Department news

The Department of Landscape Architecture's annual Sasaki Day celebration is happening on May 6, 2026 and will feature a lecture by David Godshall.

The University of Illinois BLA and MLA programs achieved a rare perfect accreditation renewal from the LAAB, meeting all 96 assessments of the Accreditation Standards.

Both the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) and the Landscape Architecture Bash (LABash) conferences took place in Ohio this year, with high participation from our department faculty and students.

 

The Department of Landscape Architecture had a fantastic spring semester full of studios that had both faculty and students traveling all over the state, and provided hands-on experience in the field.

Spring commencement was an inspiring event for all who participated.

The spring's march newsletter by the head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, David L. Hays, updates alumni and friends on current activities within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Landscape Architecture department. It covers the midterms, students' project work during spring break, and highlights recent events such as the 2024 All-Department Charrette focused on climate resilience. The newsletter also celebrates achievements and recognitions of department members, including alumni and faculty. Additionally, it announces upcoming events like the CELA 2024 Annual Conference in St. Louis.

The spring newsletter by the head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, David L. Hays, gives updates on recent activities and events happening within the department, including new courses and workshops that opened, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Mumford Hall, and new, exciting events that are coming up such as All-Department Charrette, Terry Harkness “Plants in Design” Lecture, 2024 Sasaki Day Lecture, and more.

The Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign invites applications for a full-time, tenure-stream position in Landscape Ecologies.

The Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign invites applications for a full-time, tenure-stream position in Landscape Engineering and Construction.

The Fall newsletter by the head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, David L. Hays, shares updates on activities and events happening within the department, including the All-Department Meeting and ASLA Welcome Picnic; introductions to new teaching assistant professors and their expertise; upcoming Projects in Practice lectures; and other events to look forward to this semester!

Salcedo is the national undergraduate winner of the 2023 Fountain Scholarship, a prestigious award granted by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). She received the award during a ceremony at the CELA Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX.

Led by Prof. Mary Pat McGuire, the initiative is part of a growing movement to transform underused paved areas, such as empty parking lots, into vibrant, green, community spaces.

Students in our undergrad Regional Design Studio partnered with the City of Whiting, IN, and the USDA Forest Service to design plans for foresting vacant lots. So far, two have been planted, with more to come.

Three members of our department community—faculty member Kelley Lemon, current student Ana Valderrama, and alum Sonal Mithal—have been awarded prestigious grants from the Graham Foundation.

The Department of Landscape Architecture is pleased to announce the establishment of the Sofia T. Soudavanh Garden on an area of ground adjacent to our building, Temple Buell Hall.

Prof. Kelley Lemon and PhD in Landscape Architecture alumnus Dongying Li are two of the twelve faculty Research Fellows selected to study high-performing landscape projects in the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s 2022 Case Study Investigation program.