School of Planning, Design and Construction

As I reflect on the 2025-26 academic year, it’s difficult to ignore the challenges we faced, whether specific to our university or felt broadly by institutions across the country. Despite this, the School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC) maintained impressive enrollment at nearly 700 students, making SPDC the second largest unit in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR). Robust industry demand coupled with the sterling reputations of our four accredited programs once again culminated in our reliably high job placement rate. 

Though further challenges certainly lie ahead, I am grateful that the MSU Landscape Architecture (LA) program is both distinct and interconnected with the other SPDC programs; Construction Management, Interior Design, and Urban & Regional Planning. Together, we can rely on the support and resources of one another to effectively navigate the future as one school, united by a common mission and vision. As the only unit at MSU dealing with built, natural, and virtual environments, SPDC is uniquely positioned to grow and nurture interdisciplinary relationships between our programs built on shared core areas of scholarly research and innovation. Our programs’ ability to collaborate via shared interests strengthens SPDC’s capacity to contribute to MSU’s land-grant mission and the State of Michigan’s prosperity. It also enriches the educational outcomes of each program individually. 

In the Fall 2025 semester, the first annual SPDC Lecture Series deepened our school’s collaborative potential. Students from all majors joined a panel discussion with representatives from the Red Cedar Renaissance Development Project. Panelists shared insights informed by their areas of expertise and demonstrated how the disciplines within SPDC work together in professional practice.  

Demand grew this year for our second annual SPDC Career Fair, held in the Spring 2026 semester. Nearly 40 employers across the built environment sector attended this school-wide event which broadens student awareness of career possibilities outside their specific major in related industries. 

In August 2025, three LA students joined a group comprised of students from all SPDC majors for an experiential learning excursion with support from the Peter and Linda Riguardi Travel Endowment. The group visited active projects and historic sites in New York City, where they saw concepts from the classroom come to life and learned about the interconnectivity of each industry SPDC leads and enriches. 

The LA program’s annual LAAAB Distinguished Speaker Series and complimenting Student & Alumni Sketch Walk continue to provide an exciting and engaging way to begin the year. Organized and led by alumnus Robert ‘Bob’ Chipman (‘81), Sketch Walk attendees spent the afternoon touring campus with renowned artist and landscape architect Chip Sullivan (Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at UC Berkeley). That evening, Landscape Architecture Alumni and Advisory Board (LAAAB) member, Alex Fenech, moderated the Speaker Series panel discussion, “Balancing Preservation with Access and Public Use,” featuring: Mark Hershberger, Founder of Hershberger Design; Dan Wenk (‘75), PLA with the National Park Service; and Dan Lord, Chief of Finance and Operations at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The panel taught students about the role landscape architects play in the design and development of national and state public lands. 

In spring 2026, the program recognized Dan Wenk (‘75) with the 2026 Landscape Architecture Distinguished Alumni Award for his outstanding professional leadership and service in the US National Park Service. We also hosted a Book Talk in tribute to Bill Johnson (‘54) and his book, "Framework Thinking: Lessons in Community Planning & Design.” A panel led by Johnson's Co-Author, Dr. Har Ye Kan, facilitated a discussion of the design principles and philosophies outlined in the book. 

The 2025 Senior Show showcased graduating students’ final design projects, evaluated by a panel of professional jurors, while the annual Alumni Reception at the National American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Conference in New Orleans provided an opportunity to reconnect with alumni and celebrate the program’s continued impact on the profession.  

I deeply appreciate the dedication and support of the LAAAB, which sponsored these events that provide valuable development and education opportunities for our students as they build the foundation of their careers. 

LA at SPDC continues to excel on the national stage, including the 2025 ASLA Conference where the program won third place at the LABash Block Party, Design Category – our third award in four years. The program also impressed at the 2026 CELA Annual Conference, where seven graduate students and five faculty presented their recent research findings and I accepted the President’s Award. Individually, Isaiah Ramsey won the 2026 Council of Fellows Scholarship and Ava Yon won a national Scholarship from the Landscape Architecture Foundation. 

The Michigan Chapter ASLA Conference also prominently recognized our students’ success. Two group projects: one submitted by Jess Le, Ryan Patterson, and Ava Yon; the other by John Benedetto, Anna Berry, Macy Compson, and Josh Kuhowski, won Student Merit Awards, and Alice Finlan received the Honor Award for General Design. Additionally, MiASLA awarded Jess Le the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship. 

Many LA alumni also earned national acclaim this year. Alex Fenech and Dolores Silkworth were selected as Fellows by the ASLA Council of Fellows in 2025, and Gary Meisner was appointed to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Beautifying Transpiration Infrastructure Council. Several members of our LA Spartan community were honored on campus as well. At the 2026 CANR Alumni Awards Robert ‘Bob’ Chipman received the Alumni Service Award and Patti Chipman received the Honorary Alumni Award.  

While our talented faculty members continue to provide students with a solid foundation for academic and professional growth, financial barriers may hinder some from fully engaging in all that we offer. Our program’s ongoing goal is to offer diverse enriching experiences to our students, including attendance at professional conferences, workshops, visits to prominent project sites and professional offices, research opportunities, and access to essential graphic software and digital resources. These experiences are essential in preparing our students for building successful careers and greater contributions to our discipline and communities. 

With the generous support of our alumni, friends, and donors, our program awarded nearly $300,000 in LA scholarships to our students during the 2025-26 academic year, including support from the John and Patricia Chipman Endowed International Enrichment Program in Landscape Architecture, which enabled LA students to study abroad in Japan during the Spring 2026 semester.  Below is a list of recipients who received at least one of our program scholarships. Our students and faculty are incredibly grateful for your generous support, which enables them to pursue their academic and professional goals. 

• Hamilton Anderson Associates, Inc. Scholarship: Myles Drimby, Brooks Funke, and Michael Young 

• Jack G. Anderson Student Enrichment Fund for Landscape Architecture: Ryan Patterson 

• John W. Campbell Endowment for Environmental Design Masters: Samia Faiza, Adam Hershner, Christopher Nosek, Isaiah Ramsey, Ava Yon, and Sydney Zachos 

• June Knostman Landscape Architecture Endowment: Scarlet Hajducky, Garret Mittelstaedt, and Lucy Vanduine 

• Kenneth & Shirley Polakowski Family Scholarship: Samia Faiza and Isaiah Ramsey 

• Landscape Architecture Golf Outing Scholarship: Adam Hershner 

• Landscape Architecture Student Enrichment Fund: Ava Yon 

• Landscape Architecture Endowment: Thun Ksor 

• Landscape Architecture Ph.D. Scholarship: Wenxin Sun, Xinyi Wang, Musab Wedyan, Yuhan Wen, and Jing Zhou 

• Thomas K. & Sheila T. Moore Landscape Architecture Fund: Isabella Crowley, Lucianna Hall, and Isaiah Ramsey 

• TowerPinkster Scholarship in Landscape Architecture: Scarlet Hajducky and Halle Nesky-Reimer 

• William C. Stenquist & Kathryn Burgess Stenquist Landscape Architecture Scholarship: Rawan Al-Zayadi, Timothy Bohan, Emma Carey, Isabella Crowley, Myles Drimby, Nina Dunigan, Lily Ellison, Cora Erickson, Samia Faiza, Brooks Funke, Audrey Furman, Abby Gardner, Jillian Geisel, Scarlet Hajducky, Lucianna Hall, Adam Hershner, Max Kellogg, Lauren Kopera, Thun Ksor, Anthony Manolias, Brianna Meinen, Reagan Millard, Garret Mittelstaedt, Benjamin Morley, Halle Nesky-Reimer, Hector Nollette-Patulski, Christopher Nosek, Jack Ostrowski, Ryan Patterson, Isaiah Ramsey, Ava Rotman, Ultan Ryan, Jessica Szypula, Lucy Vanduine, Carson Woods, Ava Yon, Michael Young, Sydney Zachos, and Colin Zimmer 

The program continued to strengthen its teaching, research, and outreach capacity through the addition and integration of three new faculty members: Dr. Mahsa Adib, Dr. Haoyue Yang, and Professor Allison Balderston.

The LA program extends its deepest gratitude to our alumni and the LA Spartan community. As the news and achievements detailed above make clear, your support – whether financial, through voluntary efforts, or simply taking the time to meet and engage with our students – invaluably enhances their opportunities for and attainment of success in the classroom and beyond. Reflecting on this past academic year enlivens the pride I have for the excellence of our faculty, students, and alumni, and inspires my confidence in the future of our program and school.  

We encourage you to share your own achievements and stories with us as we continue to celebrate our accomplishments together. You can stay connected with the program through our official Facebook page for the latest updates, events, and news. Just as SPDC’s greatest strength lies in our programs’ ability to support and connect with one another, the foundation of SPDC’s Landscape Architecture program relies on the sustained support and connection of our growing LA community. 

Thank you, and Go Green!