2026 Olmsted Scholars Induction Ceremony
This virtual celebration honored the 56 graduate and 41 undergraduate students named as 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars.
With its $25,000 graduate and $15,000 undergraduate prize, the LAF Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier leadership recognition program for landscape architecture students. The online induction on August 27, 2026 celebrated these rising leaders and welcomed them to the community of 1,351 LAF Olmsted Scholars named since the program’s inception in 2008.
The ceremony featured presentations from a past scholar and the two 2026 national winners:
- Jared Edgar McKnight, Senior Associate, WRT (2021 LAF National Olmsted Scholar Finalist)
- Henry Ley, Cornell University, 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar (Undergraduate)
- Miriam Hernandez Medina, Harvard Graduate School of Design, 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar (Graduate)
Recordings from the event are posted below. Watch to learn more about this prestigious program and see some of the ideas and issues the next generation of designers is poised to tackle.
Meet the 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars
The LAF Olmsted Scholars Program honors students with exceptional leadership potential who are using ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits.
Now in its 19th year, the program recognizes one outstanding student from each accredited landscape architecture program in the US and Canada, along with the jury-selected graduate and undergraduate national award winners and finalists. (The 2026 winners and finalists are shown here.)
The LAF Olmsted Scholars are recognized for past achievements and for their future potential to influence the landscape architecture discipline.
The full induction ceremony as well as recordings of the presentations and videos played during the event can be viewed below.
Schedule
4:00pm Welcome + Introduction, Danielle Carbonneau, Senior Program Manager, Landscape Architecture Foundation
4:04pm Keynote Address, Jared Edgar McKnight, 2021 LAF National Olmsted Scholar Finalist
4:14pm Recognition of undergraduate 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars, finalists, and national winner, Elaine Kearney, LAF President-elect
4:30pm Recognition of graduate 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars, finalists, and national winner, Alexa Bush, LAF President
4:46pm Presentation, Henry Ley, Cornell University, 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar (Undergraduate)
4:56pm Presentation, Miriam Hernandez Medina, Harvard Graduate School of Design, 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar (Graduate)
5:06pm Closing Remarks, Danielle Carbonneau, Senior Program Manager, Landscape Architecture Foundation
Times in EDT
Full Event Recording
Keynote Address by Jared Edgar McKnight, 2021 LAF National Olmsted Scholar Finalist
Undergraduate 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars Video
Undergraduate 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar Finalists Video
Presentation by Henry Ley, 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar (Undergraduate)
Graduate 2026 LAF Olmsted Scholars Video
Graduate 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar Finalists Video
Presentation by Miriam Hernandez Medina, 2026 LAF National Olmsted Scholar (Graduate)
