2024 LAF Scholarship Recipients

Hawaii Chapter ASLA/David T. Woolsey Scholarship

Kanani DʻAngelo (she/her) is from ‘Aiea, Hawai’i. She is currently studying landscape architecture and city planning at the University of California, Berkley. She is part of a team working to restore Loko I’a Pāʻaiau, a traditional Hawaiian fishpond in Kalauao, on the shores of Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor). Upon graduation, she looks forward to returning home to continue to support Hawaiian communities and islands through the restoration of Hawaiian cultural and spiritual places and practices.

ASLA-NY Equitable Public Urban Space Scholarship

Ximena Diaz Velasco (she/her) is a Mexican-American artist and second-year Master of Landscape Architecture student at the City College of New York. She was born in Pachuca, Mexico, and grew up in York, Pennsylvania after immigrating to the United States at age five. As an artist, Ximena uses acrylics and watercolors to depict colorful natural realities she has experienced across cultures. Before pursuing her graduate degree, Ximena spent four years working with NGOs and government agencies and organizing community action, seeking to reduce barriers to public spaces such as libraries and national parks for under-resourced communities. Ximena’s undergraduate studies in international development and social change at the George Washington University laid the foundation for her commitment to social and environmental justice. Through the lens of her lived experiences and learned perspective, Ximena is growing as a landscape architect focused on designing multi-species community-managed spaces, emphasizing design and build processes that prioritize place making and social change, and inspiring healing connections.

Daniel Zwier/Permaloc Innovation Scholarship

Luke Duncan (he/him) is a landscape architecture graduate student attending Cal Poly Pomona. He is passionate about creating public spaces that unite people with native ecology. His experiences hiking and spending time in the outdoors have significantly impacted his focus and improved his sense of understanding for the natural environment and its potential for positive impact on human health. His primary focus is in designing landscapes that benefit communities that do not have easy access to large ecologically healthy spaces. Through engaging under-resourced communities with the environment, Luke hopes to create landscapes that emphasize the importance of a healthy coexistence between people and the land. Creating accessible outdoor spaces that improve human health while fostering a sense of environmental stewardship is a goal that he aims to achieve as a student and professional landscape architect.

Rain Bird Intelligent Use of Water™ Scholarship 

Samson Durgy (he/him) is a junior at Michigan State. He is interested in improving access to green space and walkability in communities. Samson wants to use design to improve issues like the urban heat island effect, stormwater management, and car dependent cities. In fall of 2024, he plans to begin his master’s in urban and regional planning.
 

Daniel Zwier/Permaloc Innovation Scholarship

Taylor Jais (they/them, goes by Jais) is an MLA student at RISD. Jais holds a BA in Anthropology from Wellesley College. Their undergraduate degree has informed their belief that history is vital to understanding space and culture and so Jais’s work is often characterized by deep investigation. At RISD, Jais has focused on coastal resiliency-drawing inspiration from their experiences growing up in coastal communities. Currently, they are working on coastal material studies as a biomaterials research assistant at the RISD Nature Lab. They hope to help design biomaterial strategies for stabilizing shorelines while simultaneously creating habitat and spaces for multispecies systems. Jais is particularly interested in developing shell-based biomaterials and bio-concrete that has the potential to support aquaculture practices and shellfish habitat.

EDSA Diversity Scholarship

Clara Jimenez comes from Venezuela. She is an MLA candidate at Louisiana State University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture with minors in environmental sciences and architectural history. Clara was awarded the Dean’s Medal and the ARCC King Medal for her environmental design excellence research. She is an enthusiast of sustainable design and a researcher on green roof technology and green infrastructure at the LSU Coastal Ecosystem Design Studio. She wants to keep learning how to merge design and ecology to address environmental issues in our communities and improve their resiliency.
 

ASLA Council of Fellows Scholarship

Carington Light (she/her) is a graduating senior at North Carolina A&T State University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture. As a kid, she traveled to multiple National Parks, growing her appreciation for nature and what it can provide. She wants others to see that nature is more than seasonal allergies and bugs. One of her career goals is to inspire other young landscape architect students. With her love for nature comes her love for her plants. She doesn’t have a great green thumb but tries to do her best when it comes to gardening.  

ASLA Council of Fellows Scholarship

Aisha Malik (she/her) is a Pakistani & Ukrainian female first generation American and college student from Fairbanks, Alaska, attending the University of Rhode Island for her BLA in Landscape Architecture. She plans to work as a landscape architect in Alaska, helping the arctic climate crisis through sustainable outdoor design. With landscape architecture being a relatively small field in Alaska, she intends to bring awareness towards the profession as well. In her spare time, Aisha enjoys making art inspired by Alaska’s vast landscapes, rock climbing, fishing, gardening, and hiking.

ASLA Council of Fellows Scholarships
ASLA Florida Chapter Career Discovery Scholarship
EDSA Diversity Scholarship

Juan Perez (he/him) is an interdisciplinary designer studying landscape architecture and philosophy at the University of Florida. He focuses on the dynamic interplay of design, culture, and environment. As a first generation American and college student, Juan is dedicated to exploring the ethical dimensions of computational, parametric, and AI-driven solutions in promoting equity, social diversity, and biodiversity. In his design philosophy, he prioritizes empathy, curiosity, and versatility.

Kenneth R. Brooks MLA Research Scholarship

Sam Nash Riggs (she/her) is a second-year Master of Landscape Architecture student in the College of Environment + Design at the University of Georgia. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience from Valdosta State University. Her current research focuses on the use of color in expressing Black identity within the built environment. Upon graduation, she plans to become a registered landscape architect and work in the public sector, focusing on urban environments.  She lives in Atlanta with her husband Matthew, a registered architect, and their two young children, Bobbi Jolene (7) and Roy (3).  

Daniel Zwier/Permaloc Innovation Scholarship

Jaxon Roller (he/him) is an MLA student at the University of Washington. He holds undergraduate degrees in materials engineering and environmental and sustainability studies. Navigating post-graduation uncertainty during the pandemic, Jaxon has diverse work experience in civil engineering, food service, landscaping, and public sector infrastructure maintenance. During this time, he discovered a passion for ecology, sustainable transportation, and the built environment. Pursuing personal and professional authenticity, he returned to school for his Master of Landscape Architecture. His goal is to become an ecological urban designer, mitigating the climate and biodiversity crises through projects that prioritize rewilding and sustainable transportation. He aims to create regenerative urban environments that restore natural processes, allow access to nature within cities, and foster ecological justice. In his free time, Jaxon enjoys spending time with friends and family, treating himself to brunch and coffee, learning German, bouldering, skiing, hiking, and watching TV. He occasionally travels, and he hopes to see much more of the world!

Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellowship in Garden History and Design 

Ben Barsotti Scott (he/him) is a landscape architect and independent curator in  Brooklyn, NY. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Geography at Rutgers University. He is a co-founding member of the design and research outfit Bad Little Brother and has worked as a designer and project manager at Ken Smith Workshop and SCAPE Landscape Architecture. He is a frequent contributor at the New York Review of Architecture and has taught at the Maryland Institute College of Art and currently at the Pratt Institute. He is a member of the Architecture Lobby.
 

ASLA Council of Fellows Scholarship

Essince Smith (she/her) is a fifth-year landscape architecture student who thrives on collaborative endeavors. She actively engages in community initiatives such as volunteering with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful—a youth organization dedicated to sustainable community development. In this role, she contributes to tree planting, watering, and maintenance in local neighborhoods. In leadership positions, she has served as a resident assistant and event coordinator for NOMAS, and a volunteer for ASLA. her interactions with like-minded individuals passionate about shaping the future as designers fuel her enthusiasm. Eager to make a positive impact, Essince is proud to be a part of future designers realizing and shaping meaningful changes in the world. Her outgoing and optimistic nature, coupled with a unique perspective, defines her approach. She aspires to contribute her design skills to a team with an open mindset and lofty expectations for creating a better world.  

Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellowship in Garden History and Design 

Samantha Turner-Rosa (she/her) is an educator and studying ecologist from Miami, Florida. She is a recent graduate of the Plant Biology and Conservation Program at the Chicago Botanic Garden and Northwestern University  and has begun her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland. Her research explores plant migration in response to climate change by conducting fieldwork in salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems in Florida. Although Samantha transitioned from a classroom teacher to a graduate student, her passion for science education and her commitment to connecting underserved students to authentic and engaging science has continued. She is currently developing several programs to make scientific exploration accessible to elementary and middle school students in Chicago and Florida.  

Daniel Zwier/Permaloc Innovation Scholarship

KG Upchurch (she/her) is a BLA candidate from Athens, GA studying at UGA's College of Environment + Design. Outside of school, she teaches aerial dance to students of all ages and abilities and performs with Canopy Studio's repertory company. This has informed her interest in the relationship between spatial syntax and the feeling of a body in space and has led her to design for exploratory and playful use of space through movement. Through school she had the opportunity to study public spaces in Europe, exploring historical precedents and techniques for designing for physical and sensory needs. KG plans on continuing this research, developing a deeper understanding of how planting, paving surfaces, vertical structures, and playscapes can create a language understood instinctually by people as they interact with spaces. She believes that thoughtful design can create landscapes that are not just accessible but engaging. comfortable, and interesting for all users.

MIG Scholarship for the Design of Equitable and Inclusive Environments

Corey Watanabe (he/him) is a Japanese and Filipino American Landscape designer currently enrolled in the MLA program at Rhode Island School of Design. As an artist and designer, he firmly believes in the power of landscape to uplift marginalized voices, shed light on silenced histories, and dismantle systemic barriers within our built environment. Much of his passions involve leading BRACKISH, a landscape focused community outreach and education program which aims to advance diversity in our field, by cultivating reciprocal learning exchange and relationship building between landscape architecture graduate students and underserved high school students most impacted by climate change. His current thesis research focuses on reframing our perceptions of invasive species as a means to build a more intimate relationship with our environment. Outside of the studio, Corey enjoys nerding out about plants on hikes, surfing, and making textile art.
 

MIG Scholarship for the Design of Equitable and Inclusive Environments

Nina Weithorn (she/her) is a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) student with a background in agriculture and environmental science. She received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Social Work from New York University. Her interdisciplinary education laid a strong foundation for her subsequent pursuit of a career in landscape architecture, fostering a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of environmental issues and social responsibility. Prior to beginning her MLA degree, Nina worked as an urban farmer and landscape designer, consulting on and assisting with the establishment of multiple gardens and food justice initiatives in Los Angeles, her hometown. Her current work focuses on soil remediation, agriculture, waste cycles, community-based design, and critical cartography. As a landscape architect, she hopes to work at the intersection of agroecology, climate adaptation, and community engagement, and develop frameworks to incorporate alternative food production models into landscape architecture.

Ava Yon (she/her) is an undergraduate at Michigan State University pursuing a bachelor’s in landscape architecture. She is a second-year student in the program and involved in MiASLA and the MSU LA Club. Ava graduated from Fowlerville High School in 2021 and started at MSU right away. She enjoys trying new things and visiting new places. She is passionate about her work and always eager to learn more. One day, she hopes to give back to her communities the way they have given to her.