woodland Park Zoo. by Disney, and the use of filmic grammar to stage, pace, and frame wildlife vistas. After DAK, we see a dramatic increase in a seamless blend of credible animal habitats and visitor areas in the integrated immersion category. This shift from cartoonish immersion towards hyper-realistic immersion utilizing Disney design principles is ironic considering the origin of WDI’s praxis in theme parks rooted in fantastical depictions. Several WDI techniques, including storyboarding, the development of character backstories, and attention to transitions and liminal zones are evident. We emphasize that integrated immersion is not necessarily better. There are many successful, evocative, and implicative exhibits. These are simply more Disney-like. Integrated immersion features what we define as static and dynamic show sets. The static show set can be traced back to Disneyland’s Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse (1962), and many theme park visitors will be familiar with them.

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Figure 2: Static show sets at DAK (left) and London Zoo (right)

Figure 3: Dynamic s h o w s e t , Wildlands. The calendar has notes between backstory characters warning about invading raccoons.

Environments which replicate film sets, yet the actors are missing. WDI later took this concept to attraction queues, notably at Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (1995). Both were executed to a high degree at DAK. Static show sets provide context for animals, but everyone is absent [Figure 2]. Wildlife is separate. There is no interaction; the presentation is static. Conversely, a dynamic show set is one in which animals have taken over, illustrating overlap between human settlement and wildlife populations in many parts of the world [Figure 3]. This relationship is ever-changing; hence dynamic. Additionally, graphic design plays a large role in the theming of the contemporary zoo. Like museums, zoos aspire to communicate a large amount of information to augment their exhibits. With integrated immersion, such devices are typically presented, in the words of the designers we spoke with, in-world or in-story. Here the interplay between fantasy and reality is most poignant and

deliberate. These embedded didactics convey numerous levels of communication, from the atmospheric to the practical. The goal is to keep zoo visitors completely enveloped in the surrounding spatial narrative. The nature of these graphics, from the lettering style to application and substrate, exist in a pseudo-fictional context. They establish a sense of place, tell us about the animals, educate us about conservation, and even show us where the restrooms are [Figure 4]. Like the architecture, static and dynamic show sets, along with embedded didactics, are most successful when coherently and consistently interwoven with wildlife viewing, demonstrating the very same gestalt which makes Disney’s themed environments so comprehensive. Though all these aspects can be found at zoos worldwide, we summate with a detailed review of seven we find have most deeply modeled themselves after DAK. Two were virgin builds; both lead designers visited DAK and say they were heavily influenced by its design. The other

five have committed themselves to follow in the Imagineers’ footsteps with each new habitat, expansion, and renovation. They are ErlebnisZoo Hannover (Germany), Pairi Daiza (Belgium), Zoo Leipzig (Germany), Bali Safari and Marine Park (Indonesia), Fort Worth Zoo (United States), San Diego Zoo Safari Park (United States), and Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands). Zoos were already headed towards greater immersion. Yet DAK entered the market as a dramatic accelerant and shifted direction from abstract immersion to hyper-realism. Many who worked on the development of the park took their experience and applied it at other zoos. Evinced by our site research and interviews, DAK has left an indelible impression. Because of its considerable influence, the contemporary zoo is more engaging, immersive, educational, and entertaining than ever before. Every single practitioner we spoke with, whether they employ thematic principles in their design work or not, we are clear on this point, from guest areas to habitats and back of house. It was visible at every single zoo we visited and is a trend that shows no signs of abating.

REFERENCES Ames, Eric. Carl Hagenbeck’s Empire of Entertainments. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2009. Coe, Jon C. “Landscape Immersion – Origins and Concepts: Landscape Immersion Exhibits: How Are They Proving As Educational Settings?” Paper presented at Annual Conference of Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Bethesda, MD, 1994. Coe, Jon C. “Recent Zoo Trends.” Presentation to the London Zoological Society. London, 2019. Gusset, Markus, and Gerald Dick. “The global reach of zoos and aquariums in visitor numbers and conservation expenditures.” Zoo biology 30, no. 5 (2011): 566-569. Jones, Grant. “Beyond Landscape Immersion to Cultural Resonance: In the Thai Elephant Forest at Woodland Park Zoological Gardens.” Paper presented at Annual Conference of American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, Silver Spring, MD, 1989.

Figure 4: In-world wayfinding at DAK (left) and London Zoo (right).

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The process is rigorous by design, but entirely manageable when you break it into parts and stay consistent.” INSIDE THE LICENSURE JOURNEY: A Q&A WITH NEWLY LICENSED FACULTY

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wo of LAEP’s faculty members, Huaqing Wang, PLA, AICP, APA and Ole Sleipness, PLA, ASLA have recently become licensed landscape architects. This marks an achievement that highlights an important milestone in the profession and one that emerging professionals aspire to. Licensure can often feel daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Licensure signals professionalism and commitment, qualities that make licensed landscape architects more competitive. It opens the door to more promotions, leadership opportunities, higher pay, and positions in the public sector and federal positions where it is required. Wang and Sleipness demonstrate that the process is manageable and well worth the effort.

The steps to licensure include:

• Earning a degree from an accredited program like USU’s • Gaining supervised experience under a licensed landscape architect, required in some states. • Passing the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) 1. Inventory, Analysis, and Project Management 2. Planning and Design 3. Construction Documentation and Administration 4. Grading, Drainage, and Stormwater Management • Applying for licensure through your state licensing board

• Maintaining your license through continuing education We asked Wang and Sleipness to share their perspectives in a Q&A, with the hope their insights will inspire those pursuing licensure or offer reflection for those already on the path.

What motivated you to pursue licensure?

In landscape architecture accreditation standards, there is increasing emphasis on faculty with a PhD also holding professional licensure. From a broader life philosophy perspective, you never know when an ideal opportunity may arise that requires licensure. You don’t want to wait until that moment to realize you didn’t put in the effort earlier. Licensure is one of those milestones—if you are capable of achieving it, it is worth pursuing. It represents preparation, readiness, and responsibility to the profession.

What part of the process surprised you most?

I was surprised by how different state policies can be. Some states do not allow candidates to take the exams before completing U.S.-based practice experience, while others allow candidates to sit for the exams while simultaneously accumulating work experience. Some states count university faculty positions as qualifying experience, while others do not. However, once you obtain licensure in one state, transferring it to another state is generally a relatively straightforward administrative process.

Left to right: Huaqing Wang and Ole Sleipness

How long did it take you from professional talks. It signals both scholarly and professional competence. graduation to completion? It took me about one year to complete all four sections.

What would you tell someone who is intimidated by the licensure What advice would you give someone process? s t a r t i n g t h e i r j o u r n e y t o w a r d It’s completely normal to feel intimidated. The process is rigorous by design. But it is licensure? Your study mindset matters. Take the process seriously and prepare methodically. Creating a structured study plan and forming a study group that meets regularly—such as every other week—can make a significant difference. Consistency and accountability are key.

manageable when broken into parts. Each section you pass builds confidence. Focus on steady progress rather than perfection.

What should students focus on during school to prepare for licensure?

All core professional courses are essential.

How did you balance studying with A strong foundation in grading, construction documentation, planting design, and work and personal life? Preparing for the exams was truly a family effort. When I needed focused study time, my family took on additional responsibilities at home and spent extra time with my child. Their support made it possible for me to stay committed to the process.

Has licensure opened new opportunities for you?

Yes. Although I work in academia, licensure strengthens professional credibility. It is meaningful when applying for research funding, collaborating with practitioners, and giving

professional practice will significantly reduce the effort required later. Students should also stay aware of emerging trends in the field by reading professional magazines and reports from organizations such as ASLA, since the exams are periodically updated to reflect evolving professional knowledge and standards. Wang’s experiences highlight that while licensure requires dedication, it is an attainable and rewarding step for those hoping to advance in the field of landscape architecture.

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CAROLINE LAVOIE EARNS THE PRESTIGIOUS ROME PRIZE

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aroline Lavoie, FCELA, CSLA, AAPQ, is heading to Rome! The American Academy in Rome has announced Lavoie as one of the recipients of the 2026–27 Rome Prize and Italian Fellows Program—one of the most prestigious honors in the arts and humanities. This year, 958 applicants competed for just 31 fellowships, an acceptance rate of only three percent, making Lavoie’s selection an extraordinary accomplishment. A once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity awaits as she joins fellow scholars and professionals on the American Academy in Rome’s eleven‑acre campus atop the Janiculum Hill, where they will engage in a collaborative exploration of past, present, and future. Awarded through a highly competitive national process, the fellowships support innovative work across 13 disciplines, offering recipients dedicated time, space, and a vibrant transdisciplinary community in which to advance their research and creative practice. For Lavoie, the fellowship represents both recognition and opportunity. Her work in landscape architecture has long emphasized cultural context, ecological sensitivity, and the power of place. The Rome Prize will provide a rare period of immersion to deepen that work within one of the world’s most layered and historically rich landscapes. Her achievement is a point of pride for the LAEP community and a testament to the impact of her scholarship. As she prepares for her residency in Rome, colleagues and students alike look forward to the insights and creative explorations that will emerge from this next chapter in her career.

The Rome Prize has an acceptance rate of only three percent, making Lavoie’s selection an extraordinary accomplishment.

by Benjamin George, ASLA | Associate Professor

A JOURNEY THROUGH CITIES, CULTURES, AND ECOLOGIES IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

Students spent spring break escaping to the vibrant landscapes of Argentina and Uruguay

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his past March, LAEP students embarked on the annual study abroad experience, this time bringing 34 students to Argentina and Uruguay for an exploration of urbanism, landscape, culture, ecology, and design in the southern half of the globe. Over nine packed days, students walked historic districts, sketched plazas and parks, studied waterfront development, learned about planned (and unplanned) communities, navigated river deltas, and experienced the layered cultural landscapes of the region firsthand. Most of the trip was spent in Buenos Aires, where students immediately found themselves immersed in one of the world’s great urban environments. Walking through Plaza San Martín, Plaza de Mayo, and the city’s monumental civic core gave students an up-close look at how

public space, infrastructure, politics, and culture intersect in the life of a metropolis. The sheer scale of Buenos Aires was striking: massive boulevards (including the world’s widest: Avenida 9 de Julio), dense urban blocks, and vibrant public spaces filled with activity. As the week continued, students explored neighborhoods that revealed very different sides of the city. In La Boca and San Telmo, they encountered landscapes shaped by immigration, industry, tourism, and historic preservation. The colorful district around the Caminito contrasted with the older urban fabric of San Telmo and raised questions of gentrification, adaptive reuse, and cultural identity. A common theme of the trip included waterfront developments, both historic and modern, and

Student sketches from during trip to Argentina and Uruguay

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the interface between the built and natural environments. In Puerto Madero, students explored how former industrial docklands had been transformed into a dense mixed-use district filled with parks, housing, and public space. Just beyond it, the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve offered a completely different kind of landscape experience. What was once a landfill intended for urban expansion instead evolved into a thriving ecological reserve filled with wetlands, wildlife, and trails. Experiencing those two dramatically different landscapes side-by-side provided an opportunity to consider the balance between ecology, resilience, and urban growth. The group also traveled to La Plata, one of Latin America’s most significant planned cities. There students explored the city’s carefully ordered layout, monumental public spaces, and civic institutions while discussing the role planning and open space systems play in shaping urban identity. A visit to Casa Curutchet gave many students the rare opportunity to experience a building designed by Le Corbusier in person. Students also had the opportunity to explore a city of the dead at the Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires’ most famous necropolis, where the paths and tombs of the cemetery forlornly mimicked the urban fabric at a smaller scale. The excursion across the Río de la Plata to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay provided the opportunity to understand the sense of the scale of the region’s river systems, while the small historic colonial city offered a fascinating contrast to the hectic avenues of Buenos Aires. Colonia was almost universally regarded by the students as the highlight of their trip. Perhaps because they were free all day to explore Colonia’s preserved streets with ancient buildings whose facades were adorned with the bright bougainvillea blossoms in pinks, purples, and oranges, or perhaps it was the opportunity to enjoy a beach or two.

The city became the classroom, and every street offered a new lesson.”

At the end of the trip, the group enjoyed a boat ride from Tigre through the Paraná Delta. Traveling along the waterways of the delta revealed an entirely different relationship between people and landscape than the one we can find in the Intermountain West. Here the homes, transportation, and daily life are all defined by the river. The group visited Isla el Descanco and toured the extensive gardens punctuated by works of art. Before departing, the garden’s owner personally greeted everyone and expressed how excited he was to have LAEP visiting the island garden. Throughout the trip we were fortunate enough to have local landscape architects and architects guide us in Buenos Aires and La Plata and provide insights and help spark conversations about the systems, climatic adaptation, urban form, and public

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life swirling around us. The students were constantly reminded to be observant, and the whole trip was a great reminder that some of the best learning happens in the field. To help reinforce the importance of being constantly observant, students’ sketchbooks were regularly out to document the streetscapes, plazas, planting design, and architectural details they encountered throughout the trip. Of course, some of the most memorable experiences happened outside the formal site visits. A tango and music performance at the start of the trip gave students a deeper appreciation for the role music, performance, and tradition play in Argentine culture. And this was bookended by the opportunity to watch a performance of Swan Lake at the world famous Teatro Colón. While the music and arts fed the soul, another popular topic of conversation among the students was the vibrant food culture in Buenos Aires and the swapping of locations to find the tastiest local cuisine. A few local spots quickly became unofficial LAEP headquarters during the trip. At dinner time, there was a good chance you would run into a student at Empa’s World, a small empanada shop near the hotel. But Rapanui, the ice cream shop next door to the hotel, quickly gathered a cult following thanks to its incredible ice cream and chocolate and it did not take long for nightly trips to turn into afternoon trips. One student claimed to have visited four times in a single day, and some of the leaders may have overindulged on the sweet treats as well. By the end of the trip, students returned home with sketchbooks full of ideas, cameras bursting with photos, and probably permanent cravings for empanadas and Rapanui. They also came back with a much broader perspective on landscapes, cities, and the many ways people shape and inhabit them and how their forms reflect the local cultures and environments. For nine days, Argentina and Uruguay became the classroom and, as always, some of the best lessons happened while wandering city streets, riding ferries, getting lost, and seeing incredible places together.

by Huaqing Wang, PLA, AICP, APA | Assistant Professor

DESIGNING FOR DROUGHT: LESSONS FROM THE RED BUTTE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN

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was recently selected as a 2026 Landscape Architecture Foundation Research Fellow. Because of this, I will be leading a collaborative post-occupancy evaluation of the Red Butte Water Conservation Garden in Salt Lake City, originally designed by Studio Outside, a Dallas-based landscape architecture practice established in 2011. A decade after its completion, this project assesses how the garden performs relative to its original design intentions, including water conservation, ecological function, educational value, and contributions to visitor health and well-being. Conducted in collaboration with a PhD student

serving as a research assistant, this work exemplifies a strong integration of research, teaching, and practice. It also represents a direct translation of my prior research into real-world application through the use of the Health Effects Assessment of Landscape (HEAL) tool, which I co-developed and published in Landscape and Urban Planning (2024). By combining field data, design analysis, and machine learning–based evaluation, the project strengthens the feedback loop between evidence-based research and professional design practice. Situated within the context of Utah’s ongoing water challenges, this research provides actionable insights for watersensitive, health-supportive landscapes in arid environments, with broader potential to inform long-term performance standards and resilient landscape design strategies nationwide.

Wang, H., Tassinary, L. G., & Newman, G. D. (2024). Developing the health effect assessment of landscape (HEAL) Tool: Assessing the health effects of community greenspace morphology design on non-communicable diseases. Landscape and urban planning, 244, 104990.

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by Bree Bringhurst, LAEP student & Peer Assisted Study Session Leader LAEP 1030

FINDING MY PASSION AND PATH AS A DESIGNER

Red pandas, takins, and snow leopards entered the classroom over Fall Break, well figuratively, during a three-day intensive workshop with zoo design experts

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AEP students, including myself, were given the opportunity to explore landscape architecture’s role in zoo design during the second annual Zoo Charrette with visiting professionals, Becca Hanson and David Roberts from Studio Hanson|Roberts (SH|R). Throughout the workshop, we learned about animal behavior and welfare, how people should interact with animals, and ways to apply those ideas to immersive exhibit designs. Working in teams, we explored problem‑solving, design solutions, and storytelling to create meaningful experiences for both animals and guests. In the final presentations, each team shared their conceptual master plan along with the design process behind it. I decided to participate because I have been exploring my interests and how I can pursue them through landscape architecture. When I heard about the Zoo Charrette, I immediately knew it was something I would enjoy. I was especially excited that Dr. Benjamin George invited experts from SH|R—leaders in zoo design and animal welfare—to guide us throughout the process. One of the biggest concepts I learned was the importance of storytelling and how it impacts both animals and people. I loved the complexity of creating healthy environments for animals while also shaping the guest experience. Zoo design requires a balance of logistics, animal welfare, and creativity. As designers, we support living organisms within curated environments meant for human interaction and education.

Our team worked on takin, red panda, and snow leopard exhibits. My primary role focused on the design process, exhibit details, how animals and people would interact with their surroundings, and creating graphics for the master plan. The most challenging part of the workshop was considering how multiple species would coexist within the same area. We had to think carefully about relationships between animals, how animals and people interact, and how to create healthy, enriching experiences for everyone involved. Another challenge was navigating differing ideas and opinions within the team. We worked collaboratively to determine what would be best for the animals while also creating the most meaningful and impactful experience for guests. What surprised me most was how much zoo design has evolved over time. We learned about the contrast between older zoo models and the immersive exhibits we see today. Zoos have shifted from iron‑bar enclosures to thoughtfully designed environments that mimic natural systems and prioritize animal welfare and enrichment. Dr. George’s passion for thematic design inspired both me and my peers to approach design through storytelling and immersion. He encouraged us to think about how people perceive and experience space. The guest professionals also gave insightful lectures about what makes exhibits and zoos successful, sharing examples from their own work. Their

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The workshop helped me rediscover my passion for storytelling and animals One of my biggest takeaways from the workshop was realizing how broad the field while giving me clearer of landscape architecture truly is. In many courses, we focus on the primary areas of direction for my future residential, commercial, and public design, career.” which provide an important foundation in design process, especially as we encountered challenges and considerations we had never thought about before.

design principles. This workshop opened my eyes to more specialized and immersive paths within the profession and showed me how diverse the opportunities within landscape architecture can be.

This experience strongly influenced both my academic and career goals. I already knew I loved landscape architecture, but I did not feel like I was fully exploring my potential as a designer and problem solver. The workshop helped me rediscover my passion for storytelling and animals while giving me clearer direction for my future career. For me,

Zoo Charrette Wokshop group

thematic and zoo design represents the perfect balance of creativity, detail, immersion, and problem‑solving. I also gained an incredible networking foundation through Hanson and Roberts, who were very supportive and willing to offer advice to passionate students. Dr. George helped me secure an amazing internship where I have been fortunate to create exhibit concepts while researching and learning about the animals themselves. I am looking forward to participating in the Zoo Design course and Zoo Charrette again this coming fall.

LEARNING CONFIDENCE THROUGH GRAPHICS

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fter completing LAEP 1200 Basic Graphics, one student shared, “My eyes were trained to understand visual hierarchy and language that will make me a better communicator and designer.” As one of the program’s fundamental courses, Basic Graphics introduces students to the professional hand-drawn techniques essential for communicating ideas in design and planning. Students learn line hierarchy, grayscale, and the graphic conventions used across the profession. Assignments focus on building drawing techniques that lead to high-quality graphics for site analysis, concept diagrams, schematic design, elevations, cross-sections, isometric sketches, and one and two-point perspectives. These projects create a strong foundation and generate portfolio-ready work that supports students throughout their academic and professional journeys.

Instructor Dave Evans, Professional Practice Associate Professor, hopes students leave with an appreciation for how essential clear, creative graphics are whether they choose hand-drawn or digital tools. His passion for drawing fuels the studio environment, where students gain confidence and engage in critiques that benefit the entire class. “This act of student confidence and willingness to share their work openly is at the heart of building a studio culture and growing collaborative skills among the cohort,” Evans says. For many, the course becomes a creative spark. “Hand graphics was learning how to tap back into the creative side of design,” one student reflected. “Dave’s comments made it feel like a movie.” LAEP 1200 is not only foundational, it is the beginning of a lifelong design skillset that elevates projects throughout students’ careers.

Hand graphics was learning how to tap back into the creative side of design. Dave’s comments made it all feel like a movie.”

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JUNGLE QUEST Concept Statement Our process built upon the strong ADA-centered foundation of Morgan's Wonderland,, extending its spirit of immersion, inclusivity, and an imaginative landscape experience. The concept creates a universally accessible environment where visitors of all ages and disabilities can experience and create memories together, supported by a design that seamlessly integrates accessibility into the park. By introducing a jungle-inspired biome as a primary framework, the design embraces verticality that encourages exploration and imagination at multiple levels.

Designing for Everyone Imagination • • •

Story-driven spaces that spark wonder across all ages Layered environments that reveal new experiences over time Playful moments that transform movement into an adventure

WEAVE

Sant’Anna is reimagined not as a collection of isolated parks, but as a continuous civic landscape that reconnects the district through public space, mobility, and ecology. By linking Max Fabiani Park, Marvin Park, and Vittorio Bolaffio Park through a network of green • Seamless environments that blur the line between guest and corridors and pedestrian-priority routes, the proposal transforms fragmented open spaces into a legible and interconnected urban experience system. Each park is given a distinct yet complementary role, • Cohesive theming across landscape, architecture, and circulation balancing passive recreation, active play, fitness, and everyday community life. A resilient landscape strategy of generous shade canopy, low-maintenance planting, and flexible open space improves comfort, usability, and long-term performance. A flowing ribbon-like spatial gesture, paired with a consistent family of site furnishings, establishes a recognizable design language that gives Sant’Anna a renewed identity and a replicable model for future • Experiences designed to be shared across all abilities regeneration.

Immersion

Inclusion • •

Equitable pathways that provide choice Removing physical and perceptual barriers

Arrive *Jungle

SOCA RIVER

1 | Concept Statement

HISTORIC

EDUCATION

ITALY

Left photo: UREC Winners; Cameron Hill, Tiara Clark, Todd Johnson, and Emmelin Himes along with two students from the Huntsman School of Business Top right photo: Parkitecture “Jungle Quest” rendering Bottom right photo: Drawing from neighborhood redevelopment in Italy

EDUCATION HEALTHCARE

SLOVENIA

SPARKING AWARD WINNING CREATIVITY

e

Gather

Village Render

Jungle Quest

A

B

This year’s “Parkatecture Competition” caught the eye of Boyd Fransen, Mitch Smith, and Hayden Verbeck as they took first Play place for their submission Weave for a theme park exhibit focusing on accessibility for persons with disabilities. The team’s value A proposition was to make an exhibit design that would be attractive to all and without compromise for accessibility. Our students Tiara Clark, Emmelin Himes, and Cameron Hill won second place in the Utah Real Estate Development Competition (UREC). Their physical and financial plan aimed at providing graduate student housing together with older-adult B housing to promote mentorship. The site, in the pioneering University Research District, envisioned strong links to historic and transit assets and a robust public realm to achieve distinction and success.

by Todd Johnson, PLA, ASLA | Professional Practice Associate Professor

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ver the course of ten-years, E-Studio has taught students to find leverage in their design methods which has proved valuable. By thinking entrepreneurially, students build on stewardship motives to think about creative solutions to convince society of their value. This skill is the obligation of students wishing to move beyond mere service-oriented thinking. By selecting a competition, either individually or as student teams, they must explore how their designs can be competitive in 100640 regional, national, and global arenas.

Other teams explored neighborhood redevelopment in Italy, an innovative spa design in Scotland, and a sound-art amphitheater in Denver. Students seem to enjoy selecting their C own studio topic and the freedom to explore their designs. C

Students aren’t just learning to make things look good but to make ideas move by thinking like entrepreneurs.” 23

insites REIMAGINING OF AGGIE NATION

The goal is for students to dream big and then let reality pull out the best ideas for one final idea

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ost university towns work hard to cultivate a shared identity, a sense of “Town and Gown,” that welcomes prospective students and their families into a place that feels both rooted and future‑focused. Beginning in 2025, Logan City and Utah State University (USU) found themselves in a rare moment of transition. With USU President Brad Mortensen and Logan City Mayor Mark Anderson both stepping into new leadership roles, the city and campus were poised for fresh ideas and a renewed sense of partnership. Our department saw this opportunity and seized it. Rather than looking outward for a capstone project, the department invited students to look inward and spend an entire semester planning and designing for their own backyard: USU’s Logan Campus, an ambitious and exciting undertaking. In keeping with the long-standing commitment to USU Extension and providing students with opportunities to shape real places for real communities, students spent the first three weeks of the semester defining issues. They dug into campus history, mapped challenges, identified opportunities, and coordinated the department’s tradition of a week‑long, department‑wide Charrette. Studios transformed into a buzzing hub of collaboration.

USU Logan Campus Futures A Vision Plan for the Future of the Utah State University Campus Department by Todd Johnson, PLA, ASLA | Professional Practice Associate Professorof Landscape Architecture

and Environmental Planning

Capstone Studio | Spring 2026

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insites Professor Lavoie assists students in their work

Eight interdisciplinary teams emerged from weeks of groundwork, each tackling a different facet of the campus experience. Their topics read like a blueprint for the university’s future: • The evolution of campus growth • Defining and strengthening university districts • Reimagining the student center • Shaping a vibrant arts district • Envisioning an innovation district on the north campus • Designing resilient canopy and planting systems • Confronting the realities of creating a truly water‑wise campus Representatives from both the USU president’s office and the mayor’s office joined in, alongside emeritus faculty and local professionals who brought decades of insight to the table. The energy was palpable. Part design sprint, part community forum, part celebration of what a university was, is, and can be.

Students present first concepts

Left to Right: Todd Johnson, Dave Evans, Craig Johnson, Vern Budge, and Michael Timmons.

The Charrette pushed students to examine their own backyard with fresh eyes and gave the university and city a glimpse of what the next chapter of campus life could look like. In April 2026, the teams presented their final ideas to President Mortensen and Mayor Anderson. Students presented a collection of thoughtful, ambitious, and deeply place‑based visions for the future of Aggie Nation.

GROWING INTO A DESIGNER AT VISUALMAX

We are proud to say, most of our students leave the program with a job secured

by Emelia Penner, MLA student on the design approaches I cultivated throughout my time in the program. I am deeply grateful for the encouragement I received to focus on projects and practices I am passionate about. The way my professors and mentors guided me has shaped me into a confident designer who welcomes critique and leaves room for growth, which has already been vital in this position. One project I am especially excited to be working on is a Health and Wellness Center. I joined during the initial bidding process, and now we have been cleared to begin planting plans and master plan designs. The intersection of health, wellness, and landscape design has always sparked my interest, and it is something I hope to continue exploring in my master’s degree with LAEP. It has been eye opening to see the full design process for this project. I have enjoyed taking on a supporting role and using my skills in hand graphics and planting design.

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am working for VisualMax Landscape Design as an Assistant Landscape Designer. During my education, I paid close attention to every opportunity that came up during the second half of my junior year. That was when I saw the position posted on the Canvas job board and decided to reach out. I had never heard of VisualMax or Steven McBride before, but I stayed open as I explored a variety of opportunities. When McBride called me back and explained his mission to start a boutique design firm in Park City, I was intrigued. He said that my thematic projects, specifically a Lord of the Rings inspired garden I designed in Planting Design, made me stand out. He wanted to incorporate my 3D renderings into VisualMax. LAEP’s mentorship has greatly prepared me for this role. In the early stages of building VisualMax’s branding and style, I have relied heavily

The most surprising part of being out in the field has been the time expectations for projects. I have had to learn how to render faster while still ensuring my details are accurate and clear. It is something the entire team is working through together as we develop a style and timeline that works for us and our clients. I have already noticed a strong trend toward sustainable planting design, especially water wise standards and practices in local projects. VisualMax has the unique opportunity to work with local fire marshals to develop plans that incorporate strict vegetation, defensible space, and ignition zone requirements. These requirements directly impact landscape design and are known as WUI Compliant Landscape Planning and Design. It is something our team is passionate about, and I am excited to learn more as the need grows in our local communities. I am grateful for my professors and mentors in the LAEP department for preparing me for such a meaningful opportunity. I am looking forward to the time I have left in the program and to seeing what growth and skills I can bring to the table as I pursue a master’s degree in landscape architecture at USU.

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by Gaia Nafziger, MLA student

FINDING DESIGN FREEDOM IN A TECHNICAL WORLD LAEP has a tendency to focus on the technical. Founded as a state school, classes delve into more practical agricultural matters than the high minded theoretical underpinnings of the historic universities out East. This has a variety of benefits, including a pragmatic approach to solving design problems. As USU is my first and only exposure to design, I have to admit I have longed for a curriculum that brushes against something more fundamental. Though technical skill is emphasized, I’ve often found myself wondering: how do I find my own point of view? If we’re always in service of an engineered point A to B mindset, at what point do I learn to design? This semester’s Bioregional Management studio taught by visiting professor Nick Jabs from PORT provided me a respite from analysis paralysis, and the rapid stream of pseudo-ecological design mandates I’ve quickly grown accustomed to, for a glimpse at a different way to tackle design.

CRASH COURSE IN AGENCY MAPPING

The semester was split into three different sections. The first of these sections was a crash course in the Agency of Mapping as defined by James Corner. In this section we learned to not only gather data but to build a narrative story off of the pieces we found. The process of finding through lines in the cacophonous unfiltered funnel of the internet can be difficult and rewarding. To move beyond slapped together data layers on GIS and into an understanding of the deeper themes and drivers of a region and its economy. The beginnings of this

COURANT THE CORRIDOR

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Holdouts Built by those who stayed: Heritage sites fuel regional revival 3

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: HOW ENERGY CO-OPS ARE REDEFINING THE GRID 1

The

July 26th - August 1st 2056

For this planning studio we set our western research minds on the RiverLINE Corridor in New Jersey. As one of the most densely populated states in the nation, New Jersey offers a massive amount of data that can be easy to get lost in. With both a long history and an important set of social and ecological spaces, this region is sustained by the large and free flowing Delaware River. The Delaware River Corridor has some interesting conditions, including an industrial history, physical linkage of the river, the fact that it spans several counties and houses a somewhat uncommon piece of infrastructure, a light rail that stops between over a dozen

municipalities, and moves through communities that are often neglected by the broader organizations that manage them.

This semester’s Bioregional Management studio provided me a respite from analysis paralysis.” course would make Professor Lavoie proud, as each set of data was turned into an informative gestural graphic, for the first time helping me link GIS with the parti.

CASE STUDIES

After data compilation and an attempt at understanding a new to us region (alongside a crash course in how to make a presentable presentation) we took a beat to look at some case studies of different regional managers, organizations, and firms and the ways they tackle larger projects to improve outcomes in their areas. Each had a different approach that offered interesting advice, The RPA hires experts that do research and provide policy guidance spanning three states, The Atlanta Beltline (which was born from a Master’s thesis) shows how repurposing old infrastructure can tie identity to place and a systematic approach to providing open space in urban areas, and lastly, the work in Arkansas by Studio DRIFT shows how community involvement and grassroot efforts guided by experienced organizers and designers can be surprisingly far reaching in the quality and impact of work.

SPECULATIVE DESIGN

Progressing from this foundation of qualitative analysis and critical thinking we moved to the last section of the semester; speculative design. Being a design novice, and having just started to get a feel for how the tool of design thinking might be applied, this section was transformative for my mode of thinking. Readings from Speculative Everything and Design and the Green New Deal alongside class discussions gave me permission to design with a point of view, and to make it political. Finally, design wasn’t some foreign object I was desperately trying to understand at a distance, but a demystified tool I could use to tackle the work I think is important. Each student began to ideate and speculate about a possible future for the region. As you can imagine, this led to a lot of twists and turns and dead-end ideas. The importance of this for me was that it allowed me to look at regional patterns through a variety of

lenses. This doesn’t happen easily, but stepping off the well-worn paths of traditional infrastructural design changed my vantage point. It allowed me to learn more broadly about new methods and movements already happening in the world. Narrative story telling no longer felt arbitrary and plodding. Instead it tapped into a deeper stream of energy, rekindling a necessary part of my brain and spirit; two feelings that can feel so foreign in our modern world, excitement and hope.

FINAL PROJECTS

The final projects created by each one of the six students were as varied as the region; an art gallery display from a future artist enmeshed with AI, a suspended model of various cities, an interactive folding brochure from the future, an interactive virtual tour of a ferry-to-rail green loop design, a document of a person-hood for the Delaware river, and as the elder millennial of the class (aside from illustrious professor Jabs) my project took the form of a revamped newspaper (see image).. Each speculation and future were grounded by weak signals of reality, ending up in near futures that seem entirely possible, accompanied by research to keep it relevant. This portion of the course was intended to ignite thought and conversation, not to problem-solve. As Professor Licon put it during the final review, we were, “showing a lot of nostalgia for our present time”. Professor Johnson asked his colleague if the curriculum could afford to offer this kind of high minded class at a state university when there is so much technical material to get through in only a few short years, and if our time might be better spent on more grounded matters. His colleague replied that LAEP “couldn’t afford not to”. As a second year designer with skin about-to-be in the game, I think this course, and Jab’s approach as a professor were far from being intellectualized rhetoric in an ivory tower. He taught me many practical skills necessary for moving beyond designing for a job, and into designing towards a larger goal, with an expanded idea of the possible futures that my career and work might take.

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insites ADDRESSING BEDROOM COMMUNITY SYNDROME IN NIBLEY CITY

Fall Bioregional Studio combines first and second year graduate students with undergraduate Environmental Planning students to address complex projects at a variety of scales. This past year, the City of Nibley’s Planning Department reached out to our Bioregional Studio with a pressing challenge: how to stem the growing “bedroom community syndrome” emerging in this rapidly developing city just south of Logan, Utah. This pattern, where most residents commute outside of city limits for work, leaves local businesses quiet during the day and weakens the foundation of a community identity. Nibley is also experiencing intense demand for single-family homes, soaring housing prices, and a lack of identity in the face of growth. To confront these issues, the fall Bioregional Studio was structured around a range of planning and design topics: • Watershed Analysis: studying drainages, wetlands, canals, and remaining agricultural lands • Parks and Open Space Assessment: evaluating the existing systems with an eye towards improving connectivity and establishing priorities for expanding trails and parks in alignment with watershed considerations • Town Center Identification: determining a location capable of supporting mixeduse development and community gathering

• Middle Housing Community Design: locating and designing a 30-acre residential neighborhood focused on medium-density housing • Community Park Expansion: designing the next phase of a community park that links City offices with proposed development, weaving these spaces through the middle-housing and toward the town center. This studio worked closely with Levi Roberts and the Nibley Planning Department, as well as the Planning Commission and City Council. Students presented their interim findings at the Cache County Planning Summit, where their work and presentation skills received enthusiastic praise. Their efforts brought awareness to our students’ capabilities and capacity within the Cache Valley planning community, while inspiring new partnerships. Smithfield City, north of Logan, has now committed to supporting our Bioregional Studio in the fall during the Spring 2027 Capstone and Charrette efforts.

NIBLEY’S GROWING COMMUNITY TOWN CEN LAEP 6200 - Nibley, UT | Fall 2025 | Prof. Todd Johnson Emmelin Himes, Sierra Murray, Kate van der Zalm Opportunities

Background and History Moving forward, the design will integrate parks, pedestrian pathways, and familyfriendly amenities to strengthen the town’s social fabric. Our goal is to create a vibrant, accessible town center that serves as a hub for both current and future generations.

Strengthening Communi Nibley, Utah, has a rich agricultural history and strong community values. The town center site was chosen to honor these roots while providing a central gathering place for residents. The design will reflect Nibley’s sense of community with spaces for connection, recreation, and local events.

OWING COMMUNITY

Nibley currently lacks a c main street or civic heart. center offers the chance t recognizable identity.

Vision

RECREATION & OPEN SPACE

Educational Hub That An

025 | Prof. Todd Johnson

A simple, accessible area proposed library with nea community activities, giv place for education and c

WORK Market Analysis

Spatial Analysis 6% Rent Non-Family or Non-Married

32% $50K - $100K

LANDMARKS

Existing landmarks inform ultimate location selectio Town Center. Due to the to Ridgeline highschool, v religious organizations, a City Offices, the prime loc new functioning, active h center of it all.

16%

45% $100K - $200K

84%

CIRCULATION

Married Couples

16% Under $50K

94%

7%

Own

Over $200K

UDOT Average Daily Trip greatly informed the situa the Town Center. By capi on existing traffic flow, th of the town center is optim maximum access and vis Minor roads

POPULATION BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE

COMBINED HOUSEHOLD INCOME

HOMEOWNERSHIP BREAKDOWN

Major roads

WATER INFLUENCE

Nibley is situated in a loca with a fairly high water ta influence of water was co in Town Center site selec its proximity to Blacksmit access to nearby canals a Streams/Canals Blacksmith Fork

School Enrollment

Employment Rate

Community Involvement

Largest group is grades 5-12

About 30% lower than Utah overall

Participation in family friendly community activities is high

The high population of teens and preteens shows a need for community spaces that allow young people to spread their wings and practice their entrepreneurship in a safe environment.

There is an emphasis on education, a habit of outdoor recreation and physical activity in general, entertainment, and priority placed on travel and mobility.

Amenities creating the opportunity for outdoor use are important, especially ones that cater to keeping those activities going during the winter season, allowing the community involvement to continue year round.

All Season Roads One of the charms and challenges of Utah remains to be the long snowy winters and how to maintain city roads under cold icy conditions. By creating roadways with protected bike lanes you can create safe and diversified means of travel year round. Separated lanes help the flow of traffic and increase use and vitality of urban streets. When designing these protected lanes, install with a 3-foot buffer which not adds safety in summer months but also offers opportunities for temporary snow storage, and can provide some separation which helps when plowing.

Gateway Identifiers Establishing a distinct entry monument on Highway 89 is a strategic priority for unifying the city’s identity. Placing a sign in this high-traffic corridor provides crucial visibility and recognition for this side of the city,

NATURAL SYSTEMS INFL

Natural systems are the fo of our site selection. By w to ensure responsible des answers to the existing sy onsite, our Town Center c thrive individually, but su sensitive to surrounding a Wetlands Riparian

Bonneville Shoreline to Blacksmith Fork Nibley City has a distinct opportunity to connect to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail system, linking local paths with adjacent municipalities and the historic lake shore trail network. This connection places Nibley within a recreation corridor extending from Park City to Idaho, strengthening everyday mobility options, expanding access to open space, and increasing the value of local trail investments by integrating them into a continuous regional system. A linkage to the Shoreline Trail also creates opportunities for future alignment with larger national routes such as the Continental

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insites CONNECTING DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY

Developed in collaboration with the Downtown Alliance Salt Lake City, the studio—titled Connecting Downtown Salt Lake City: Corridors, Catalysts, Neighborhoods—asked students to explore opportunities for strengthening connections among downtown districts while responding to current mobility, housing, ecological, cultural, and public-realm priorities. The Downtown Alliance’s insights into catalytic districts, investment opportunities, and emerging challenges helped ground the semester in the realities of a changing city. Working across multiple scales, students investigated the role of Main Street as a historic and contemporary spine, the influence of major civic and cultural destinations, and the potential of important ecological systems such as the Jordan River corridor and the proposed Green Loop. These elements formed complementary civic and ecological frameworks that could reconnect neighborhoods, support habitat, strengthen mobility, and enhance everyday public life.

A Classwide Urban Framework

The studio was organized around ten catalytic districts: Second & Second; Main Street; Civic Campus; Sports, Entertainment, Culture & Convention District; Central Transit District; Pioneer Park Neighborhood; Health District; Temple Corridors & Connections; Jordan River Corridors; and the Green Loop. Each student team focused closely on the identity, needs, and opportunities of its assigned district. At the same time, the class worked collectively to ensure that the individual proposals contributed to a unified vision for downtown Salt Lake City. This approach encouraged students to think beyond isolated project boundaries and consider how movement, public space, ecological systems, economic activity, and neighborhood character operate across the city. The studio framework also identified major anchors and potential catalysts, including the Utah State Capitol, Temple Square, City Creek, the Delta Center, the University of Utah, Pioneer Park, and the Rio Grande area. Students considered how these places could be better connected through stronger streets, transit routes, public spaces, green infrastructure, and pedestrian networks.

Phase 1: Urban Analysis

The first phase focused on understanding downtown at the regional, city, and district scales. Students investigated land-use patterns, urban morphology, street and block structure, ecological

by Simin Gholami, PhD candidate & Graduate Studio Tutor

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owntown Salt Lake City is shaped by a complex network of neighborhoods, transportation corridors, civic institutions, cultural destinations, public spaces, and ecological systems. During Fall 2025, students in LAEP 5410/6410 Urban Theory and Design examined how these interconnected elements could support a more cohesive, resilient, and engaging downtown.

systems, transportation networks, social and cultural assets, existing development, and emerging investment. A collaborative class floor-map exercise helped students connect findings across districts and recognize shared challenges and opportunities. Through this process, the class developed a broader urban framework that established the foundation for the remainder of the semester.

Phase 2: Vision, Program, and Concept

During the second phase, students translated their analytical findings into strategic design intentions. Each team developed a vision statement, identified program elements responding to district needs, prepared concept diagrams, and explored preliminary massing and public-realm strategies. Field observations, discussions with project partners, and continuing class collaboration helped teams refine their proposals. Particular attention was given to the relationships among program, connectivity, public space, neighborhood identity, and the wider downtown framework. Rather than treating each district independently, students considered how their interventions could reinforce nearby projects and contribute to larger citywide systems.

Phase 3: Illustrative Master Plans

In the final phase, students transformed their concepts into detailed illustrative master plans. The proposals explored redesigned streets and public spaces, new housing and commercial opportunities, creative and cultural districts, ecological connections, and strategies for strengthening downtown neighborhoods.

Each team also developed a “Roadmap to the Future,” identifying immediate priorities as well as short-, mid-, and long-term actions. These roadmaps helped connect ambitious design ideas with realistic implementation pathways and highlighted interventions with the greatest potential to catalyze positive transformation.

Sharing a Collective Vision

The semester concluded with a combined oral and visual presentation process. Students prepared PowerPoint presentations with speaking notes, rehearsed their presentations as district groups, and printed posters displaying their final work. The posters were installed throughout the department for the final presentations and for a visiting QNAR college group, allowing the work to be shared with a broader audience. The final presentations demonstrated both the distinct identity of each district and the strength of the collective studio framework. Together, the projects showed how coordinated investments in corridors, catalytic sites, public spaces, ecological networks, and neighborhoods could contribute to a more connected and resilient downtown. The studio illustrates the value of sustained collaboration between students, faculty, and community partners. By working with the Downtown Alliance Salt Lake City, students engaged with real questions facing the city and tested how urban design could support its longterm goals. The resulting proposals reflect careful analysis, creative problem-solving, and a commitment to understanding the systems and relationships that shape downtown life.

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AN AWARD WINNING VISIONARY PLAN FOR KAMAS VALLEY

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achary Sannar, BLA ‘25, grew up in the landscaping industry for as long as he can remember. Built environments captured his interest from a young age, especially how people interact with the land around them. That curiosity led him to pursue his BLA at USU. Growing up, Sannar had a unique front-row seat to the challenges that come with rapid, poorly planned growth, from rising tension between established residents and newcomers along with a lack of vision for the future. That personal connection drew him to this project, a chance to tackle a real-world issue unfolding in Kamas Valley, Utah, one he has watched play out for years and that was only intensifying across gateway communities throughout the Intermountain West. In his award-winning plan, which earned the BLT Built Design Award for Large-Scale Landscape

Try things you haven’t before, and don’t be afraid to revisit your design decisions along the way.”

Project, Sannar proposes a framework that preserves more than 37,000 acres of open space while increasing housing yield by 200 percent. By blending smart design with stewardship, his work protects farmland, honors community identity, and shapes a thriving future for gateway towns. One of the biggest challenges was navigating the disconnect between city and county codes, which creates abrupt transitions that can dramatically change the rules for how land is developed. Planning areas that will eventually be absorbed into nearby cities required ways to integrate this new growth without sacrificing the rural character that defines them. Sannar’s approach centered on intentional transition zones between housing types, along with wetland and open space buffers that stitch developing areas into a cohesive whole while connecting them to surrounding cities. Sannar credits the project’s success to the mentorship of David Evans and Ole Sleipness. “Their investment in my work made an enormous difference, and I’m grateful to both of them,” he said. His advice to students is simple yet powerful: push your boundaries. “Try things you haven’t before, and don’t be afraid to revisit your design decisions along the way.” Sannar says, “Growth as a landscape architect comes from consistently challenging yourself, and competitions are one of the best arenas to do exactly that.”

WISDOM FROM INTERNSHIPS

Students shared some thoughts about what they learned after their internships

Get out in the field and see how design works at a full scale. Being present during the installation, or even helping with it offers insight that you cannot get from plans alone.”

Hadley Ocheltree USU Facilities

Making connections helps you realize that even people you admire and look up to were once in your shoes. By making connections you’ll learn and grow, eventually finding yourself in their shoes, helping someone.” Lauren Johnson LOCI

A guiding principal for your career should be your ‘mantra,’ or a statement of what you want to accomplish or do in your career. It dictates where you want to go, who you want to work for, and what you want to do.” Eli Woodward MGB+A

Ask questions without hesitation, as being proactive in seeking guidance not only accelerates learning but builds confidence and helps avoid unnecessary mistakes.”

Kawsar Uddin Bear River Association of Governments

Design is not just about creating something visually appealing, it is about collaboration, listening, and responding to real constraints and client needs.”

I was able to get my internship purely through reaching out to people. I sent a lot of emails and got a lot of non-responses or rejections, then my boss took a chance on me.”

Sierra Murray Terrain Landscape Architecture

Phoebe Polluck Moriyama Studio

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his past year marks the third year of the USU student chapter of the American Planning Association (APA). We have welcomed continued growth, new connections, and unique opportunities. We started the fall strong by getting students outside. We first met one another while making terrariums out of thrifted jars and vegetation from a local park. Continuing outside, we hosted Park(Ing) Day at the Cache Valley Gardeners’ Market, setting up seating, plants, games, and chalk to show the community what parking can become. Continuing a sense of community, we joined in on planting events, one with the Bear River Land Conservancy and one with the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. Later, we hosted Justin Garrett Moore from the Mellon Arts Foundation, offering a unique opportunity to hear about spaces of histories and ways to understand, uplift, or celebrate them. In the meantime, and into the spring, we hosted Lunch and Learns to hear from private companies and public agencies. This included a multidisciplinary housing panel to discuss the future of housing in Utah. We did not just learn but had fun: we hosted planning week and later held a Bob Ross painting hour. At the end of the spring, we were grateful to send a group of students to the scenic Bryce Canyon for the APA UT Spring Conference. It was a great year for APA. As we move forward, we hope to continue our work advocating for planning through professional development, community collaboration, and student involvement.

by Cameron Hill, MLA ‘26 & APA Student Chapter President

AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION STUDENT CHAPTER

Park(ing) Day

Bob Ross painting hour

AMERICAN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATION STUDENT CHAPTER

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his past year was an exciting year of momentum and growth for the USU student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Before the school year began, we rolled out a refreshed branding and marketing identity, giving the chapter a more cohesive and recognizable presence. As a chapter, we saw a big improvement in guest participation and pride for our chapter of ASLA. One of our most meaningful initiatives was the launch of ASLA Connect, our peer-to-peer mentorship program. Through this program, students across different years of the LAEP program were able to build relationships, ask questions, share advice, and feel more supported. This helped strengthen the culture of mentorship and community within the department. Professional development continued to be a major focus throughout the year. We hosted Lunch and Learns with Brandon Miller of IKON, Cole Hoofnagle of Techo-Bloc, Joe Williams of Norris Design, Michael Budge and David Durfee of LOCI, Mike Daines, and Don Leslie of Langvardt Design, giving students exposure to different areas of practice, materials, design communication, and firm culture. Students also

Lunch and Learn with Michael Budge, BLA ‘04 from LOCI.

by Ryder McClaugherty, ASLA Student Chapter President had opportunities to connect with the broader profession by traveling to the National ASLA Conference in New Orleans and LABash in Columbus, Ohio. This year also brought tremendous growth for WxLA, led by Olivia Kusnier. Through the “WxLA Rooted in Leadership” series, WxLA created space for women to lead, share experiences, and build connections within both our student chapter and the profession. The series included LAEP student internship highlights, Sarah Clemensen of Garden Girls, Michelle Ohle of DTLS, and Hailey Wall and Alaina Prasek Aojan of Terracon. ASLA also continued to bring the department together through events such as our Christmas party, Keith McPeters’ sketching workshop, and ASLA Week. ASLA Week included WxLA Flower Arrangements with Pam George, a GeoGuessr competition, election stump talks, movie night, a faculty-led pancake breakfast, and Graduation Night to celebrate our seniors and MLA students. Beyond our own department, ASLA used its platform to support the effort to save the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s landscape architecture program, reminding us of the importance of advocating for landscape architecture education as a whole.

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insites 2026 DISTINGUISHED ALUMS

Joe Diaz Jr., BLA ‘95 City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation Deputy Director

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iaz Jr., BLA ‘95 is a licensed landscape architect whose career spans both private and public sectors, with a primary focus on designing spaces to encourage community connection, enhance safety and durability, and honor the integrity of the surrounding environment. Early in Diaz Jr.’s career, he contributed to a wide range of residential and public projects while working with PDSA and James Dalton and Associates. His work extended across California, Texas, South Carolina, Illinois, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona, where he helped develop thoughtfully integrated entry monuments, community parks, gathering spaces, fountains, lakes, and pedestrian connectivity. During this period, he also collaborated on countless municipal park projects nationwide, reinforcing his commitment to public-facing design and community-oriented landscapes. Diaz Jr.’s most significant and lasting contributions emerged through his leadership with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. As the Parks Principal Landscape Architect, he oversaw all Parks and Recreation development projects for the largest municipal

park system in the nation. His team managed more than 90 projects annually, from master planning and construction documentation to implementation. His work has shaped 189 park sites, influenced over 41,000 acres of preserve land, and guided land acquisitions of future preserves and flatland parks. Most recently, Diaz Jr. has focused on sustainability on a statewide scale. Through his work with the state organization Arizona Forward, he is helping to develop practices and policies to minimize water waste, promote energy-efficient practices, and preserve natural areas.

Laura Ault, MsEP ‘05 Director of Utah Geospatial Resource Center

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hroughout her career in public service, Laura Ault, MsEP ‘05 has focused on natural resource management, public policy, and regional planning across Utah. Ault’s career spans several state agencies in Utah, where she has consistently championed resource stewardship. Currently serving as the director of the Utah Geospatial Resource Center (UGRC), she leads the state’s geospatial infrastructure group, providing critical geospatial resources that inform decision-making across the state.

on facilitating connections by putting people in touch with others who can work together to get things done and drive meaningful change. Her ability to bring diverse stakeholders to the table has been a focus in her career. Interest in environmental design and systems thinking for Ault began at Utah State University, where she earned both her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a Master of Science in Bioregional Planning. Her time in the LAEP department instilled a holistic approach to land management that she has carried with her throughout her

Prior to her current role, Ault served as the deputy director of operations at Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, navigating complex public land policies and coordination efforts. At the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, she served in several capacities including Shared Stewardship coordinator, Sovereign Lands program manager, and Forest Legacy program coordinator. Her work consistently centered on cross-boundary collaboration to conserve and protect Utah’s vital watersheds and manage public resources for longterm sustainability. Ault believes strongly in the importance of collaboration and connection. She prides herself

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STUDENT THESES & DISSERTATIONS Jessica Zuban, MLA ‘25

Alanna Nafziger, MLA ‘25

Spatial Strategies for Restoring Native Biodiversity and Connectivity in Managed Landscapes of the Upper Clutha Basin, New Zealand

Living Pantry: Affordable Housing and Traditional Agriculture

Native biodiversity in the Upper Clutha Basin has declined, but strategic restoration shows it can be rebuilt within agricultural landscapes. The most effective methods reconnect fragmented habitats and strengthen ecological health.

Utah’s rapid population growth, rising housing costs, and increasing environmental pressures are straining land, water, and food systems. This thesis explores how agriculture‑focused residential design in Logan could help address these interconnected challenges while preserving food culture and using natural resources responsibly.

Chris Wilson, MLA ‘25

Zachary Sannar, MLA ‘25

Built for Participation: A Set of Measures for Evaluating Community Living for People of all Abilities as Supported by the Built Environment

Sustainable Master Planned Gateway Communities: The Kamas Valley Case

Cities must support full participation for people of all abilities, yet existing evaluation tools are often too complex or impractical. This thesis creates clear, usable measures to help planners improve built environments and strengthen social participation.

Gateway communities across the Intermountain West are experiencing rapid change as they shift from resource‑based economies to tourism‑driven growth. As places like Kamas Valley evolve, they face increasing pressure to balance development with preserving local character, community identity, and the natural landscapes that make them desirable.

Paul Gardner, MLA ‘25

Bailey Guinn, MLA ‘25

Practical Effectiveness of Large Language Models in Assisting Landscape Architects in Plant Selection

A Social and Environmental Restoration Plan for Warm Springs and North Gateway Parks in Salt Lake City, Utah

AI can quickly generate accurate, site‑appropriate plant lists, but human designers are still essential for aesthetics and overall design intent. Used together, AI and human expertise create a more efficient and ecologically sound plant selection process.

Warm Springs and North Gateway Parks have rich geological and Indigenous history but now face major social, environmental, and infrastructure challenges. This thesis proposes a master plan to restore ecological health, honor cultural heritage, and create inclusive, resilient public spaces.

Tayli Hillyard, MsEP ‘25

Benjamin Chandler, MsEP ‘26

Public Engagement in Small-Town Planning: A Case Study of the Wellsville Trails and Active Transportation Plan

The Cache Valley Express: A Proposal for Bus Rapid Transit Serving Cache County, Utah

Public engagement for the Wellsville Trails and Active Transportation Plan began strong but later struggled to sustain participation and reach underrepresented groups. The case study offers guidance for small towns on creating realistic, relationship-based, and consistent engagement strategies.

A BRT line would give Cache Valley faster, more reliable transit and help the region manage future growth. This study identifies the strongest route for the Cache Valley Express and shows how a BRT could improve walkability, boost ridership, and reduce congestion and emissions.

Nate Shumway, MsEP ‘26

Jacob (Owen) Huff, MLA ‘26

Open Space Management Planning: A Framework and Case Study From Eagle Mountain

The Impact of AI on the Landscape Design Process

Open Space Management Plans lack clear guidance on how they’re built. This study analyzes plans from the western U.S. to identify common structures, development steps, and key management priorities, then applies those findings to a case study in Eagle Mountain.

Kate van der Zalm, MseP ‘26

AI‑supported student designs scored higher in originality but were otherwise similar to traditional designs, and reviewers couldn’t reliably tell the difference. Overall, the study suggests AI is helpful for early‑stage exploration but doesn’t replace human creativity.

Eli Woodward, B+MLA ‘26

The Practice of Inclusion: Indigenous Knowledge and Ethical Design

Effective Locations and Landscape Design for EV Charging Sites in the Intermountain West

Indigenous Knowledge offers generations of land‑based insight but remains underused in planning and design. This study examines how firms in British Columbia engage with it, identifying current practices, challenges, and opportunities.

EV adoption is rising quickly creating a need for charging stations that are both well‑sited and thoughtfully designed. This thesis identifies strategic locations along major corridors and develops case‑study designs.

Sierra Murray, MLA ‘26

Kawsar Uddin, MsEP ‘26

The Role of Public Spaces in Facilitating Social Interactions on Summer Weekends

Modeling Transportation Accessibility for People With Disabilities: A Space-Time Prism Approach in Utah’s Wasatch Front

Public spaces are meant to bring people together, but design choices strongly shape how they’re used. This study found that features like comfortable seating, greenery, shade, and welcoming boundaries encourage people to stay longer and interact more, offering practical guidance for creating more inviting, socially active public spaces.

Many people with disabilities face daily travel barriers shaped by limited mobility options and urban design. This study shows that car access and household support greatly expand opportunities. It calls for transportation systems that fully support equitable participation in daily life.

Hirone Warner, BLA + MsEP ‘26

Jason Beukers, BLA + MsEP ‘26

Developing a Resilient Park for Palisade State Park: A Model for Intermountain West State Parks

Park Visitor Education and Landscape Conservation: Evaluating EducationBased Strategies to Mitigate VisitorCaused Damage in Goblin Valley State Park

From Site... to Region

Palisade State Park is facing growing pressures from increased visitation and climate change. This thesis uses community input and analysis to develop strategies for improving infrastructure, conserving habitat, and enhancing visitor experiences. The framework aims to balance recreation with stewardship and can be adapted for others.

MLA MsEP Master of Landscape Architecture

Master of Science in Environmental Planning

Goblin Valley’s fragile formations are increasingly damaged by visitors, making preservation difficult. This thesis shows that emotionally engaging, norm‑based messages paired with subtle design cues most effectively reduce harmful behavior.

Quick Facts:

MLA

MsEP

3 years 69 credits STEM Designated LAAB Accredited Avg. Salary: $79k

2 years 41 credits STEM Designated Avg. Salary: $83k

Application Deadline is March 15th

Learn More

LAEP.USU.EDU

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insites

SCHOLARSHIPS 2026-2027 Emily Crawford

Joseph Kendall

75th Anniversary Scholarship

Kenji Shiozawa Scholarship

Created by distinguished alumni to benefit students in LAEP and celebrate 75 years since the founding of LAEP.

Shiozawa was one of the first graduating students in the early days. His children started this in honor of his legacy.

Alex Rasmussen

Haliey Rice

Craig Johnson Scholarship

Kenneth G. Volkman Scholarship

Started by a former student in honor of beloved Professor Craig Johnson. This scholarship is based on faculty nominations.

Ken’s family and friends created this scholarship to continue his legacy of service to others and communities.

Alex LeClair

Emmelin Himes

David Bell Scholarship

MLA Class of 1981

Anonymous donors created this scholarship in honor of the selfless service of Professor David Bell and continue that spirit.

The Class of 1981 wished to give something back to the future of LAEP graduate students and continue to produce problem solvers.

Stacia Krogh

Annabella Pintanida

David Jensen Scholarship

Professor A. A. Heravi LAEP Faculty

Supports one outstanding 1st or 2nd year LAEP graduate student and is based on potential and academic performance.

A scholarship supported by personal contributions of current faculty members and the family of Professor A.A. Heravi.

Bryson Newswander

Kallie Goodfellow

Excellence in Landscape Architecture

Professor A. A. Heravi LAEP Faculty

Recognizes the importance of a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives within our profession.

Students are selected by the faculty on a basis of their outstanding achievements.

Gaia Nafziger

Simin Gholan

Jackson Family Scholarship

Utah ASLA Memorial Scholarship

In a gesture of gratitude to the program this scholarship supports matriculated landscape architecture students.

Originally began as a memorial to Happ Young and Karsten Hansen, now honors the memory of all members of Utah Chapter of ASLA.

Callie Davis Jereck & Lara Boss Scholarship Promotes design talent by supporting students who demonstrate strong skills and capacity to contribute to the field.

START HERE Mo’ M oney

OPEN DOORS

DONATE MONEY • Scholarships or Student Support • Program or Studio Funding • Student Travel or Equipment Support Even small, targeted gifts have big impact

Do you have more disposable money than free time?

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• • •

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Access matters—and you have it.

Time Mo’

Not

TO GIVE

UNSURE HOW TO GIVE BACK?

Let’s help you untangle your thoughts with 5 simple ways you can give back to the LAEP department Learn more at qanr.usu.edu/ laep/alumni/get-involved

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Rea lly...

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a guy..

Promote programs or student work Speak up during key moments Represent the department externally

Visibility builds strength and support. Um mo , I lik re t e p han lan peo ts ple

Mentoring or advising students Portfolio reviews or critiques Guest lectures or workshops

A few hours a year can change a career.

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Your experience keeps programs relevant.

Graphic created by Hailey Wall, BLA ‘16

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FACULTY UPDATES David Anderson, ASLA Professional Practice Professor & Associate Provost for Community Engagement In his role in the provost’s office, Dave led the successful renewal of USU’s classification as a Carnegie Community Engaged Institution. He received the inaugural Norm Jones Excellence in General Education Award in Breadth Creative Arts at USU. Dave, along with Professors George and Powell, are creating a new general education course titled “Design Thinking” as part of USU’s new Center for Civic Excellence. He was named a member of USU’s strategic planning team for Civic Mindedness.

Brent Chamberlain Professor Brent expanded his externally funded research program through projects supported by the U.S. Army Research Office, National Science Foundation ASPIRE Center, Utah Department of Transportation, Army Research Institute, and Bear River Association of Governments. His research activities resulted in six peer-reviewed publications, including articles in Risk Analysis, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, and Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, along with multiple national and international conference presentations. He advised M.S. and Ph.D. students completing their degrees and employed approximately a dozen students through the VIVID Lab. During the year, he was also promoted to Full Professor.

Keith Christensen, PLA, ASLA Department Head of LAEP & Co-Interim Department Head for TDTE Over the past year, Keith served as Professor and Department Head of LAEP while also acting as interim head of the newly reorganized Department of Product Design and Engineering Technologies, guiding it through USU restructuring, budget reductions, and related personnel challenges. He completed the final year of a $2.5 million NIDILRR-funded grant on community living for people with disabilities, continued research and development applying AI to transportation accessibility, and coauthored three peer-reviewed articles. He also taught two courses and mentored graduate students on their thesis work.

David Evans, PLA, ASLA Professional Practice Associate Professor David teaches foundational graphics and site design studios, emphasizing the link between hand graphics and form giving. In Analysis and Design II, he oversees the annual Dean’s Prize competition. He also co-taught the Senior Capstone Studio with Professors Johnson and Powell.

Phil Fernberg, ASLA, APA Research Assistant Professor Since joining USU and LAEP faculty full-time last year, Phil has pinballed around campus making new friends and collaborative partnerships with the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence and Institute for Land, Water, and Air. He continued publishing research on emerging tech dynamics in design practice, and wrote policy briefs on energy tradeoffs and AI for the Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature. He also helped lead the student trip in Buenos Aires. ¡Estuvo zarpado!

Benjamin H. George, ASLA Associate Professor Benjamin has been involved in a wide range of research, teaching, and outreach activities that have continued to expand his academic work and professional collaborations. His major focus was completing his forthcoming book, Disney and the Theming of the Contemporary Zoo: Kingdoms of Artifice, co-authored with Dave Gottwald from the University of Idaho. The book will be published by Bloomsbury in October. Early reviews have been extremely positive and he’s found it rewarding to see the project come together after years of research, travel, and writing.

Daniella Hirschfeld Associate Professor While on a sabbatical in Israel as visiting professor at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Daniella focused on adaptation strategies for drought with an emphasis on groundwater aquifers. Collaborating with Israeli and Jordanian researchers building bridges between the two. Daniella co-authored two papers based on her collaboration with the Aspen Global Change Institute on the needs of environmental planning practitioners for integrating complicated climate data. She also published another that highlights the shortcomings of digital solutions and paths forward.

Todd Johnson, PLA, ASLA Professional Practice Associate Professor Todd started the year with the graduate studio, combining undergrad and grad environmental planning students with an opportunity to explore planning and design issues in different contexts. Students chose to explore planning or design emphasis for their projects. Through the Capstone/Charrette studio, Todd emphasized a full community engagement among campus and Logan City. Entrepreneurship in Design (E-Studio) tackled UREC, Parktecture Zoo Competition, and other competitions, with many students being recognized for their outstanding work.

Caroline Lavoie, FCELA, CSLA, AAPQ Professor Caroline’s recent work continues to expand her drawing-based research and teaching practice through an invited contribution to Landscape Architecture Magazine, a book chapter in Shelter in Text, and an article on design education for non-visual learners. She was also awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar appointment at the École Nationale d’Architecture in Rabat, Morocco, for Fall 2026, and the Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture at the American Academy in Rome for Spring 2027.

Carlos V. Licon Associate Professor & Graduate Program Director Carlos continues teaching the juniors in Residential Land Use Planning studio. This year, students tested their bioclimate design ideas for different places in the US. Their final project proposed housing layouts for Tremonton, UT. During spring break, Carlos joined the Travel Course to visit Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has also been teaching planning methods and a seminar on landscape architecture readings. Carlos continues his collaboration with Anhalt University in Germany and UACH in Mexico on sustainable development research. He also presented at the LAEP Speaker Series.

Sean Michael, FCELA Professor Sean continued serving as Secretary/Treasurer of CELA Academy of Fellows and worked to establish the organization’s first private endowment. He attended the annual conference of the Society for Entrepreneurship in Arts Education at Florida State University. Sean was invited to speak at North Carolina State University and Virginia Tech on the power of business skills in career advancement. In his Business Foundations class, students utilized a new revenue-based grading model in his course. Sean is developing a new USU-wide course entitled Design Careers to help students find their passion within design careers, a collaborative effort with numerous programs. His top book-of-the-year is Lies My Teacher Told Me.

Jake Powell, ASLA Associate Professor & Extension Specialist Jake’s Extension role placed all over the state of Utah, teaching community workshops and sharing the transformative power of design and planning. He taught several waterwise landscape design courses and thanks to a grant from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, he developed a first of its kind workshop series covering trail design, construction, and maintenance across Utah. His extension work unites design studios with community-oriented projects. Jake is also co-chair of the National Extension Tourism Network’s Outdoor Recreation workgroup in advancing Extension’s national presence in outdoor recreation and tourism. He led a research project to assess the role of western Extension programs in the outdoor recreation and tourism space, the report for this research will be published in Fall 2026.

Ole Russell Sleipness, PLA, ASLA Associate Professor Ole had a strong year of teaching, research, and service. He guided the Recreation Design and Open Space Planning studio—including a second collaboration with the Swaner Preserve—and refined key courses while mentoring students during Charrette and on funded projects. He published new work, secured NSF support for EV infrastructure and wildlife-related transportation issues, and collaborated with students on projects presented at Research on the Hill and CELA. As PI, he advanced the Kooskia Internment Camp interpretation project with partners across agencies and communities. Alongside his role as CELA’s VP of Communication, Ole remains committed to mentoring students, connecting them with practitioners, and preparing them for professional practice, and he welcomes alumni interested in future studio collaborations.

Huaqing Wang, PLA, AICP, APA Assistant Professor Huaqing advanced her research and teaching at the intersection of urban landscape, ecology, and human health. She published three peer-reviewed articles. She developed VegClassify, a software tool for classifying urban greenspace using satellite imagery. Huaqing continues leading an NIH-funded project examining the relationships among greenspace, extreme weather, and human health outcomes. She mentored students, who earned first and second place awards at the 2025 USU GIS Day competition and 2025 Utah ASLA Merit Award. In addition, she was selected as a 2026 Landscape Architecture Foundation Research Fellow, undertaking a performance assessment of the Red Butte Water Conservation Garden, further strengthening connections between research, design, and practice.

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University of Sheffield, UK

University of Georgia

Landscape Representation for Communicating Future Environments

Cultural Landscape Thinking

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Eckart Lange

Sara Zewde Studio Zewde

Carlos Licon Utah State University

Lost in LA n Joh ig

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The Aesthetics of Being

SH|R Studios

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Design on the Wild Side: Lessons from a Career in Zoo Design

Agriburbia: Building the Infrastructure for the

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R. Brooks Jeffery

Stephanie Grigsby

University of Arizona

Design Workshop

Cultural Landscapes in the American West

The Long View, Made Real H

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Justin Garrett Moore, FAICP

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SPEAKER SERIES 2025-2026

Nick Jabs

Mellon Foundation

PORT

Keeping and Shaping Our Places

Beyond Projects: Practice, Research, & Leadership in the Public Realms

IN MEMORIAM

Irving Berlin

The song is ended, but the melody lingers on.” Boyd Datwyler, BS ‘60 Scott Gutting, MLA ‘83 Allen Harrison, BS ‘68 Martin Hanson, MS ‘73 Burnell Throley, BLA ‘79 Margaret Ford, BS ‘58 Fred Trull, BFA ‘64 Jamey Drysdale, BLA ‘02 Bryce Bushman, BLA ‘04

Please note, this list was provided by the Office of Advancement at USU, and includes individuals with a recorded death date between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026

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