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.”
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture announces John Harris as Associate Dean for Research ad interim, effective Aug. 25, 2026, until the permanent position is filled.
Gibbs College is pleased to announce the 2026 Gibbs College Faculty & Staff Awards recipients. These individuals were recognized by Dean Butzer during the Gibbs College Back to School Meeting and will be honored during the Celebration Banquet in October. They were nominated by their colleagues via an open nomination process.
Telesis, the Gibbs College of Architecture’s student journal, has been awarded a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts to support its next two issues, “Pause” (Volume IX) and “React” (Volume X).
