Penn State Stuckeman School of Landscape Architecture Alumni Group header image with photo of Stuckeman students gathered outside in a park for a lecture in Barcelona, Spain. Image courtesy of Neil Korostoff.

SPRING 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 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.

Landscape Architecture Student Society End-of-Year Reception promotional flyer with illustration of a flowering plant.

Support Students, Support LASS

End-of-Year Reception and Evening Mixer
This year, LASS is planning an end-of-year reception on April 29, 2023 at 4–6 p.m. at the Scholar Hotel in State College. Alumni will be invited to the evening mixer. Please RSVP using the QR code above or through this link.

Park(ing) Day—April 29, 2023
LASS is working toward a creative Park(ing) Day installation and teaming up with some of the architecture students who can assist with fabrication. If you are able to provide donations to the installation, please contact LASS President Tegan Lochner.

Penn State Landscape Architecture students at the 2022 National ASLA Conference in San Francisco, CA.

LASS at National ASLA Conference 2022

Fifteen Penn State landscape architecture students were given the opportunity to travel to San Francisco, California, to attend the National ASLA Conference in November 2022. Students spent the trip learning the importance of placemaking, both through formal education at the conference, and informal lived experiences in a new city. While at the conference, students attended a variety of enriching lectures on topics of all scales, ranging from groundbreaking mycology to drone-aided design. In their free time, students biked the San Francisco Bay coast, walked from SoMA to the Golden Gate Bridge, and navigated the extensive public transit systems. For many students, this experience altered the trajectory of their academic and professional careers in a way that they had not anticipated before. This entire trip was made possible by the support of the Landscape Architecture Student Society and the Department of Landscape Architecture. Together, the two entities were able to fully fund flights and lodging for all fifteen students, making the conference accessible to students who would not otherwise be able to attend.

Landscape Architecture Department Head Elected to CELA Academy of Fellows

Roxi Thoren, professor and head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, has been elected to the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Academy of Fellows. Membership in the Academy of Fellows represents the highest level of achievement within CELA, which aims to “encourage, support, and further education in the field of landscape architecture specifically related to teaching, research, scholarship, and public service,” according to its website. The 2023 CELA Class of Fellows was inducted during the organization’s annual conference March 15–18 in San Antonio.

Thoren, who came to Penn State in July 2021, focuses her work on the integration of productivity in landscape architectural design, which includes a series of research and design projects focused on agriculture, forestry, and power. She was formerly at the University of Oregon, where she was an associate professor, department head, and associate dean for academic affairs in the university’s College of Design.

Government Affairs

Licensure
The State of Virginia currently has proposed legislation to deregulate Landscape Architecture licensure. Licensure is not only a reflection of our time and expertise but is paramount for the health and safety of the public as well as the economic vitality of the profession.

Bill text can be found here.

You can directly email your state senator or you can tag on to Interior Design's campaign and edit your letter to include Landscape Architecture. More information here.

*Please note that you have to be a resident of the state to oppose legislation, but you do not have to be a licensed landscape architect, so please forward to in-state family and friends.

University Funding
Even though Penn State is one of the highest attended universities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it disproportionately receives less funding per student than the other publicly funded universities. In fact, Penn State students receive between $2,600-$3,400 less than their peers at other public universities in Pennsylvania. The budgetary deficit and how the University handles reallocation will impact smaller majors including landscape architecture, as our class sizes make it hard to compete for resources compared to colleges with larger enrollment. Consider adding your signature to Advocate Penn State's petition.

Alumni Work: Project Highlight

Project: Elmwood Park Zoo
Penn State Alum: Jennie Ryan-Gisewhite, RLA
Firm: Glackin Thomas Panzak

Elmwood Park Zoo is a small family-oriented zoological park located in Norristown, PA, specializing in medical care for its large variety of species and providing conservation opportunities to the surrounding community. Glackin Thomas Panzak was tasked with providing landscape architectural services for Phase I of the zoo’s master plan, which includes a new welcome center, veterinary hospital, and entrance plaza. The plaza design centers on a fountain that includes statues memorializing the zoo’s first inhabitants, the white-tailed deer, as well as a likeness of one of zoo’s most cherished animals, the jaguar. Pavers are designed in large leaf patterns, and a winding stream of colored stamped concrete representing Stony Creek. Native non-toxic plants were selected with the animal’s diets in mind so that trimmings could be used as forage. Glackin Thomas Panzak provided vehicular, pedestrian, and landscape lighting for the project. The project is beginning construction in spring 2023.

Concept art featuring overhead view of Rash Field waterfront.

Alumni Work: Project Highlight

Project: Rash Field Development
Penn State Alum: Mick Humes, PLA
Firm: Mahan Rykiel Associates

Mahan Rykiel was selected by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore to re-imagine Rash Field to be Baltimore’s destination location for a diversity of uses and users from across the demographic spectrum who are interested in health and wellness, arts and culture, local food, and urban nature. Planning for such uses involved a diligent public engagement process that necessitated numerous community stakeholder meetings and solicited input through a website, surveys, and focus groups.

Based upon the input provided via the engagement process, a plan for Rash Field emerged that will transform Rash Field into a location for community members and tourists interested in play, health and wellness, urban nature, education, and arts and culture.

The project was awarded the 2022 ULI Baltimore Wavemaker Award.

A closeup of Stacy Levy's "Ridge and Valley" sculpture at The Arboretum at Penn State. The sculpture, made of Pennsylvania bluestone, illustrates the flow of water through the Spring Creek Watershed by using rainwater to animate creeks, streams and other landscape features carved into a stone map. Image courtesy of Laura Waldhier and Penn State.

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 and funded 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

Ashley Feitel (2014)—Board Member
Chris Maurer (2014)—Treasurer
Eliza Pennypacker—Faculty Representative
Evan Stone (1986)—Board Member
Jim DeTuerk (1961)—Board Member
Julie Cantola Kirsch (2009)—Board Member
Kelsey Knight—Director of Alumni Relations & Stewardship
Ashley Hardison—Assistant Director of Alumni Relations
Katie Kovalchik (2015)—Secretary
Kelly Gutshall (1984)—Board Member
Lisa Thomas (1981)—Immediate Past President
Tegan Lochner (2024)—LASS President
Mallika Bose—Interim Director of Stuckeman School
Roxi Thoren—Department Head
Stacy Fisher (1979)—Vice President
Terrie Brightman (2004)—President

Interested in becoming a board member? We have elections every other year. Please reach out to Terrie Brightman (emailterrie@gmail.com) for more information.