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.”
Robert L. Wesley, a pioneering architect and beloved mentor, has died at age 88. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Wesley joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1964 and became the firm's first Black partner in 1984. Throughout his career, he contributed to significant architectural projects while maintaining a strong commitment to civic engagement and professional mentorship.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to celebrate a series of recent accomplishments by Dr. Jim Collard, Professor of Practice in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Design, whose work continues to shape conversations around Indigenous economic development nationally and internationally.
University of Oklahoma Gibbs College of Architecture Dean Hans E. [PA1.1]Butzer returned to one of his most significant works on December 15, joining survivors and past and present board members for the groundbreaking of a $15.8 million expansion of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
