Forster Ndubisi Professional Service Award

“Elen has left her inquisitive, collaborative, and forward-thinking fingerprints all over LAF’s research programs. Her influence has endured over the past decade, from the inception of CSI all the way to our current suite of programs, and her legacy will continue to grow through LAF’s research programs as long as LAF is around. Elen is now in our DNA.”

—LAF Senior Program Manager Megan Barnes

M. Elen Deming, DDes, FASLA, FCELA, has been a trusted LAF collaborator for over a decade. In the early years of the Landscape Performance Series and Case Study Investigation (CSI) program, Elen lent theoretical grounding to these initiatives and pushed LAF to expand our research objectives. In 2015, Elen joined the LAF Board of Directors and became Vice President of Research in 2016. During this period, Elen helped LAF further explore our interest in practice-based research and played a key role in developing the LAF Research Grant in Honor of Deb Mitchell. Although her LAF board service officially ended in 2019, she has continued to be part of conversations and conference presentations and serve on LAF research program review teams and grant juries. 

Winner Announcement

“Stephanie’s legacy is significant and substantial, particularly with planning for and managing LAF’s strategic growth and engaging with partner organizations, which has advanced the impact and influence of landscape architects. She truly embodies Forster’s deep commitment to LAF, our goals, and the discipline of landscape architecture."

— LAF CEO Barbara Deutsch, FASLA

Stephanie Rolley, FASLA, FCELA, PLA, AICP, served on the LAF Board of Directors from 2013 to 2020, including time as Vice President of Education and as President. She helped lead LAF during a period of marked expansion and then helped navigate the myriad changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and its evolution. Stephanie was part of the teams that crafted LAF’s leadership programs strategy, developed LAF’s 2016 Summit on Landscape Architecture and the Future and the resulting New Landscape Declaration, and worked to actualize the Green New Deal Superstudio. Her leadership helped to make and strengthen connections between LAF, students, and the community of educators. She has remained active as a Board Emerita.

Winner announcement

“Forster helped to shape LAF’s research focus during a period that was a step change for the foundation. From our performance-focused case studies and Case Study Investigation (CSI) program to the many other resources available on LandscapePerformance.org, his fingerprint and legacy continue to have wide-reaching impacts.”

— LAF CEO Barbara Deutsch, FASLA

Forster Ndubisi, PhD, FASLA, FCELA, was a long-time thought leader and friend of LAF. He served on the LAF Board of Directors from 1998 to 2001 and again from 2009 to 2016. His expertise and network contributed greatly to LAF’s success. He served as Vice President of Research, providing strategic guidance as LAF conceptualized and launched its Landscape Performance Series and long-term research focus in this area. Forster helped to provide a theoretical and methodological foundation for this work and connected LAF with many of the landscape architecture scholars and students with interest or expertise in this area – people who continue to provide thought leadership and engage others in landscape performance work.

Award Announcement