InSites 2017

InSites MAGA ZINE 2017

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department Utah State University

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CONTENTS :

Greetings from the Department Head

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Travel Course: Spain & Portugal

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David Bell’s Retirement

Digital Advances

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Accreditation Visit

Ole Sleipness Licensure

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Charrette: Kanab & Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Benjamin George Utah ASLA Award

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Dean’s Prize

Incoming Graduate Students & New Graduate Programs

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Recreation & Open Space Studio

Scholarship Recipients

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Residential Land Planning & Development

Student Award Recipients

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Urban Design

Study Abroad in Slovenia

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E-Studio

Speaker Series

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LAEP Field Studio

Speaker Series Highlight: Sara Miller

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BioRegional Planning Studio

Advancement Board News

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Community Design Team

New Advancement Board Co-Chairs & Members

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USU Peer Advisor Award

Student Placement Survey Results

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GeoDesign Workshop

A Legacy of Giving

PAGE 28 Rainwater Cistern

COVER PHOTO The cover photo was taken by Professor Benjamin George in Madrid, Spain in the Parc Argenzuala during the faculty led travel course.

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

GREETINGS FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD

By Department Head Sean Michael

The new year ushered in key events and some changes in LAEP. Prof. David Bell is culminating his 25 years of leadership on the faculty, and will retire this summer as the most experienced Extension landscape architect in the U.S. today. We celebrated Dave’s remarkable tenure at USU at the annual Awards Banquet on April 7th, and wish him the very best in the adventures ahead. On a sadder note, we are losing Drs. Shujuan Li and Bo Yang, whose careers are taking them to the Sonoran Desert and the University of Arizona. We wish them and their family well, and will be conducting a national faculty search beginning this summer for colleagues to fill their positions.

the works. This Fall we will begin offering a joint B+MLA option, in which students will earn an accredited BLA along with an advanced MLA in only 5 years. We will also launch LAEP’s new PhD program in Landscape Architecture, which will be among only a half dozen such degrees in the U.S. Similarly, we look forward to launching our LARE Prep course online next year, which will make it the only such course available via distance-delivery through a university, and will support both practitioners and students everywhere who wish to gain licensure.

For all alumni, I hope you will consider ways that you can impact today’s LAEP students. The financial demands on those pursuing a design degree are daunting, and we need your help to assure that they receive the best education possible. Giving to support fellow Aggies matters. With the generous gifts of alumni like yourself we can shape lives as well as places.

If you have not been back to USU recently I invite you to visit. Come, see the work our students and faculty are producing, and learn about what’s underway in this new era for LAEP. We would enjoy the chance to welcome you back to campus.

LAAB’s 6-year accreditation visit for the MLA and BLA occurred in March. The 5-day review resulted in the team affirming our programs’ exceptional progress since 2011, and fully reaccredited both degrees, while also identifying recommendations for furthering LAEP’s national competitiveness. The tremendous work of the faculty and staff was further rewarded when the review team described the two Self Evaluation Reports as “the best we have ever seen”.

The Senior Studio underwent major updates this semester. All facilities work stations were replaced with new, bamboo standing desks by Human Solutions, along with Steelcase office stools. The change has been remarkable, as the old desks were put in place decades ago.

This summer we are tackling the next phase of studio remodels, which will focus upon the Junior Studio, and will mirror the new Senior furnishings.

New degree options have also been in

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David Bell with graduate students on a field trip to southern Utah.

AFTER 25 YEARS, DAVID BELL IS RETIRING

DAVE’S IMMEASURABLE IMPACT ON UTAH Following a successful career in private practice, David Bell joined the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning in 1993. He brought with him an expertise, along with a keen awareness and appreciation of, the importance of sustainable community development, which he has translated into his role as an academician. A graduate of the BLA at USU himself, Dave was inducted as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2001.

In his role as Extension Landscape Architect, David traveled throughout the state, meeting with city councils, county commissions, state planning officials, and members of the general public, promoting the message of

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Jay Nielsen, David Bell, & Vern Budge at the LAEP Banquet in April.

DAVID BELL WAS NAMED USU EMERITUS FACULTY AND 2017 DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR.

wise planning for a sustainable future. His advice was in constant demand by rural areas throughout Utah (and occasionally beyond), from the northern Idaho border on Bear Lake to remote southwestern four-corners community of Bluff, and his high quality efforts have advanced the reputation of Utah State University throughout rural parts of the state.

However, the greatest value of David’s presence in the LAEP Department was his ability to connect students and faculty with the real world in which he is operating, in keeping with the outreach mission of our program. Numerous advanced planning and design studios benefited from the projects generated through the work and contacts provided by David’s community involvement. Indeed, his ability to interweave community service with the hands-on education of students

places him among a select group of faculty who still embody the principles of the America’s Land Grant universities.

David was also much sought-after by graduate students as a mentor, where his work with communities translates into thesis projects for MLA candidates. The ranks of planning offices throughout the lntermountain West are staffed with USU MLA graduates who cut their teeth under Dave’s patient guidance.

David is an extremely valuable member of the LAEP Department. His efforts were always above and beyond the call of duty, as attested by his prolific output and by the appreciation he receives from students. As a humble, self-effacing man, Dave’s accomplishments and value are largely a well-kept secret, begging for greater publicity and recognition.

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ACCREDITATION VISIT

LAAB Accreditation team gives their preliminary report to the entire department (left to right: Lorraine Davis, Dean Bork, & Douglas Johnston.

The LAAB team reviewing the MLA and BLA for 6-yr reaccreditation provided their preliminary findings in April following their 5-day assessment of the degrees.

The team members were a pleasure to work with, and were very seasoned in the accreditation process. More over, they were observant, candid and professional, while still taking time to recognize the distinct nature and trajectory of Utah State’s programs.

The quality of the team’s report out to the students, staff and faculty was very helpful for all, and capped an important week in LAEP’s history. The general points that they shared with us are post-

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ed on LAEP’s Assessment web page. It should be noted that the team was responsive in providing us feedback that fits in the context of the program’s trajectory.

They were highly complimentary regarding progress made since the 2011 review, and took time to point out that our Self Evaluation Reports were likely the best prepared documents the team members have seen. Kudos go to our faculty authors and staff for that achievement.

ance from the team: celebrating LAEP’s tremendous growth, and charting our strategic path forward. We look forward to sharing those points in the coming months, and, more specifically, discussion of how alumni and the Board can together support the program’s future.

Official 6-yr reaccreditation was received in August, and will mean our next accreditation review will occur in 2023. What lies ahead are two overarching pieces of guid-

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Presentation at the end of Charrette week by the LAEP Students.

CHARRETTE KANAB & BEST FRIENDS Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

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Sophomore students on a site visit to Kanab, UT.

At the urging of Prof. Bell, the LAEP Department began an annual community planning charrette some ten years ago. This activity involves the entire department (approximately 150 students) in a week-long intensive period of creative planning and design focused on a selected community. David has successfully coordinated and directed these projects since their inception, resulting in significant products for many towns and regions throughout the State.

The 2016/17 Capstone Charrette efforts sought a project location and client that would be unique to the life experiences of the students. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary provided the subject matter - the essence being a commitment to “No Kill by 2025”. This aspiration aims at “no domesticated animals killed” as a result of a failure to adopt sheltered animals nationwide. This endeavor centers itself in Kanab, Utah with 400 employees in a town of 4,000. Best Friends raises $100M annually to achieve their goals. The Charrette touched on all issues affecting the success of Best Friends and the sustaining growth of Kanab.

BOTH THE SOPHOMORES AND SENIOR CLASSES GOT TO TRAVEL TO KANAB AND VISIT THE BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY 7

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With Angel Canyon holdings of 3,000 acres, a recent purchase of 400 acres for employee housing, and conflicts arising with Kanab, the stage was set for profound learning. Fundamental findings emerged from the Charrette with all professors and students converging on the problem. Finding One: “success of Best Friends results from happy employees exhibiting world class treatment of animals in the presence of volunteers and visitors. Students planned for sustainable solutions in the Canyon and 400 acres site, planned and designed a hotel renovation to expand the hospitality capacity of the town. Founders and executives of Best Friends and town leaders assembled for the Charrette presentation. The Angel Canyon planning team, led by Alonzo Rhodes, was awarded the first prize and received a home-cooked meal from Professors Johnson and Bell.

Tyler Knab presenting at the end of Spring Semester with his findings and ideas.

THE BREATHTAKING VIEWS IN KANAB PROVIDED A MAJESTIC BACKDROP FOR CHARRETTE

Student presentations took place in the LAEP Common Studio and were well received by the city of Kanab and by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary representatives

Beautiful scenery in Kanab, UT.

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Jurors included: Dave Anderson, Charles Darnell, Janet Anderson, Brian Warnick, Craig Jessop, Dave Evans, Chris Creasey, & Tyson Murray.

DEAN’S PRIZE “PROMENADE OF THE ARTS”

1st Place Winners Miria Smith, Alyson Hill & Braden Misken with Dean Ken White

Spring Semester 2017 marked the third annual Dean’s Prize competition for the LAEP sophomores and first-year graduate students in LAEP 2720, Analysis & Design II, led by Professional Practice Associate Professor David Evans. The 2017 Dean’s Prize addressed the USU Art’s District, which extends from Aggie Bull-evard on the north to the southern end of the Fine Arts Visual building.The district includes the large parking areas north and west of the Performance Hall. At the heart of the district is the Performance Hall and the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. The Dean’s Prize is an opportunity to provide a real-world experience for LAEP students, for them to get feedback from high profile jurors and an acknowledgment of the outstanding work they are producing. A total of 7 student teams of 3 students each competed.

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Craig Jessop, Dean of the Caine College of the Arts said, “It was a great honor to be selected as a member of the selection team for the Dean’s Prize competition. What an incredibly talented group of students! I was so impressed by the uniform high standard of work exhibited by each team. What a prize program we have in the landscape architecture department here at USU! My congratulations to each of the teams for making this experience so enjoyable for me personally.

We are grateful that your focus this year was on the Caine College of the Arts and the Chase Fine Arts Center complex as your “Dean’s Prize” assignment.

The wonderful design proposals opened a whole new world of possibilities for us as we consider the future of our college campus and facilities. The many wonderful ideas for the “Promenade of the Arts” were inspiring!”

Janet Anderson, Vice Provost said, “It was a pleasure to be asked to judge the Dean’s Prize this year for LAEP. I was amazed at the level of detail and creativity involved in each of the student group projects and even more surprised to learn that the projects presented were from sophomore level and 1st year graduate students. LAEP does a fantastic job at engaging students early in their education so that they become dedicated learners and understand the level of commitment required to work in this field. I applaud the instructors for involving students at such a high level. Thanks to Dean White for supporting this important award that allows the work of the LAEP students and faculty to be showcased.”

2nd Place: Mason Powell, Cameron Blakely, Jaymes Monson

Senior Chris Creasey and Vice Provost, Janet Anderson reviewing the submissions.

CAAS Dean Ken White offered $1500 in prize money that was split between the first and second place teams. The first-place team received $1000 and the second-place team received $500. Winners were announced at the LAEP 2720 open house on April 28, 2017.

“I WAS AMAZED AT THE LEVEL OF DETAIL AND CREATIVITY INVOLVED IN EACH OF THE STUDENT GROUP PROJECTS.” VICE PROVOST JANET ANDERSON

Honorable Mention: Jaren Hope, Tonya Randall, Tim Henderson

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Honorable Mention: Tommy Smith, Shawn Stoddard, Meredith Andrus

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Students from the BLA class of ‘18 sit discussing the re-design of Simpson Springs Campground in the West Desert.

BEYOND THE STUDIO RECREATION DESIGN & OPEN SPACE PLANNING In fall 2016, Dr. Ole Sleipness again taught the Recreation Design and Open Space Planning studio.

Undergraduate and graduate students engaged in a range of project scales and types, while developing and refining their technical skills in site engineering, circulation design, and graphic representation—all while tackling contemporary design challenges.

As always, service-learning projects served as the studio’s centerpiece.

The first project of the semester, Cache Valley Living Tribute and Healing Garden, was a collaborative effort between Sleipness and LAEP emeritus

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Prof. Michael Timmons. Ole has a deep respect for Timmons’ teaching legacy and was thrilled to partner with him. The project provided students with the opportunity to explore how landscapes can provide comfort and solace for individuals grappling with loss and grief. Within teams, students conducted research on grief/loss, cultural attitudes toward death, memorialization, cemetery design and case studies that illuminate how landscape architecture engages these weighty topics. These in-depth analyses provided foundational knowledge on which students based their own design proposals, which they subsequently presented to Mending Moments Support

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Students also had the privilege of working with LAEP alumnus, Rob Sweeten on the re-design of Simpson Springs Campground, located on BLM land in the West Desert. The site is along the historic Pony Express Trail and also has several remnants of CCCera camp structures. Ole and his students visited the site and camped overnight. The project provided a rich opportunity for tackling contemporary recreation design issues such as accommodating competing recreation users groups, circulation design in a topographically challenging setting, interpretation of historic site features, and practical considerations of recreation infrastructure in isolated and breathtaking public lands settings.

A 20-acre site along the Logan River provided students with an excellent opportunity to design a community park that integrates a variety of active and passive recreation opportunities adjacent to expanding residential neighborhoods. The project also served as the final project in Prof. Phil Waite’s Planting Design studio; this marks the third year Sleipness and Waite have combined their final projects. In addition to generating alternatives for site planning, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, off-site connectivity, and a variety of recreational uses, Sleipness used the project to provide students with an opportunity to refresh their understanding of landform by incorporating construction of three-dimensional site models and grading plans into the project.

During the studio, Dr. Benjamin George also collaborated with Sleipness on a project in which students used immersive virtual reality (VR) to design a micro-scale park, using the popular concept of Park(ing) Day. Finding that Park(ing) Day can too often devolve into a glorified lemonade stand, adorned

Students sitting around a campfire in their site visit to the West Desert.

Group and the City of Logan. The project highlighted design’s role in addressing one of the serious issues common to our human experience.

with signs and balloons, Sleipness and George instead explored the impacts of immersive VR on students’ design processes for small-scale sites, and its potential to promote collaborative design.

Results of their study are published in an article titled “Using Virtual Reality as a Design Input: Impacts on Collaboration in a University Design Studio Setting” in the Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, and received the journal’s award for best rated paper.

Currently, Ole is lining up projects for the coming fall that will provide students with a new set of design opportunities. He’s looking forward to future collaboration with colleagues, alumni, community partners, and of most of all: LAEP’s outstanding students.

Simpsons Springs Campground where several remnants of CCC-era camp structures still exist.

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RESIDENTIAL LAND PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT STUDIO

PLANNING THE FUTURE WHILE DEVELOPING A SITE WITH HOPE FOR CHILDREN

Some of the boys from Santa Maria del Mexicano with LAEP Faculty and Students in Colon, Queretaro in Mexico.

As part of their coursework in LAEP 3120, Aubrie Rhines, Kristine Peatross, Kyle Funk, Brad Bennett, and Matt Starley developed master plan concepts for Santa Maria del Mexicano, a home for children in the town of Colรณn, Queretaro in Mexico. This facility, founded in 1975, cares for 200 children and 25 elderly. It is run by a group of dedicated nuns and priests, who are assisted by a small, committed staff. Santa Maria del Mexicano is a lively and healthy place with the constant activity of kids doing their assigned chores, attending classes, playing soccer, and being curious. There is property outside of town, where the boys live that is a productive

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place with livestock and agricultural fields. In town, where the girls live, they produce and sell cheese and crafts to help raise funds. All children attend school and church services.

These students, along with Professors Carlos Licon and David Anderson, spent four days visiting the facility in Queretaro. The explored the properties, met the children and staff, and got a good understanding of needs and preferences. It was a wonderful time for site analysis and reading the landscape, as well as an exciting exposure to a very special way of life of service and care. The sustainability of the site was an important starting point for this project, and led to further discussion of how this organization operates, educates, resolves problems, and establishes paths into the future.

Our students invested themselves in the project well beyond the requirements of the course. They discussed their findings, tested ideas, analyzed needs and expectations, created design options, and explored approaches. Every step in the project produced many alternatives that they wanted to address. They produced a comprehensive concept plan with coordinated solutions that respond to the needs and expectations of the people living in this unique place The high-quality visual material they produced has an added benefit for future fundraising efforts by the Hope for Children Foundation.

Student recommendations were presented to the Directors of the Santa Maria del Mexicano and Hope for Children Board Members. The students received

Kyle Funk and Matt Starley talk with the boys from Santa Maria del Mexicano.

The assistance received over the years has often been very project oriented, with sponsors and volunteers providing support for a specific need that improved day-to-day functionality. The purpose of LAEP student involvement had a more comprehensive goal: to provide the organization with a conceptual master plan that establishes order and sequence, allows the best use of current facilities, and gives direction on suitable allocation of funds for future projects.

Santa Maria del Mexicano.

Financial assistance for Santa Maria del Mexicano is provided by the Denver-based “Hope for Children” Foundation (who sponsored the LAEP students’ trip).

The Montana Chapter of “Engineers without Borders” has assisted with building projects, many of which have been focused on water supply for irrigation and waste water treatment. Other projects and construction needs have been addressed by the staff, who have built several projects and adapted some of the original 150- year old structures into their current use as housing dorms and classrooms.

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many compliments, as well as many questions. Interestingly, most questions were regarding the sequence suggested to implement their ideas, and how the student plan could be implemented. This first concept plan offers a valuable template for the future efforts, and will most likely lead to future follow-up projects for LAEP students.

A master plan for a new facility to house the young girls at the orphanage. Its creation was guided

by Professor Carlos Licon with LAEP students Chris Creasey and Kyle Funk.

Michael Kramer (member of the Hope for Children Foundation), Father Dan Estes (director of the orphanage) with Kyle Funk, Matt Starley, Brad Bennett, Dave Anderson, Kristine Peatross, Aubrie Rhines and Carlos Licon outside the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de los Delores de Soriano (Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows)..

It is a rare opportunity for our students to get such a meaningful vote of confidence and great appreciation for their efforts At the end of the semester, they managed to package and deliver a great product, one that created a whole new conversation among the Hope for Children Board members. “What should we do first” is a good summary of the Board’s response, and a great vote of confidence in the students’ work.

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URBAN THEORY & DESIGN STUDIO Above image from BLA ‘17 students, David Durfee, David Shirk, & Andy Quebbeman of their design looking at the transit system and ways to connect the greenway spaces in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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THE EVOLVING MOSAIC OF SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY Since the downtown master plan was very recently approved, the focus of this studio revolved around addressing growth coming from other municipalities, as well as from within. Using infrastructure that is already in place, such as the TRAX and S-line, students explored various growth and infill alternatives.

They looked for opportunities to redevelop their grey fields, as well as connecting South SLC with other areas of the region.

Six teams covered various aspects of the project – residential development, open space systems, industry, and the arts. Students closely collaborated among teams to coordinate and understand the scale of their efforts, and how they collectively define a larger scale of intervention. The students truly collaborated – both within their teams, and as a class. As a result, this project was awarded a Utah ASLA Merit Award, Spring 2017.

Bird’s eye view of a concept by Darci Williams, Matt Starley, & McKenna Drew.

During fall semester 2016, Prof. Caroline Lavoie led seniors in a semester-long project with the City of South Salt Lake. This project was a continuation of the 4120 studio project from fall 2013, when the USU Interior Design Department collaborated with LAEP to improve the discussion about the future of the downtown area. With the assistance of alumni Sharen Hauri (MLA ‘00), who is the Director of Urban Design for South Salt Lake, our students had a great opportunity to work toward giving the City of South Salt Lake the character and identity it deserves.

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“THE URBAN DESIGN CLASS WAS A WONDERFUL CULMINATION TO MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AND MADE ME STRETCH AS A DESIGNER TO THINK ABOUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE SYSTEM.”

The whole class participated to create a group parti so there would be a clear direction for the master plan.

Margie Haight presenting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“THE WHOLE CLASS CAME TOGETHER FOR THIS PROJECT AND AS A RESULT, WON A UTAH ASLA MERIT AWARD.” PROF. CAROLINE LAVOIE Interactive concepts for the transit system in Salt Lake City

by David Durfee, David Shirk, and Andy Quebbeman.

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This Spring, 20 LAEP students were enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Studio (E-Studio).

This group had a great opportunity to participate in the Utah Real Estate Challenge (UREC). This competition fosters understanding of real estate development by giving students the opportunity to prepare and present a real estate development plan to a panel of expert judges. Three of our four teams placed in the top five (among 20 contenders) during the first cut. Our final round qualifiers took third place, winning $5,000. Advancement Board member Kurt Altvater and Professor Todd Johnson were very pleased with our students’ success.

Professors Lavoie and Johnson also led three teams in planning and designing an “abilities center” and conservation strategy for Hinckley Ranch in Ogden Valley. Funded by a local architect and real estate broker, the students identified value propositions leveraging environmental stewardship with human well-being. Professor Lavoie brought her sketching talents to the studio, enriching the students’ experience with hand drawing.

The E-Studio continues to move our students into deeper experiences with critical thinking.

A strong emphasis on story boards, articulating the core conceptual objectives, and the relations to the farm are hailed in this course.

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E-STUDIO: UTAH REAL ESTATE & HINCKLEY RANCH

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FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, LAEP STUDENTS HAVE PLACED IN THE TOP THREE FOR THE UTAH REAL ESTATE COMPETITION. THIS YEAR THE TEAM INCLUDED STEVEN WOODY, BRAD BENNETT, AND SIERRA HOFFER WITH HELP FROM ALUMNI KURT ALTVATER AND PROFESSORS TODD JOHNSON & CAROLINE LAVOIE

Professor Caroline Lavoie’s sketch of Hinckley Ranch in Ogden Valley, Utah.

3rd place Jefferson’s Place design, submitted for the Utah Real Estate Challenge by Steve Woody, Brad Bennett, and Sierra Hoffer.

JEFFERSON STATION

JEFFERSON STATION

$ 26,701,588

YIELD ON COST

7.94% Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department STABILIZED NOI (YR 2)

DSCR STABILIZED (YR 2)

$2,119,066

1.63x

AVG CASH ON CASH

EQUITY IRR

TE MARY

DEVELOPMENT

AL MICS

HBC

TOTAL PROJECT COSTS

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3.77 ACRES

156 20 TOTAL MF UNITS 8 FLEX UNITS 1200 SF BEDS

SqFt

$ SF

RE

Alonzo Rhodes holds a board while Haley Borden cuts.

THE STUDENTS LEARNED HOW TO FINISH CONCRETE, BUILD GABION BASKETS, AND INSTALL STEEL SIGNS.

SIGNAGE FOR THE LAEP FIELD STUDIO Class of 2017 BLA Students around the finished LAEP Field Studio sign.

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

LAEP FIELD STUDIO UPDATE - FALL 2016 Students in Professor Phil Waite’s LAEP 4150 – Field Studio Experience course – designed and built a new entry sign for the LAEP Field Studio. Construction began in the fall of 2015 when students excavated for the foundation of the sign and built the forms for cast-inplace concrete footings and planter wall. The following year in the fall of 2016, students completed the sign by completing the foundation wall, casting a tall board-formed concrete pillar, built a gabion basket filled with river rock, and installed the steel sign face.

Students were responsible to learn forming techniques, installing and tying steel reinforcing rod, as well as pouring and finishing the cast-in-place concrete In order to give all students experience in finishing concrete, Professor Waite built forms for stepping stones and then purchased a little extra concrete for them when ordering the concrete for the foundation and sign pillar.

Although some had never poured or finished concrete before, each student was able to learn and practice their concrete finishing skills. Students created a variety of different finishes (e.g. broomed, brushed, troweled, etc) for the concrete stepping stones. The stepping stones were then used at the LAEP House in the Rainwater Cistern enclosure screen.

STUDENTS WERE RESPONSIBLE TO LEARN ALL THE INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES NEEDED FOR A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Spencer Burt holds the gabion baskets in place as the other students attach it.

Ash Mayberry learns to weld the gabion baskets.

ALTERNATIVE FUTURES

MLA & MsBRP students overlooking the Spanish Valley Region.

MLA & MSBRP STUDENTS COLLABORATE ON ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR THE MOAB/ SPANISH VALLEY REGION

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The Fall of 2016 saw the advent of location and curriculum changes in the MsBRP program. For the first time, the Bioregional Planning (BRP) Studio – now LAEP 6200 – was taught in the confines of the LAEP Department as part of the MLA curriculum. During the summer, the BRP lab was moved from the Environment and Society Department in the College of Natural Resources to the Graduate Studio in the LAEP Department. Amid renovations of the studio space, seven second- and third-year MLA students joined three first-year MsBRP students in a studio project that explored alternative futures for Moab and the surrounding region.

Moab and the Spanish Valley corridor face the pressure of population growth and increased tourism. This pressure affects not only the infrastructure and water resources of Moab, but also the future quality of life for its residents. The students in the LAEP 6200/6210 studio examined how Moab and surrounding communities can lay the foundation for future growth that is sustainable and compatible with the needs of the community.

Building on the input of local experts, government agencies and stakeholders from Moab and Grand County as well as the assessment of the biophysical and social/cultural landscape

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During the Spring semester (LAEP 6210), the MsBRP students used the insights gleaned from the Geodesign workshop to develop four Future Alternatives for

BIOREGIONAL PLANNING HAS A NEW LOCATION the Moab region that explored different implications of a tourist vs. local economy as well as the future consequences of conservation vs. development within the region. The futures included: ‘Business as Usual’; ‘Economic Diversity’; protection of ‘Iconic Landscapes’; and the development of ‘Recreation and Amenities’.

Bioregional Planning students working in their new computer lab in the Fine Arts Visual Building.

resources, LAEP graduate students created GIS models that described the biophysical and socio-demographic characteristics of the study area. This landscape assessment was presented in Moab at the end of the first semester and formed the basis for a Geodesign workshop with stakeholders in Moab at the beginning of the 2017 Spring semester.

MLA & MsBRP students in Moab, UT.

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MANAGED AND RUN BY STUDENTS During the 2016-2017 academic year, LAEP students volunteered to provide design and planning services to community groups, non-profit organizations and public agencies throughout Utah. These Community Design Team (CDT) projects generate modest cost-recovery fees that support the student chapter of the ASLA. These funds are used to support extra-curricular social and educational programs within the department, send students to the National ASLA conference, contribute to the endowment of an LAEP scholarship, and finance a student program manager to manage all of the CDT projects. The key intent of the program is to create a practice experience for students focused on scope of services, schedule, team management, design review and public presentation.

CDT design of a transit hub in Pleasant Grove, UT

COMMUNITY DESIGN TEAM

CDT design of Pleasant Grove, Utah by Skylar Smith, Emma Olsen, and teammates

The CDT projects represent important service-learning experiences that enhance student leadership and management, enrich student portfolios, and expose students to a breadth of client initiated planning and design opportunities. The CDT’s are vertically integrated groups of from 3-7 students. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the student program manager was Andy Quebbeman. Andy managed the

work of eight teams, and strengthened our system of production management, client outreach and scheduling. Professional Practice Associate Professor David Evans served as the faculty advisor to the CDT program.

CDT PROJECTS REPRESENT IMPORTANT SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT ENHACE STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND ENRICH PORTFOLIOS

KATIE GERRATT WON THE 2017 BEST PEER ADVISOR AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY AWARD

The Utah State University Advising Award Committee choose Katie Gerratt (BLA ‘18) as the Outstanding Peer Advisor of the Year for 2016-2017. She was choosen because of her commitment to USU and her role as a Peer Advisor in her department, and for her passion for helping others suceed in their academic pursuits. She was nominated by the LAEP Academic Advisor Pamela George for her work in the LAEP Department. Pamela stated, “Katie completed all of the tasks given to her in half the time I thought it would take her. She also takes initiative to begin work on other tasks without needing to be prompted to do so. Because of Katie, my transition from maternity leave to returning to advising was a smooth process.” Katie was very deserving of this award and we’re so proud to have her representing Landscape Architecture across campus.

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GEODESIGN WORKSHOP

Prof. Carl Steinitz presenting in Moab at the GeoDesign Workshop.

Students working with local citizens from Moab and Grand County.

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With assistance from MsBRP and MLA students, Prof. Carl Steinitz and Tess Canfield from Harvard University conducted an interactive, one-and-a-half day Geodesign workshop with citizens, stakeholders, and local officials from Moab and Grand County to create future planning alternatives for Moab City. The workshop used the Geodesignhub software, which has proven intuitive and effective in building consensus among workshop participants about future growth and development by facilitating collaboration, rapid proposal development and negotiation. USU students in LAEP 6210 and LAEP 6100 supported the preparation of the workshop and software, and they played key roles as team coordinators in the workshop.

During the first day of the workshop, participants became acquainted with the Geodesignhub software, recommended projects and policies to address future growth issues, and produced alternative growth proposals for Moab that reflect the objectives of different stakeholder groups. During the second day of the workshop, the stakeholder groups negotiated to build a consensus around one proposal for Moab’s future.

The workshop proved to be an exceptional opportunity for stakeholders in Moab to collaboratively discuss the future of Moab with the goal of achieving a consensus around challenging issues. This initial workshop has sparked interest among local officials for future Geodesign workshops in Moab. For the MLA students, the first-hand experience with local stakeholders and planners provide an enlightening look into the dynamics of local community priorities and decision making.

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

In the spring of 2016, two LAEP Seniors, Nathan Clarke and Jason Parkinson, submitted a USU ‘Blue Goes Green Grant’ which was part of the requirements for a technical writing course they were taking.

Working with Professors David Anderson and Phillip Waite, Clarke and Parkinson proposed the implementation of a rainwater harvesting system for the LAEP House. The competition for a ‘Blue Goes Green’ sustainability grants across campus is fierce, but in May of 2016 they were awarded a $1500 grant to implement the project.

Over the course of the summer and early fall 2016, Clarke and Parkinson finalized their design, prepared construction documents, and verified cost estimates.

The construction components included a cast-inplace concrete slab for the cistern to rest on; the cistern itself, collection elements such as piping and a first flush diverter, and a surrounding screen.

In October, several students from Professor Waite’s LAEP 4150 Field Studio class assisted Jason (now an LAEP MLA graduate student) in the implementation of the project.

The rainwater cistern, which holds 1500 gallons of rainwater, was installed by the end of the semester, just in time to collect winter rain water and snowmelt off the LAEP House. The collected water will be used to water the landscape in the rear of the LAEP House, with a special focus on keeping the large ash tree green and healthy.

“Blue goes Green” Sustainability Grant was awarded to Jason Parkinson & Nathan Clarke for this rainwater capture system.

Jason Parkinson with the 1500 gallon rainwater cistern.

STUDENTS PLAN AND BUILD A SITE AT THE LAEP HOUSE FOR A RAINWATER CISTERN.

Donalyn Bliss and Joe Nielson put the final touches on the concrete slab.

LAEP HOUSE RAINWATER CAPTURE SYSTEM

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“IT WAS GREAT TRAVELING AND AN ENRICHING WAY TO END MY USU UNDERGRAD” CHRIS CREASEY

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

TWO WEEKS IN SPAIN & PORTUGAL LAEP Students visit the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS In May of 2017, Professors Benjamin George, Carlos Licon, and David Anderson led thirty-three LAEP students on an international study course to Spain and Portugal. The group visited the Spanish cities of Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville; and the Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Sintra.

The Iberian Peninsula has an extraordinary wealth of design and cultural heritage, as the region has played a prominent role in Roman, Islamic, and Christian societies throughout world history. Students were able to see this historic heritage first-hand, as well as explore more modern expressions of culture and design.

In Madrid, the students fought off the effects of jet lag by exploring the Parque del Buen Retiro, a former royal park in the heart of Madrid, and walking along the Gran Via, the city’s most glamorous avenue. The students also spent a day at the Prado Museum, taking advantage of the opportunity to stand inches away from works by masters such as Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Lorrain, and Goya. But it was the modern sites in Madrid that attracted the most interest from the students. Patrick Blanc’s green wall at the Caixa Forum masterfully intertwined plants and art, and served as an excellent foil to the seemingly floating modernist art museum on the square. The students loved to explore Parque Arganzuela, a recently completed

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SPAIN & PORTUGAL CONTINUED park along the Rio Manzanares, as they enjoyed the many opportunities the park offered for both active and passive recreation.

During the stay in Madrid, the group took a day trip to Toledo, a small city built atop a rocky bluff along a bend of the Tagus River. Toledo is a former royal capital, and has a wealth of impressive monuments and picturesque squares. But Toledo will be most remembered for its narrow medieval street network that provided photo-worthy scenes around nearly every corner.

The group next traveled to Granada, home of the Alhambra Palace, which was formerly the seat of

“WE ALL HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME AND I’M GRATEFUL THAT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON THIS STUDY ABROAD” MARGIE HAIGHT the Moorish Nasrid Dynasty before the city fell to the Spanish Catholic Monarchs in 1492. In the Alhambra, and the adjacent summer palace of the Generalife, the students witnessed firsthand the Moors’ mastery of blending the architecture and the landscape into a single cohesive whole. Everyone was equally impressed by the ornate geometric decorations employed by the Moorish craftsmen as they took famous spaces such as the Court of the Myrtles and the Court of the Lions.

In Córdoba we had the opportunity to visit the Mezquita of Córdoba, a former Moorish mosque and now Catholic cathedral. The interior is described as a forest of columns, with nearly 900 stone columns supporting the structure. At the Mezquita the students were also able to walk in the world’s oldest known continuous garden, the Court of the Oranges, which has retained its basic design since the mosque was begun in the 8th century. At the end of the stay in Córdoba, the group visited the Palacio de Viana,

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often referred to as the museum of courtyards. The Palacio features twelve interconnected courtyards that the students enjoyed exploring and experiencing the different feel each courtyard provided. To finish our stay in Córdoba, we visited the Espacio Andaluz, a brand new modern architecture edifice that houses art exhibits.

One of the most popular locations amongst the students on the trip was the Spanish city of Seville, which posses an outstanding mixture of Spanish history and contemporary vibrancy. Here we visited the majestic Seville Cathedral and the modern wood-framed Parasol, both of which provided beautiful vistas of the city. We also had the opportunity to visit the Real Alcazar, the Spanish royal palace in Seville, where the students were able to appreciate the Mudéjar architectural style and see one of the world’s great courtyards in the Patio de los Doncellas. Here we were able to explore the extensive late-Renaissance gardens of the palace and marvel at the tile work and opulence of both the gardens and palace. The morning of leaving Seville, the group visited the site of the former Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The students visited the famous Palaza de Espana (which was used as a location in Star Wars) and spent the morning wandering the gardens and enjoying the architecture of the pavilions built for the exposition.

After a long bus ride, the group arrived in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. In Lisbon the group explored the historic downtown district of Baixa, rebuilt using a grid pattern and seismic innovations after the earthquake of 1755. Students also climbed the surrounding historic districts, and many made the trek up to the Castelo São Jorge to enjoy sweeping views of Lisbon. We also had the opportunity to see the former royal palace in Queluz, with its unique tiled canal. The students appreciated the Portuguese use of tile and Portuguese paving throughout the city.

One of the highlights for many of the students was visiting the Lisbon Aquarium, built in the heart of Parc Nacoies, the setting for the World Expo in 1998. In the district of Belém, everyone was treated to one of Lisbon’s most famous culinary delights, pastel de nata, at the ancient pastry shop, Pasteis de Belém.

After treating our taste buds we visited the ornate

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LAEP students at the Torre de Belém in Lisbon, Portugal.

Image Sources : Supo gamba nyoe nyak / Image are not included / it’s only for preview. Thank’s

The Tagus River flowing through Toledo, Spain.

Manueline-styled Mosterio dos Jeronimos and the decorative fort the Torre de Belém.

Plaza de España, Seville, Spain.

The final day of the trip was spent in the town of Sintra, located in the hills north west of Lisbon.

There we visited the Quinta da Regaleira, which Prof. George insists is the most amazing garden in the world. Completed in the early 20th century, the garden is built on a hillside and features tunnels, bridges, secret doors, hidden entrances, layered symbolism, fanciful decorations, and majestic plants.

Despite getting turned around time and time again in the maze of choices, or maybe because of it, the students loved the garden. We ended the day, and the trip, at the top of the mountains in Sintra sitting on the walls of the Castelo dos Mouros overlooking the forested slopes of the mountains, with Lisbon in the distance behind us and the Atlantic Ocean in front of us. It provided the perfect opportunity to sit and reflect on everything that we had seen and done on the trip.

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“IT WAS AN AMAZING, LIFE CHANGING TRIP.” TYSON MURRAY

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

Photogrammetric model of the LAEP House generated from drone photography by Brandon Blauer.

Kristine Peatross designs in VR as classmates Sara Jackman, Katie Gerratt, & Trevor Kennedy look on.

DIGITAL ADVANCES Several exciting advancements are happening on the technology front in LAEP. With the Visualization Lab up and running, a variety of research related to visualization has been occurring over the last year.

One noteworthy example of the research that is being conducted is Dr. Benjamin George and Dr. Ole Sleipness’ work on utilizing virtual reality to conduct design work. Their research, assisted by senior Andy Quebbeman, received the Best Paper Award at the Digital Landscape Architecture Conference in Germany. Several students have been using VR in their presentations to help clients understand the designs that students are producing.

“I BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT SCALE IS EVEN IN SIMPLE DESIGN TASKS. I REALLY LIKE VIRTUALLY BEING IN THE SAME SPACE AND I FELT LIKE IT WAS EASIER TO BE CREATIVE.” The use of drones continues to be an important part of the site analysis process for our students. The number of student’s able to fly the department’s drones has significantly increased, and several students are working towards a drone minor and FAA certification to commercially operate drones (some of the students have already received their certification).

Finally, we are continuing to try and improve the technology available to students in the studios.

Thanks to student support via a CREATE 2020 initiative, the senior studio will have two high-powered rendering stations this fall which will have advanced modeling and rendering software installed on them.

While located in the senior studio, these computers will be available to all students in the department to use, and it is hoped that future CREATE 2020 funding will provide for similar rendering stations in the other studios.

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DR. OLE SLEIPNESS LICENSURE During the 2016-2017 academic year, Dr. Ole Sleipness joined the ranks of several LAEP colleagues in obtaining professional license. According to Sleipness, he initially started the LARE upon completion of his BLA in 2003. “Right after graduation, I took the first two sections, passed them, and intended to finish the other sections when I had more time to study and prepare.” However, graduate school, a dissertation, married and family life, and responsibilities at work intervened and

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there was never a convenient time. Even the timing of the LARE, offered in April, August, and December is inconveniently scheduled during peak times during the academic calendar. “I always felt the core competencies of landscape architecture covered on the LARE—grading and site engineering, construction documentation, project administration, planting design, among others—were critical for landscape architecture programs to cover. The fact that LAEP has remained committed to covering core competencies of our profession is one of the things I value most about our department. Because of my teaching philosophy, I often found myself pegged as among the more practice-oriented academics along the theory-practice continuum— even as a PhD faculty member without a license. After years of teaching and admiring several of my own former students who earned licensure and established impressive careers of their own, I started to think more about finishing the LARE and getting my license. Around Thanksgiving, I decided to register for the remaining LARE sections in December and just get it done. For years, licensure was a personal and professional goal of mine, but always pushed aside by other priorities. I’m grateful to join the ranks of those who have this credential and hope I can encourage our recent graduates to take the LARE early.”

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

DR. BENJAMIN GEORGE RECEIVED THE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FROM THE UTAH CHAPTER OF ASLA

Assistant Professor Benjamin George received the Award of Excellence in the professional communications category from the Utah Chapter of ASLA in 2016.

His project, the Digital Library of Landscape Architecture History, or DiLiLAH, was recognized as an outstanding contribution in documenting and disseminating the history of the profession of landscape architecture. DiLiLAH is a freely available, public repository of virtual tours of historical landscapes created for use in education.

Begun in 2011, DiLiLAH was created to help bridge the gap of time and place in teaching the subject of landscape architecture history. There are currently over 40 virtual tours housed in the library, with another twelve under construction.

Using immersive panoramic tours, filled with historic information hotspots, images, sounds, and videos, students are virtually transported to important historical sites across the globe.

Thanks to Dr. George’s virtual tours, these sites are no longer just words and pictures on a page, but now they are a place to explore, a site with real structure, form, and meaning; No longer a relic of history, but a real landscape that continues to shape our world. DiLiLAH is accessible at: http://www.gardentaining. com/dililah/index.html

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INCOMING GRADUATE STUDENTS Tyson Brown

Anna Farb

Tyson graduated from Brigham Young University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in geography. He looks forward to contributing to the Bioregional Planning, and hopes to learn ways to help communities enjoy the benefits of living both close to land and close to each other.

Anna studied Environmental Science at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania (class of 2012), She worked for a stormwater management landscape installation nonprofit, where she managed the native plant nursery for her organization and started wading into plant designs, which inspired her to come to USU.

Andy Quebbeman

James Anglesey James graduated from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture and Planning with a bachelor’s of science in Urban Ecology and a minor in Sociology. The combination of nature, culture, and civic engagement is the driving force for James’ interest in historic preservation, urban design and landscape architecture.

Andy graduated from the LAEP program this spring and has decided to pursue an MLA studying virtual reality with Professor Benjamin George. He will be studying the financial impacts of using VR in firms to improve design efficiency and marketing appeal.

Zachary Warner

Lisa Aedo Lisa has a BA in Government from Smith College and a diploma in interior design from SENCICO, Peru. She has a great interest in sustainable design and native landscapes which she hopes to expand through the MLA program at USU and use this knowledge to contribute to urban and rural land development projects locally and internationally.

Zach graduated in Asian Studies with a minor in Mandarin Chinese from BYU. During his undergraduate studies he attended a study abroad in Nanjing China where he explored Chinese gardens. He hopes he can take his personal study of traditional Asian garden design into his future career as a landscape architect.

Benjamin Ash Ben graduated from USU with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies. Growing up in Utah, he is endeared to its unique landscapes. He hopes to use his degree to showcase Utah’s climates by creating picturesque snippets of them for residential and urban developments. This is with the hope of increasing sustainability across the Intermountain West.

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

PAUL STEAD

DREW HILL

THE PIONEERS OF TWO NEW DEGREES NEW DOCTORAL PROGRAM AND BLA + MLA IN 5 YEARS. The LAEP Department is excited to welcome its first Doctoral student, Shuolei Chen. (pictured to the right) Shuolei graduated from Nanjing Forestry University, China in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. She was able to further her education at USU completing her MLA this last spring, and will be continuing on with her doctoral degree.

Ariel Wright, Brandon Blauer, Paul Stead, and Drew Hill will be our first cohort of undergraduate students who have been accepted into our accelerated Master’s degree program. Their Senior year they will finish their undergraduate classes and begin the master’s courses. Then they will have one additional year to complete the masters program and their thesis. All four B+MLA students already have thesis projects in mind and faculty members ready to work with them.

ARIEL WRIGHT

SHUOLEI CHEN

BRANDON BLAUER

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

Bachelor & Master of Landscape Architecture

LAEP IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TWO NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS Beginning Fall semester 2017, the LAEP Department will offer two new degree programs; a Doctor of Philosophy in Landscape Architecture and an accelerated Bachelor+Masters of Landscape Architecture program.

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The new accelerated Bachelor+Masters of Landscape Architecture (B+MLA) program provides a seamless course of study between LAEP’s BLA and MLA programs for advanced LAEP undergraduates. The B+MLA program will essentially be a 3+2 graduate program (3 undergraduate + 2 graduate), conferring both an accredited BLA degree with a concurrent MLA degree within 5 years.

Students in the program will continue to be required to earn a minimum of 120 credits, though 9 of which will now be graduate credits, toward the BLA degree; and 30 additional graduate credits toward the MLA degree. For students who attend LAEP for both their undergraduate and graduate degrees, the 150 total credits is 20 credits and 1 year less than completing a BLA and MLA degree independently. A thesis project will continue to be required to satisfy the graduate education requirements.

Admission to the B+MLA program will be granted competitive to a number of highly qualified undergraduate junior-level BLA students each year.

The accelerated B+MLA is an attractive opportunity for LAEP students

Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

seeking a competitive advantage in the professional marketplace and deeper disciplinary understanding.

LAEP is also pleased to offer an interdisciplinary doctoral program in Landscape Architecture. The mission of the PhD in Landscape Architecture is to (1) prepare leaders and future faculty in landscape architecture, and (2) engage in creative intellectual work that contributes to the theory and practice of landscape architecture. Candidates will apply critical theories and methods in landscape architecture to address the dynamic issues and scales of natural and built landscape in the context of human systems. The doctoral program is a 60 credit, 3 year program with candidates completing coursework in landscape architecture theory, research design and practice, instructional design, proposal development, advanced electives, applied academic learning experiences, and academic professional product experiences. The doctoral program will culminate in a doctoral dissertation. With good flexibility in on- and off-campus completion of the degree requirements, the doctoral program supports practitioners seeking training to be successful in an academic environment and the pursuit of scholarly interests. The doctoral program supports LAEP’s commitment to strengthening the field through evidence-based professional practice and the continued growth of the theoretical foundation for the future of landscape architecture.

Doctor of Landscape Architecture

For more information on LAEP’s PhD in Landscape Architecture, the B+MLA program, or any of LAEP’s other master degree programs, please visit laep. usu.edu or contact Keith Christensen, Graduate Program Director, at keith.christensen@usu.edu.

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Top left: Dave Anderson, Cameron Blakely, Ryan Stauffer, Paul Stead, Benjamin George, Sean Michael Front left: Mary Oliver & Topacio Patch

A NIGHT FULL OF SMILES 2017-18 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Thank you to all of our donors! These scholarships allow the student to focus less on finances and more on learning. All of the students are grateful to be awarded these scholarships and it wouldn’t be possible without our donors. THANK YOU FOR GIVING BACK!

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

Top Left Kenneth G. Volkman Scholarship:

Cameron Blakely Kenji Shiozawa Scholarship:

Ryan Stauffer & Paul Stad David Jensen Scholarship:

Mary Oliver Diversity in LA:

Topacio Patch MLA Class of 1981 Scholarship:

Jason Parkinson (not pictured) Bottom ASLA Memorial Scholarship:

Drew Hill Top Right Seely-Hinckley Scholarship:

Emmeline Hoover LAEP Faculty Scholarship:

Brandon Blauer Craig Johnson Scholarship:

Skylar Smith Bottom Right GAIA Travel Scholarship:

Darci Williams Laval Morris Travel Scholarship:

McKenna Drew & David Durfee John Nicholson Scholarship:

Madison Merrill and Mary Dowden (not pictured) Josephine Beach Travel Scholarship:

Jason Parkinson (not pictured)

Left: Dave Evans, Bryce Ward, Drew Hill, & Sean Michael

Left: Emmeline Hoover, Brandon Blauer, & Skylar Smith

Left: Darci Williams, McKenna Drew, & David Durfee

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From left to right: Phil Waite, Keith Christensen, Ryan Stauffer, Kyle Funk, Tommy Smith & Sean Michael

USU Olmsted Scholars: Susie Gomez & Chris Creasey

STUDENT AWARDS Outstanding Sophomore

Tommy Smith

Outstanding Junior

Kyle Funk

Senior Faculty Medal

Chris Creasey

Outstanding 1st Year Grad

Jason Parkinson

Outstanding 2nd Year Grad

Ryan Stauffer

Graduate Medal

Emmet Pruss

Undergraduate USU Olmsted Scholar Chris Creasey Graduate USU Olmsted Scholar

Faculty award winners: Chris Creasey & Emmet Pruss

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Susie Gomez

FACULTY AWARDS Dave Evans - 2016 Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Keith Christensen - PlayCore’s 2016 Hero Award Ole Sleipness - CELA 2016 Outstanding Paper

Left to Right: Madison Merrill, Jonathan Cook, & Mary Dowden

BREATHTAKING VIEWS WHILE STUDYING Three of our Junior LAEP students, Madison Merrill, Jonathan Cook & Mary Dowden, all took the opportunity to enhance their education by studying at the University of Ljubjana in Slovenia. An exchange program that was started by Professor John K. Nicholson and continues to thrive today.

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STUDY ABROAD HIGHLIGHTS

Being able to participate in the Slovenia Exchange program was an incredible opportunity. I, along with Madison Merrill and Jonathan Cook, spent five month’s abroad. We attended classes at the local university, got to know some of the locals, and had the chance to travel almost every weekend. I will never forget the experiences that I had while I was in Slovenia.

We attended three different classes, two studio classes and a drawing class. The studio classes helped me focus on my design, and I spent most of my time in the design process. The professors spoke English well and were always willing to give feedback on the designs. The drawing class was

Soca Valley River in Slovenia

BY MARY DOWDEN

“MY EXPERIENCE IN SLOVENIA WAS AMAZING! WHAT MADE IT SO AMAZING? THE BREATH-TAKING NATURE, MAGICAL CITIES, DELICIOUS ICE CREAM, AND (ABOVE ALL) MY BEST FRIENDS.” MADISON MERRILL Madison Merrill drawing at the beach for class

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

“I WILL NEVER FORGET THE EXPERIENCES I HAD WHILE I WAS IN SLOVENIA” MARY DOWDEN

my favorite. We would take fieldtrips to different parts of Slovenia and were expected to draw the landscapes. I loved this class because I was able to see areas of Slovenia that I wouldn’t have a chance to see otherwise.

It was amazing to not only learn about landscape architecture from a different vantage point, but to be able to see and experience some of the places that I have learned about. Ljubljana is a great example of a walkable city. Buses connected the city very well, along with bike lanes on almost every street. I loved riding my bike or walking into center because there was usually something going on and plenty of people sitting at cafes or walking around.

One of my favorite places that I traveled to was Siena, Italy. It is a less popular city compared to its “rival city” of Florence. For me, Siena was amazing. I had learned about Siena’s city center in my Landscape History class. The pedestrian center is a large paved area on a slope with a large church at the bottom. Many people relax on the pavement and take in the views. The area surrounding Siena is full of green Tuscany. Every view was beautiful.

If given the opportunity, I would absolutely do this study abroad again. It was amazing experience that taught me more about the world, Landscape Architecture, and myself than I could have ever learned being at home. I know that I will cherish the memories that I have for a very long time.

Sunset over the Peninsula in the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia.

PIcture of Sienna, Italy

PROFESSIONALS TEACHING STUDENTS

Gary Hilderbrand’s delivery of the 2017 Vern Budge Lecture.

2016-17 LAEP SPEAKER SERIES

Connecting students with a breadth of topics and practitioners in our discipline is at the core of LAEP’s Speaker Series. Situated where Logan is, these talks are an irreplaceable part of the total experience our students receive.

October 14 - Marcus Pulsipher

Each year, a dozen or more lectures are given by guests.

The annual Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence Lecture enables imminent voices in conservation, ecology and wildlife planning to share their expertise.

December 2 - David Terry

The Speaker Series guests we welcomed this year included: September 2 - Dr. Wolfram Kircher September 16 - Dr. Bo Yang

October 28 - Keith Bowers for the Craig Johnson Lecture November 11 - Dr. Cheng Fang November 18 - Osmer Beck

February 10 - Brandon Reed February 24 - Nichole Uhring March 17 - Cynthia Bee March 31 - David Bell April 7 - Gary Hilderbrand, FASLA for the Vern Budge Lecture April 14 - Sara Cedar Miller

September 30 - Bruce Meeks

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

SPEAKER SERIES HIGHLIGHT SARA CEDAR MILLER

Aerial photo of Central Park in New York City provided by Sara Miller

The Central Park Conservancy historian and official photographer, Sara Cedar Miller, presented the final LAEP Speaker Series lecture of 2016-17. Sara is the author of Central Park: An American Masterpiece and Seeing Central Park –The Official Guide to the World’s Greatest Urban Park. Professors Anderson and Lavoie met Sara when she gave a personal tour of Central Park to LAEP student who were visiting New York City on the LAEP Travel Course. That tour led to LAEP inviting Sara to visit Utah State and give a Speaker Series lecture. Sara thoroughly enjoyed visiting Logan and meeting “such talented, passionate and committed faculty and students in what has to be the most beautifully situated campus in America”. The trip to Utah also fulfilled one of Sara’s long-time dreams, that of visiting the Spiral Jetty on the edge of the Great Salt Lake. Sara’s talk highlighted the amazing history of Central Park and the work of Frederick Law Olmsted. It also noted the significant contribution made by Calvert Vaux.

She spoke of the power and significant value of public open spaces and spoke passionate-

ly about the need to establish mechanisms (like the Central Park Conservancy) to support them in perpetuity.

“TALENTED, PASSIONATE AND COMMITTED FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN WHAT HAS TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY SITUATED CAMPUS IN AMERICA” SARA CEDAR MILLER

SPRING 2017 ADVANCEMENT BOARD MEETING

Top left: Marcus Pulsipher, Mike Budge, Dale Schafer, Rick Barrett, Jay Bollwinkel, Mark Dawson, Kurt Altvater, Brian Huculak, Laura Ault, Geoff Ellis, John Sua Front left: Randy Jackson & Jan Striefel

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Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

The LAEP Advancement Board consists of prominent alumni and friends of the Department who are committed to building the strength of the program. It is the largest Advancement Board of any department on the USU Campus. Board membership is by invitation and is a voluntary position.

LAEP ADVANCEMENT BOARD Members act to advise and assist with elevating the program’s excellence in matters related to trends in the profession, alumni relations, curriculum, recruiting, and student placement. Members also assist the Department in securing funding for programs, endowments and scholarships, as well as goods and services related to Department goals.

Finally, Members serve as a voice representing the program before the University, Public and Practice.

The Board’s membership consists of 25-30 active Members. A Board elected Executive Committee consists of Co-Chairs, Secretary, and a chair for each Standing Committee.

Two general Board meetings are held each year on the USU campus in Logan. If you are interested in more information about the Board, please contact tanya.rice@usu.edu.

arez, Mark Johnson, Nancy Monteith, James Hyatt, Sean Michael, JoEllen Grandy

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Randy Jackson and Jay Bollwinkel give a brief speech at the LAEP Banquet in April.

INTRODUCING THE NEW ADVANCEMENT BOARD CO-CHAIRS. We are pleased to announce the LAEP Advancement Board’s new Co-chairs and 5 new Board members. After 3 years of dedication to the Board and all who serve, co-chairs Linda Snyder and Jan Striefel have stepped down. They have been replaced with Randy Jackson of PlaceWorks and Jay Bollwinkel of MGB+A, by a vote of the Board.

We thank Jan and Linda for their remarkable service and look forward to continuing their progress with new ideas and energy under Jay and Randy’s leadership

JAY BOLLWINKEL Jay Bollwinkel has been a member of the LAEP Advancement Board since 2002. His dedication to LAEP is seen though his continued commitment to serve, and passion for the development and placement of students.

Jay is a Principal of MGB+A and manages complex projects, from marketing, client relations and contract negotiation, through the design and construction document phase. Jay excels in the realms of regional and city planning and has participated in

public workshops such as Envision Utah.

In addition to serving as Co-chair on the Board, Jay has also served his professional colleagues as a former president of the Utah Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and various other community service organizations.

RANDY JACKSON (PICTURED BELOW)

Randy Jackson has been a member of the LAEP Advancement Board since its beginning in 2002. He has been a vital contributor and serves on the Placement committee.

Randy is President and Principal of PlaceWorks, Inc. in Orange County, California. Throughout his more than 45 years of experience in planning and design, Randy has conceived and developed unique land use and design concepts for award-winning communities. He continues to focus his expertise on healthy communities built around and integrating transportation, transit, open space, and park and recreation systems. He oversees projects throughout California, across the United States, and abroad.

In addition to serving as Co-chair on the Board, Randy recently completed a two-year term as Chairman of Urban Land Institute’s Community Development Council (Blue Flight). He currently serves as ULI Governor as well as Chairman of ULI Orange County/ Inland Empire’s District Council.

THE NEW ADVANCEMENT BOARD MEMBERS ABRAM NIELSON (PICTURED ABOVE)

Abram Nielsen graduated from LAEP in 2003 and has worked in the industry ever since with experience in landscape architecture, planning, resort and hospitality design, and urban design. His experience includes a broad range of award winning domestic and international work spanning five continents. He owes much of what he knows about design and landscape architecture to another USU alum, Bob Behling, who was his boss and mentor during his 11 years at EDSA. Following an extended internship, he eventually rose to the position of Vice President, before moving back home to Utah. He moved back to Utah for family, and to help establish and lead the Planning and Landscape Architecture Studio at FFKR Architects in Salt Lake City. In addition, he currently serves as a planning commissioner for Lehi City. He

has a wife and 3 insane boys that keep him grounded.

Abram joined the LAEP Advancement Board in April of 2017. His interest in serving as a board member is due to a desire to give back to younger landscape architects and give them guidance and direction on how to take advantage of a career in landscape architecture.

NOLA CHAVEZ Nola Chavez graduated from LAEP in 1981. She started her National Park Service (NPS) career as a co-op student during her undergraduate program and feels very fortunate to retire 37 years later still doing what she loves. For the past 13 years, she has been with the Denver Service Center (DSC) Transportation Division and is proud to call herself a “transportation geek.” She loves transportation – everything from parking meters, to piers, shuttles, automated and connected vehicles, and bicycles.

She is currently working on a project near and dear to her heart – the first ever NPS Active Transportation Guidebook. Look for a draft later on this year.

Other transportation career highlights included serving on the Transportation Research Board, Committee on Transportation Needs of National Parks & Public Lands and her role in the NPS Transportation Scholar Program. A highlight of her years with the DSC Planning Division came on the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act, when 32,557 acres of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was desig-

nated wilderness. Nola worked on this complex and controversial planning project over several years.

Nola retired from the National Park Service last March. Her plans include spending time with her husband of 23-years and enjoying outdoor adventures. She joined the LAEP Advancement Board in April 2017 and looks forward to giving back to her alma mater and support students. Because she is a public servant at heart, she does not believe her contributions to transportation will end with retirement.

MICHAEL BUDGE Michael graduated from LAEP in 2004. He is a founder and Associate Principal of Loci. He has more than ten years of professional experience in landscape architecture and urban design giving him deep expertise in solving complex design problems and implementing innovative solutions. Michael’s work ranges from urban design, resorts, institutions, parks and recreational open space, neighborhood and community planning, mixed-use development, to high-end residences. These projects have allowed him to work through many different phases of design from conceptual master planning and site analysis through construction documentation and observa-

tion – all of which have taught him what it takes to see a project through from initial ideas to implementation and how to work at a range of scales simultaneously.

He joined the LAEP Advancement Board in April 2017 and serves on the Placement Committee.

JOELLEN GRANDY JoEllen is an emerging professional, who graduated with a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon, 2012 and a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture with a minor in Ornamental Horticulture from Utah State University in 2009. After a full bucket list of adventures experienced while living in the Pacific Northwest, she has finally returned to her Rocky Mountain roots where she is presently working with Layton City Parks & Recreation Department as their Parks Planner. Her interests include planning and designing parks and natural playscapes, active transportation-related projects, long-range planning, civic space design, and historic preservation. She finds joy in serving with professionals from each department in her city and the opportunity to work alongside city elected officials in bettering the community together with each progressive step forward. JoEllen will be serving on the Recruitment Committee of the Advancement Board and is excited to be a voice to the surrounding communities within her reach as well as her colleagues. She hopes to inspire and collaborate on ways to encourage future generations to capture the vision and future our unique profession.

LAURA AULT Laura Ault graduated from LAEP with a Bachelor’s degree in 2002 followed by a Master’s of Science degree in Bioregional Planning. She is the Sovereign Lands Program Manager for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, which manages Utah’s sovereign lands or those lands found to be navigable at statehood. Prior to becoming the Sovereign Lands Program Manager, Laura worked as the planner and Forest Legacy Program Coordinator for the Division.

Before joining the Division, Laura worked as a Project Manager for the State and Local Planning Section of the Utah Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

Laura worked closely with the Utah Quality Growth Commission and the LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Fund on issues related to land use planning.

Laura joined the LAEP Advancement Board in April 2017 and serves on the Recruitment Committee.

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CLASS OF 2017 PL

LAEP STUDENT PLACEMENT The placement of LAEP students in practice is a high priority for the LAEP Department. These efforts are exemplified in the summaries of the 2017 Spring Placement Survey all LAEP students enrolled in the 2016-2017 school year. Employment successes of our 2017 graduating class are provided, as well as the current internships of our 2018, 2019 and 2020 classes. These summaries provide a glimpse of the tremendous determination from our students and committed alumni. The graphs and charts illustrate placement by class, degree and practice type, Of 27 graduates in 2017, 21 began design or planning related employment following graduation. A few graduating students accepted internships, as they were studying abroad last summer or received an internships offer from a prestigious company.

Graduate school is on the horizon for 3 of our graduates. Two of them are beginning coursework in LAEP; one as an MLA candidate and one as our 1st PhD candidate.

Nearly half of our employed graduates are working with alumni. We work diligently to prepare students for the workforce and are so grateful for connections we have maintained over the years. Thank you, alumni, for your commitment to the department and our students. If you are interested in inquiring about supporting our students, please email at tanya.rice@usu.edu.

A total of 39 interns gained professional experience last summer. More than half of them are working with alumni representing 9 U.S. states and India.

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LACEMENT SURVEY “MY INTERNSHIP SHOWED ME THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WORKING IN THE ‘SITE STUDIO,’ I WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS IN SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT, IN HOPES TO CREATE BETTER COMMUNITIES. THIS HAS GIVEN ME AN ADVANTAGE IN MY CURRENT POSITION WITH EDSA.” TYSON MURRAY, EDSA CLASS OF 2018, 2019 INTERNSHIP SURVEY “MY INTERNSHIP TAUGHT ME THAT I PREFER DOING SMALLER ENHANCEMENTS RATHER THAN LARGE SCALE MASTER PLANS. IT ALSO HELPED ME REALIZE THAT I ENJOY THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF A MAINTENANCE OFFICE. AFTER GRADUATION, I WAS OFFERED A FULL-TIME POSITION THAT I LOVE AND HAVE MOVED TO FLORIDA! MARGIE HAIGHT, BRIGHTVIEW Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning Department

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STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAEP PROGRAM A LEGACY OF GIVING No group is more uniquely qualified to be stewards of the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning program than LAEP alumni. As alumni, we own this program. Its DNA is part of us. Our DNA is part

of it. History has shown within years after its inception in 1939 LAEP alumni began playing a critical role in the program’s stewardship.

With 1,500 alumni from 1941 to the class of 2017, we’re a small, yet highly motivated group.

As alumni, we share a special bond forged from pulling studio all-nighters. Our shared experiences uniquely qualify us to take a leadership role in the stewardship of this place. Leadership to nurture it, support it, and help it evolve into something bigger than the sum of its parts. The fact is alumni voices, past, present, and future, allow our program to adapt and thrive in a changing world while maintaining its sense of place and wonder.

This proud tradition of LAEP alumni giving back to the program is evident by the numerous people who appear on the lists shown here. Others before them also gave of their time, energy, and resources.

Recent alumni carry on that proud legacy in establishing endowments and scholarships in the names of their classes or professors.

The John K. Nicholson Memorial Scholarship, Class of 1970 Endowment, Class of 1981 MLA Scholarship, and most recently the class of 2017 David Bell Scholarship Endowment are only a small sampling of the many financial contributions bestowed in the spirit of giving.

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While financial contributions are clearly a necessity, they are balanced by the equally important gifts of time, expertise, and energy.

Other forms of alumni engagement include offering studio critiques, serving as guest lecturers, or returning to share experiences about the first year or two away with former classmates. Any type of alumni engagement

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is valuable - no matter how small it may seem. All of it benefits students and raises the bar to inspire other alumni.

As LAEP Advancement Board members we’ve taken the next step in our commitment to the institution. We hold ourselves accountable to each other, LAEP faculty, CAAS and USU administrators, and most importantly, to the students and our fellow alumni. We make our best efforts to ensure LAEP has a strong and prosperous future. Some of us have taken the next steps in establishing planned estate gifts in the forms of trusts, endowments, stocks, real estate or other similar important life planning gifts in the name of the LAEP program.

The current LAEP Advancement Board, in addition to our regular contributions, has established an LAEP Board Alumni Match Fund.

We understand the financial burdens on recent alumni are high.

With the actions of recent alumni in mind, it may be easy to dismiss the possibility of making a small gift for fear it won’t have an impact. Every dollar gifted by recent alumni will be matched by the Board Alumni Match Fund - up to the amount currently available in the fund (currently $1,500).

Your $10 gift becomes $20, $25

becomes $50, and $50 becomes $100.

Thanks to our 2016-17 Donors

As students we spent three, four, or five years (and for some, even more) investing in ourselves. Each of us has unique memories of favorite professors, lectures, or studios where an “a-ha” moment (or many such moments) happened.

They stick with us throughout our careers. Having invested so heavily to build our careers, why not help pay that investment forward?

Gifts up to $500 Allysia Angus - 1999 Andrew Germanow - 1976 Benjamin George - 2009 Bo Yang Carlos Licon David Anderson - 1994 David Bell - 1970 David Evans Dennis Dudley - 1977 Dennis Shiozawa Desmond Fang - 2016 JoEllen Grady - 2009 John Ansbro John Suarez - 1986 Joseph Campo - 1996 Keith Christensen - 2011 Keith Moore Kelly Gillman - 1999 Ken Brooks - 1978 Laura Ault - 2006 Laura Wiberg - 1978 Marcus Pulsipher - 2007 Margaret Carr Garrett - 1980 Nancy Monteith - 2001 Ole Sleipness Patricia Hugenard - 1992 Patricia Kessler Phil Waite Roderick Wiberg - 1967 Roger Fickes - 1973 Sean Michael Shelley Knudsen Lindauer Shujuan Li Walter Cole - 1983 Zachary Scott

Engagement with our department is an opportunity to interact with faculty as professional peers and imprint some of our professional DNA - in essence, returning the favor in the same spirit of giving shown by LAEP alumni who came before us. Every visit and every financial contribution, buys each of us a bigger share in owning the successful stewardship of the LAEP program. The simple fact is every alumni voice is important.

On behalf of the LAEP Advancement Board, we look forward to engaging with you to grow the prosperity and success of the LAEP program.

Brian Huculak BLA Class of 1987 LAEP Advancement Board Development Committee Chair

HOW TO GIVE Contributing is easy through automated transfers, checks, or credit cards. You may choose one of two ways to make your donation.

1. www.laep.usu.edu/giving - Simply use the form and follow the prompts. This link allows allocating your donation to a number of departmental and scholarship options.

Gifts up to $1,000 Barty Warren-Kretzschmar CRSA Dale Schafer - 1987 Gail Mitsui Prashanta Bhat - 1992 Richard Shaw - 1972 Robert Watkins - 1977 Scott Gutting - 1983 Gifts up to $2,000 Mark Van der Zalm - 1998 Sharen Hauri - 2000 Gifts up to $5,000 Christopher Sands - 1994 Geoffrey Ellis - 1996 Kurt Altvater - 1981 Linda Snyder - 1981 Mark Dawson - 1981 Mark Johnson - 1975

2. By mail: Make check payable to LAEP Department, Utah State University and mail to LAEP Department 4005 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 844322-4005

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Gifts up to $10,000 Brian Huculak - 1987 Larry Harmsen - 1983 Randy Jackson - 1970 Gifts over $10,000 Anonymous Jan Striefel - 1978

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InSites - 2017 The Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Magazine College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences Utah State University 4005 Old Main Hill Logan Utah 84322-4005 laep.usu.edu