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.”
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
