Alumni Profile

Job Searching in the COVID Era: Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning
Despite the challenges presented by job hunting during a global pandemic, Lena Porell '20 MS Urban Planning recently moved across the country to Providence, Rhode Island to start her career as a staff planner.

Ensuring Equity, Building Community: Kendra Hyson ’15 MLA
With her MLA, Kendra Hyson has followed a path to leadership not just in landscape architecture but also in the movement for social equity in built environment design—as both a founder of The Urban Studio and in her current role as a landscape architect and planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Measuring Success and 'Paying It Backward': Mitchell Freedman ’80 B Arch
Forty years after his graduation from the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture’s undergraduate architecture program, Mitchell Freedman AIA ’80 B Arch remains in touch with the two faculty members who most influenced him and his work.

The Path to Passionate Work: Gabby Abou-Zeid ’19 BS SBE
For Gabby Abou-Zeid, who graduated with her Bachelor's in Sustainable Build Environments in 2019, her path exploring transportation and urban planning has been anything but linear.

Open to Encountering the Unknown: Eric Sterner '15 B Arch
Eric Sterner ’15 B Arch, a designer at Architekton, says, "My creativity is inspired by intangible moments and patterns—all rooted in observance. I believe these uncategorical and unplanned moments create points to reflect upon and later understand."

Creating Healthier and More Resilient Homes: Rachel LaMantia '14 BS SBE '16 MS Arch
Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments and Master of Science in Architecture graduate Rachel LaMantia tried a number of programs at the University of Arizona before finding the SBE program, which kick-started her education and launched her career.

Building Professional Relationships: Connor Harmon '16 BS SBE '17 MS Urban Planning
"I have a message for current students: while being knowledgeable in your profession is essential to job performance, I can’t stress enough how important building professional relationships with professors, mentors, and—in my case—residents, board members, and developers is toward professional success."

The Perfect Combination of Science and Creativity: Amy Webb '15 BS SBE '18 MLA
For Amy Webb, the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments program had the perfect combination of science and creativity. Early on she had her sights set on earning a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Arizona and knew that the SBE program would prepare her for that next step in her education.

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