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FALL 2023 NEWSLETTER
Why does the Penn State Landscape Architecture APG exist?
The purpose of this APG shall be to stimulate the continued interest of all graduates of the department, to act as an advisory board to the department, and to provide a means whereby alumni may have enhanced relations and interactions with the department and for them to join for the improvement of the department in its entirety. Toward that purpose, the APG will lead efforts in financial support and development for the department’s benefit and stability.
Who is Penn State Landscape Architecture APG?
Membership in this APG is open to all graduates of this department, regardless of their membership in the Penn State Alumni Association. Membership will be conferred upon graduation from the program. Membership will be free to all members. The affairs of the APG shall be conducted by a Board of Directors consisting of 16 members, of which 11 are voting members.
Why this newsletter?
This newsletter is a way for the Penn State Landscape Architecture APG to communicate with the larger alumni community. We will keep you up-to-date on the latest APG initiatives, goals, and any relevant department updates.
Landscape Architecture APG Mentorship Program Wins Award!
The Landscape Architecture APG Mentorship Program is delighted to announce that it has received the 2023 Penn State Alumni Association Volunteer Group Award for Professional Development. This prestigious award was presented during the Alumni Leadership Conference at the Hintz Family Alumni Center in July. Along with the honor, the program was granted a monetary award of $1,000, which will be used to support the Ridge and Valley field trip and the upcoming LASS Spring Celebration event. More details on the latter event will be provided soon.
The Mentorship Program was established in 2012 and has successfully matched more than 200 mentorship pairs. The program seeks mentors in August, and their commitment lasts throughout the academic year. Over the years, the program has expanded to include a kick-off meet-and-greet event, monthly topic suggestions, talking points, and a reference guide outlining expectations for participants.
Out of the numerous nominations received, the committee chose the LArch APG Mentorship Program as the recipient of this award, noting that the program exemplifies the outstanding efforts of volunteer leaders who embody the mission of the Penn State Alumni Association.
The APG is currently seeking a donation match to supplement the $1,000 Professional Development Award received through the Alumni Association. This matching gift will be deposited into the Landscape Architecture Alumni Program Endowment Fund to benefit the department and its students. The donation can be made by either a firm or an individual, who will receive recognition in the spring newsletter for their generous gift. Contact Ashley Hardison to match this award.
Support Students, Support LASS
Knoebels Trip
Knoebels is a family-owned amusement park that has been in existence for more than 100 years. It started as just a community pool and has expanded over time to become as large as it is today. That being said, there hasn't been any thought behind designing the areas, rather rides just put down wherever they had space. What we did on the trip was give LASS members the opportunity to see these spaces and decide for themselves how they would reorganize the park. It was a great way to get members involved in a way that is reminiscent of many of their childhood experiences at similar amusement parks. Our members had an amazing time, and we hope to make this an annual event!
LASS at National ASLA Conference 2023
Seven Penn State students representing the Landscape Architecture Student Society got the opportunity to attend the 2023 National ASLA Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Students got the chance to learn about new landscape fields, techniques, and design. While attending the conference, students enjoyed a variety of enticing lectures with topics including equitable transportation design, trauma-informed design, and various other exciting design topics. In their free time, students visited the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden, explored downtown Minneapolis, and were able to have a brunch with some amazing Penn State alumni, including Matt Langan, Mindy Cooper, Matt McMahon, and Stacilyn Feldman.
Landscape Architecture Students Earn National Olmsted Scholar Honors
Keith Faminiano, a graduate student who is pursuing his master of landscape architecture degree in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School, has been selected as the graduate 2023 Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) National Olmsted Scholar. The honor comes with a $25,000 prize and is considered the highest honor for students studying landscape architecture.
Olivia Krum, a Schreyer Scholar and bachelor of landscape architecture student at Penn State, was named a finalist for the undergraduate 2023 National Olmsted Scholar award, which comes with a $3,000 prize.
Two independent juries of leaders in the landscape architecture profession selected the 2023 winners and finalists from a group of 50 graduate students and 38 undergraduate students who were nominated by their faculty for being exceptional student leaders. The top eight students this year join the community of 1,069 LAF Olmsted Scholars who have been named since the program’s inception in 2008.
College of Arts and Architecture 2023 Alumni Award: Matt McMahon
The Arts and Architecture Alumni Awards were established more than 30 years ago with the purpose of recognizing the career achievements of Penn State alumni in the arts and design disciplines.
Matt McMahon (BLA ’04) is a director and senior landscape architect at Snøhetta. He is attracted to overlooked landscapes, ideas, and people, raising questions around perception, poetry, and power. His design work places him between disciplines, often playing with context and scale, systems and objects, history and time. McMahon draws upon 25 years of professional and academic experience in landscape architecture, ecology, and architecture. He has led Snøhetta’s work on the Blanton Museum of Art and the Willamette Falls Riverwalk, and currently directs the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the North Dakota Badlands. Prior to Snøhetta, McMahon worked with a variety of New York design firms. He regularly speaks at conferences and schools, attends studio design reviews, and contributes to publications such as Stan Allen’s Landform Building. McMahon holds a master of architecture degree from Princeton University.
Read more about all winners here.
Before (left); after (right)
Alumni Work: Swarr Run at Penn State Health Hospital
Penn State Alumni: Kelly Gutshall, PLA (BS '84), Eric Lyons (BLA '14), Justin Spangler, PE (BS Ag & Bio Engineering ’04), Ben Ehrhart, PE (MS Ag & Bio Engineering ’98)
Firm: LandStudies
A 17-acre floodplain and severely degraded stream corridor were restored to a vibrant, functioning aquatic wetland system that provides not only the stormwater management for Penn State Health’s new hospital in Lancaster County, but regional benefits for the community. By removing 80,000 cubic yards of Legacy Sediment that was choking the floodplain system, we were able to create a biodiverse, self-sustaining native plant community, increase flood storage capacity, and reconnect groundwater with surface water. This project is an example of Economic Ecology TM, in which the developer, Oak Tree Development Group, realized an increase in buildable area by restoring the floodplain to address stormwater regulations. In addition, the local municipality was gifted 61,700 lbs/year of sediment reductions to use for their MS4 Pollution Reduction Plan at no cost to taxpayers. LandStudies provided full-service design, permitting, construction, and maintenance services for this project.
Alumni Work: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
Penn State Alum: Matt McMahon (BLA '04)
Firm: Snøhetta
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is more than a building; it is a journey through a preserved landscape of diverse habitats, punctuated with small pavilions providing spaces for reflection and activity. The building’s location at the northeast edge of the butte preserves the landscape for conservation research while offering a setting for educational walks, leisure, and recreation. Through its ongoing maintenance and cultivation, the site landscape will act as a laboratory and biological repository for the flora of the Badlands.
Our design for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is informed by the President’s personal reflections on the landscape, his commitment to environmental stewardship, and the periods of quiet introspection and civic engagement that marked his life. As visitors set out on the Library loop, they will encounter adventurous paths that connect to the nearby Maah Daah Hey Trail, as well as several small pavilions. Ranging from contemplative nooks to expansive vistas, these pavilions invite visitors to experience Roosevelt’s trials and triumphs in dialogue with the landscapes that shaped him. Visitors can ascend the accessible rooftop to discover commanding views of Badlands National Park, including historical settings in the Little Missouri River valley, and the location of Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch far in the distance. The vista is a call to action, connecting today’s visitor to Roosevelt’s legacy.
Penn State Landscape Architecture Endowment
Thank you for continuing your contributions to the Penn State Landscape Architecture Endowment. Last year, this endowment made it possible for students to participate in the Ridge and Valley Field Trip, in addition to supporting the purchase of an augmented reality sandbox, which allows students to get a hands-on lesson in how topographical maps and contours work.
As always, the endowment program is open for donations.
If you’d like to donate to the Penn State LArch
Endowment Fund, click here:
raise.psu.edu/LARCHProgramEndowment
APG Members
Terrie Brightman (2004)—President
Jim DeTuerk (1961)—Board Member
Anjelyque Easley-Deluca (2020)—Board Member
Ashley Feitel (2014)—Board Member
Stacy Fisher (1979)—Vice President
Kelly Gutshall (1984)—Board Member
Katie Kovalchik (2015)—Secretary
Chris Maurer (2014)—Treasurer
Evan Stone (1986)—Board Member
Lisa Thomas (1981)—Immediate Past President
Chingwen Cheng—Director of Stuckeman School
Roxi Thoren—Department Head
Eliza Pennypacker—Faculty Representative
Pam Krewson Wertz—Stuckeman School Director of Marketing
Kelsey Knight—Director of Alumni Relations & Stewardship
Ashley Hardison—Assistant Director of Alumni Relations
Ariana Braun (2025)—LASS Liaison
Interested in becoming a board member? We have elections every other year. Please reach out to Terrie Brightman (emailterrie@gmail.com) for more information.
