1. What was your undergraduate degree and how did it influence your decision to
pursue a MLA?
My goal has always been to incorporate design into the landscape. I actually built my undergraduate degree around the intention of pursuing an MLA. I received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Minor in Urban Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I paired the two together in hopes of getting a strong foundation in the principles of living systems and to begin to understand how people interact with their surroundings.
2. What is one of your favorite aspects of the school or the MLA degree track?
My favorite aspect of Tennessee’s MLA degree track is the vast amount of creative freedom that is given. There seem to be no limits to what you can or cannot do with a single project. Physical and digital tools are thrown at us left and right, but it is up to us to determine how we use those tools. Some people enjoy using physical or manual techniques while others prefer a more digital experience, but this leads to a creative environment where people are able to develop in their own unique ways.
3. What activities do you pursue outside the school?
Outside of school, I am an avid skier. I am always looking for the next thing to test my abilities or planning a trip to knock another mountain off my bucket list. One destination I hoped to hit this winter is Cades Cove. As soon as there is enough snow to backcountry down the backside, I’m there.
I also love to fish, read, and go on road trips. One of my most memorable experiences was catching Brook Trout on the Continental Divide as I backpacked over the San Juan Mountains.
pursue a MLA?
My goal has always been to incorporate design into the landscape. I actually built my undergraduate degree around the intention of pursuing an MLA. I received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Minor in Urban Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I paired the two together in hopes of getting a strong foundation in the principles of living systems and to begin to understand how people interact with their surroundings.
2. What is one of your favorite aspects of the school or the MLA degree track?
My favorite aspect of Tennessee’s MLA degree track is the vast amount of creative freedom that is given. There seem to be no limits to what you can or cannot do with a single project. Physical and digital tools are thrown at us left and right, but it is up to us to determine how we use those tools. Some people enjoy using physical or manual techniques while others prefer a more digital experience, but this leads to a creative environment where people are able to develop in their own unique ways.
3. What activities do you pursue outside the school?
Outside of school, I am an avid skier. I am always looking for the next thing to test my abilities or planning a trip to knock another mountain off my bucket list. One destination I hoped to hit this winter is Cades Cove. As soon as there is enough snow to backcountry down the backside, I’m there.
I also love to fish, read, and go on road trips. One of my most memorable experiences was catching Brook Trout on the Continental Divide as I backpacked over the San Juan Mountains.
4. What are you currently working on in studio?
My current studio project is focused on the topic of the “Liminality.” A word that is often hard to describe but the feeling is undoubtedly there when experiencing it. Liminal at its most basic sense can represent nostalgia. The first stage of the studio focuses on taking digital photos that we have gathered around Knoxville, editing them through analog methods, and compiling them into a short film that tries to evoke the feelings of the liminal.
5. Did you have an internship experience? What did you learn from it?
Over winter break, I had the opportunity to extern at Design Workshop (Aspen). From this experience, I learned what it meant to collaborate in a work environment, how a daily schedule may look at a firm, and how lots of interesting projects are always at the forefront of Landscape Architecture.
My current studio project is focused on the topic of the “Liminality.” A word that is often hard to describe but the feeling is undoubtedly there when experiencing it. Liminal at its most basic sense can represent nostalgia. The first stage of the studio focuses on taking digital photos that we have gathered around Knoxville, editing them through analog methods, and compiling them into a short film that tries to evoke the feelings of the liminal.
5. Did you have an internship experience? What did you learn from it?
Over winter break, I had the opportunity to extern at Design Workshop (Aspen). From this experience, I learned what it meant to collaborate in a work environment, how a daily schedule may look at a firm, and how lots of interesting projects are always at the forefront of Landscape Architecture.