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WINTER 2025 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 the 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.
Help Us Welcome Our Newest Board Members
Matt Fichter
Matt Fichter is an associate at Mahan Rykiel Associates in Baltimore, MD. Matt also worked at Land Collective and OLIN in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated from the BLA program in 2015.
Mindy Cooper
Mindy Cooper is a principal at dwg., an Austin-based practice with a focus on urban architectural landscapes. She leads a studio team at dwg. that collaborates with public-private partnerships and academic clients. Mindy lives in Austin, TX, and Lancaster, PA, and is a 2003 BLA graduate.
Ryan Binkowski
Ryan Binkowski is the senior vice president of operations for RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, a national design firm focusing on community development, public places, campus planning, and hospitality projects. He resides in Naples, FL, with his wife, Katie (Gonzalez). Both are 2003 BLA alumni.
Travis Flohr
Travis Flohr is an assistant professor in Penn State's Department of Landscape Architecture. He holds a BLA (2002) and MS in Landscape Architecture (2011) from Penn State.
Calvin Lo
Calvin Lo is currently a third-year undergraduate honors student from Philadelphia, PA. He is the president of the Landscape Architecture Student Society (LASS) for the 2024–25 school year.
Penn State LArch. Alumni: Private Sector Work
St. John Encampment Commons // AUSTIN, TEXAS
Mindy Cooper (BLA '03)
Austin Community College’s Highland Campus is located on what was once the site of the St. John Orphan Home and Industrial Institute, the first African American orphanage in the state. In 1971, the land was developed into Austin’s first suburban shopping center. Austin Community College purchased the declining Highland Mall in 2012, and in partnership with local developer Redleaf Properties, the property has been transformed into a culturally vibrant neighborhood that includes Austin Community College’s administrative offices, City of Austin Development Services, Austin PBS headquarters, retail shops, restaurants, and multi-family housing.
As the prime landscape architectural consultant on the St. John Encampment Park project, located between Austin Community College and City of Austin Development Services Office, dwg. used artful elements to tell the story of the site. The graceful form of the event pavilion, designed by Agenda Architecture, recalls the tented structure encampments that were held annually by the St. John Baptist Association in the 19th century. The installation of light features in ACC’s striking purple color celebrates the site’s current purpose and ties this open space to Fontaine Plaza on the other side of campus. Inscribed within the pathways encircling the event lawn is a poem inspired by the site’s history, reinvention, and hope for the future.
Located entirely on top of what was once a shopping mall parking lot with minimal planting breaks, the project reduced impervious surfaces by 89 percent and preserved 18 existing trees, including four heritage-size Live Oaks. A large event lawn contains a field of underdrains, which pick up stormwater that had initially been filtered by layers of soil. This stormwater is carried toward a large rain garden, which is designed to keep up to 1.2 million gallons of stormwater out of Austin’s stormwater system.
The project is the recipient of numerous awards, including 2024 ULI Austin Best Public Space Award, 2024 Texas ASLA Honor Award, and the 2024 Public Space Award from the Chicago Athenaeum. It was also a silver medalist in the 2024 ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards.
TEAM
Client: RedLeaf Highland (Public-Private Partnership)
Landscape Architecture: dwg. (Mindy Cooper, Principal-in-Charge)
Architecture: Agenda Architecture
Civil Engineering: Stantec
MEP Engineering: Bay and Associates
Irrigation: James Pole Irrigation Consultants
Contractor: Strata Landscape (Park), Harvey Cleary (Pavilion)
Penn State LArch. Alumni: Public Sector Work
Fuel Reduction Project // MT. MADONNA COUNTY PARK
Stephen J. Koren, PLA (BLA ’03), Capital Projects Manager II at County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department
As an important milestone in the implementation of the 2019 Mt. Madonna Forest Health Plan, our recent project focused on restoring resiliency within this vibrant ecosystem. This initiative involved the removal of approximately 23 acres of wildfire-prone non-native Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and the establishment of a shaded fuel break along a two-mile stretch of Pole Line Rd. This included the removal of dead and snagged trees and the lower brush layer within a meandering corridor approximately 50 feet on either side of the right of way, ensuring safe egress routes for residents and emergency personnel during wildfire events.
By proactively managing the forest along the ridgetop of this Santa Cruz mountains park, we successfully reduced critical hazardous fuels. The decision to prioritize the removal of this 80 percent-monoculture eucalyptus stand was crucial, as its potential ignition could have sent embers into the highly residential Santa Clara and San Benito Valleys, exacerbating fire risks significantly.
Funded by a CALFIRE California Climate Investments grant, this project concluded in June 2024, enhancing wildfire resilience and overall forest health. The creation of this buffer not only mitigates fire risk but also fosters biodiversity, allowing the native redwood and madrone forest to naturally regenerate over time with ongoing invasive management.
This project exemplifies proactive land management in the face of climate change challenges and reflects our commitment to safeguarding natural landscapes. I encourage my fellow landscape architects to engage in similar initiatives within your communities, nurturing healthier ecosystems for generations to come.
TEAM
Firm: Auten Resource Consulting, Forestry & Fuels Resource Management
Agency: Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department
Update from the Landscape Architecture Student Society (LASS)
Calvin Lo, LASS President
LASS Executive Board members from left to right: Ada Yu (event planner), Calvin Lo (president), Karolina Nowak (vice president).
LASS attended the 2024 National ASLA Conference in Washington, D.C.! Three of our board members — Calvin Lo (president), Karolina Nowak (vice president), and Ada Yu (event planner) — travelled to the nation’s capital to spend a few days at the conference, listening to lectures, exploring the Expo Hall, and of course, getting free merchandise from vendors. They also took some time to explore the pedestrian-friendly urban landscape and spent many hours of the day walking around to find great food and drinks around the city. The team was also grateful to attend the annual Landscape Architecture Foundation benefit that Sunday night to appreciate Penn State’s own Julia Li as the National Olmstead Scholar. They were excited to speak with alumni about experiences and network at Monday’s dinner gathering!
LASS Goes to Knoebels
Karolina Nowak, LASS Vice President
Around mid-October, LASS members enjoyed a trip to Knoebels Amusement Park. The crisp fall weather was perfect, setting the scene for a day of fun and way too much delicious carnival food! Our group of 11 included a variety of year levels, and this trip was a great bonding opportunity to strengthen relationships between the younger students and upperclassmen. We also spent time discussing what makes public spaces like Knoebels so popular and agreed that it’s the ideal spot for fall fun — bringing people together for a classic seasonal experience that everyone can enjoy.
Introduction to the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA)
Calvin Lo, LASS President
Penn State’s Landscape Architecture program has a new student organization! Officially starting this year, the National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA) aims to create an inclusive environment for upcoming designers and creatives without judgment, ridicule, prejudice, or hate. We are open to all, and we encourage uplifting voices of minority and marginalized members!
Class of 1981—43rd-Year Reunion!
First Row: Kathy Landis, Nina (Neithammer) Bisbee, Karen (McGonigal) Krater, Dan Jones, Jim DeTuerk, Joanne (Hartman) Cody, Wendy Weaver, Janet Spahr.
Second Row: Chuck Setchel, Kevin Kester, Randy Krater, Lisa (Lanois) Thomas, Jeff Thomas, Susie Meyer, Maureen Wheatley, Dave Christian, Sandy Christian, Matt Graham, George Skawski, Lou DiBello.
The Class of 1981 spent a wonderful Penn State weekend together this past September eating Creamery ice cream, touring the Arboretum, and enjoying a guided tour of the Palmer Museum of Art and the Stuckeman School. We ate, drank, and shared studio memories with each other and Professors Jim DeTuerk and Dan Jones. The weekend culminated with a guided tour of the Old Main Bell Tower. We all look forward to our next reunion.
APG Members
Terrie Brightman (2004)—President
Ashley Feitel (2014)—Vice President
Anjelyque Easley-Deluca (2020)—Secretary
Chris Maurer (2014)—Treasurer
Calvin Lo (2026)—Board Member, LASS President
Lisa Thomas (1981)—Immediate Past President, A&A Liaison
Travis Flohr (BLA 2002, MS in LArch 2011)—Board Member, Faculty Liaison
Stacy Fisher (1979)—Board Member
Kelly Gutshall (1984)—Board Member
Mindy Cooper (2003)—Board Member
Matt Fichter (2015)—Board Member
Ryan Binkowski (2003)—Board Member
Chingwen Cheng—Director of Stuckeman School
Roxi Thoren—Department Head
Pam Krewson Wertz—Stuckeman School Director of Marketing
Kelsey Knight—Director of Alumni Relations & Stewardship
Ashley Hardison—Assistant Director of Alumni Relations
Interested in becoming a board member? We have elections every other year. Please reach out to Terrie Brightman (emailterrie@gmail.com) for more information.
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
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