The following lists current core courses and a sample of previous courses. For a full listing of courses I taught at Penn State, visit my CV link in the menu above.
Current Courses
Larch 216/816: Systems Studio
Student Level:
Undergrad - Second Year, Spring Semester
Grad - First Year, Spring Semester
Short Description:
The systems studio introduces students to a broader perspective of landscapes as expressions of cultural and natural processes. Students will integrate geographic contexts, ecology, ecosystems, and human needs into a landscape scale analysis and alternative future design scenarios.
Larch 246: Ridge & Valley Field Course
Student Level:
Undergrad - Second Year, Spring Semester
Short Description:
Students explore the intrinsic links between landforms, geophysical and biological processes, vegetation communities, and human manipulation of the landscape over time. The course comprises a series of four one-day trips to select locations across our local Ridge & Valley landform region (Appalachian Mountain section), allowing them to examine phenomena at the site level, particularly plants, soils, and landscape contexts.
Larch 245: Ecology and Plants II
Student Level:
Undergrad - Second Year, Fall Semester
Short Description:
Students will learn a systems approach to ecology, plants, soil, and water through lectures, campus walks, guest lectures, and a one-day-long field trip to a public garden. The lectures and campus walks focus on identifying native plants in the landscape. Students learn about specific native plants and plant communities as the basis for ecological planting design and how these plants adapt to local climate, soil, and hydrologic regimes. Using native plant communities in planting design, as practiced in this course, also promotes the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and the promotion of human well-being.
Click here for course materials and details.
Larch 335/837: Planting Methods
Student Level:
Undergrad - Third Year, Fall Semester
Grad - Second Year, Fall Semester
Short Description:
Students will learn and apply principles, tools, and techniques for planting design implementation, focusing on landscape planting methods and technically proficient documentation of various garden, tree plaza, and meadow planting genres. Click here for course materials and details.
Previous Courses
Penn State
Larch 256: GIS Skills
Student Level:
Undergrad - Second Year, Spring Semester
Short Description:
Students will learn geographic information systems (GIS) as a primary regional analysis and planning tool. They will integrate GIS into a broadly based approach to managing data, performing system analyses, developing concepts, and communicating ideas.
Larch 315/817: Community Design
Student Level:
Undergrad - Third Year, Fall Semester
Grad - Second Year, Fall Semester
Short Description:
University of Wisconsin
LA 451: Open Space Design and Planning Studio
Student Level:
Undergrad - Third Year, Spring Semester
Short Description:
Students will learn that planning and designing open spaces are among landscape architects' most important contributions to the urban environment. Open space plays a critical role in cities' social and ecological functioning, from urban parks to community gardens. Networks of formal and informal public spaces provide opportunities for face-to-face interaction, which many believe is the foundation of a democratic society. Therefore, will learn theory and apply design principles to the planning and design of open spaces for public social use.
LA 462 : Regional Design
Student Level:
Undergrad - 3rd Year, Fall Semester
Short Description:
Students will learn to analyze and design across scales while learning to collaborate with various disciplines, community members, and organizations. Analyses will focus on the juxtaposition, type, patterns, quality, and impacts of societal issues, land uses, and resource uses on inhabiting and sharing regions. Students will learn and apply the science and art of regional design, or in other words, blend technical and analytical elements with the values, needs, priorities, and aesthetics of a wide range of community members. Students will create a series of analyses, policies, plans, and designs to accommodate human and pollinator needs.
University of Colorado - Denver
LDAR 6686: Introduction to GIS
Student Level:
Grad - FirstYear, Fall Semester
Short Description:
Students will learn to apply a Geodesign process. Specifically, you will learn and apply GIS tools and techniques to facilitate inventory and analysis of North Aurora. It is important to understand the context of the systems and issues of North Aurora, facilitated by comparing North Aurora with the City of Aurora, Colorado. This information will guide further research for design and planning strategies to locate and create accessible urban gardening, recreational, and healthy living opportunities within disadvantaged/vulnerable neighborhoods. We will also document how the neighborhood changes over time due to design, construction, and urban and regional policies.
