In July 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security officially designated Landscape Architecture as a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics degree program. Landscape Architecture was one of only eight fields selected out of 120 submissions under consideration.
“The STEM designation elevates the profession and highlights the scientific nature of our work,” said Sarah Little, associate professor of landscape architecture. “With the challenges posed by climate change and severe weather, the expertise of landscape architects is needed now more than ever.”
She continued, “Practitioners work with communities to identify climate change-related challenges and design built environment interventions, such as green infrastructure and Low Impact Development, which ameliorate the negative effects of climate change while preserving the social and cultural significance of place. Also, the designation allows landscape architecture professors to pursue federal funding reserved for STEM-related projects.”
The STEM designation is the result of many years of advocacy from The American Society of Landscape Architects. According to the ASLA, landscape architecture programs are developing new technologies and pioneering some of the most innovative research, from using artificial intelligence for urban agriculture to hydraulic modeling.
According to the CEO of ASLA Torey Carter-Conneen, “The infrastructure challenges in municipalities across the country are enormous – landscape architects bring transformative solutions. [This] decision will advance landscape architecture education and practice, and that is great for America and the global community.”
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition 200 Digital Drawings by Professor Tiziana Proietti, currently on display in the Gould Hall Living Room.
Gibbs College of Architecture Professors Amber Brown and Amy Leveno led 29 students to Dallas, Texas, in September for a learning experience as part of their Design 7 Studio course.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture professor and Institute for Quality Communities Director Dr. Amber N. Wiley’s book, Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nation’s Capital, has received two major honors from the Urban History Association.
