School of Planning, Design and Construction

LA Alum Leads MSU Land Use and Strategic Plan | Steve Troost, Class of 1982

Steve Troost is the campus planner for the Infrastructure Planning and Facilities department at MSU and has played a key role in the development of Vision 2050, an integrated facilities and land use plan for the university. 

Steve Troost and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at MSU, Bill Beekman, were interviewed by MSU Today. They talked about Vision 2050’s place in MSU 2030 and led a conversation on progress and implementation of a key objective in the Stewardship and Sustainability theme of the MSU 2030 strategic plan. The strategic plan calls for a new University Comprehensive Facilities and Land Use Plan that embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion; faculty, staff, and student success; and sustainable health in the physical environment of MSU’s campuses and facilities. 

Listen to the full, extensive discussion about future planning at MSU's campuses courtesy of MSU Today with Russ White

“Steve makes all of us LA alumni proud with his clarity, expertise and insights!”

- Bob Chipman, LAAAB Member, Class of 1980

Exceptional Emerging Professional Award | Abigail Reimel, Class of 2018

Abigail Reimel, ASLA was awarded the National ASLA Emerging Professional Medal for 2023. Abigail is a Florida-based landscape architect licensed in both Florida and Washington State working at the multi-disciplinary firm WGI.

Originally from Michigan, Abigail attended Michigan State University where she earned a degree in Landscape Architecture. During her time at MSU, Abigail forged a path to serve as a member of the inaugural National Student Advisory Committee. In her second year with the committee, she was elected as the National Student Representative to the ASLA Board of Trustees. In this role, Abigail coordinated with state chapters for the development of better engagement practices with student chapters through direct contact and support. These practices came with a focus on lending a voice to issues faced by students and emerging professionals on a national level, targeted recruitment for increasing diversity across young professional groups, and creating tangible value in membership.

She has been involved with numerous ASLA national committees over the past six years leveraging her experiences to better serve her home chapter in Florida. Within the Florida Chapter, Abigail was selected for the 2022 Exceptional Emerging Professional award and elected to her current term serving as the ASLA Florida Member at Large for Leadership & Membership.

Exciting Commissions and an Award | Deb Guenther, Class of 1982

Deb Guenther is a partner at Mithun, an integrated design firm of landscape architects, architects, interior designers, and planners in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She shared the following updates and recent accomplishments from her firm.

On March 28, 2024 the Pike Place Market Public Development Authority Council (PDA) adopted a new master plan to ensure that 50 years from now Pike Place Market is a supportive, diverse community and a thriving center of Pacific Northwest Food, maintains its authentic character as a public space where the people of Seattle gather and trade with farmers and local entrepreneurs, continues to provide vital social services, plays an active role in diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as decision-making in the city and region.  Deb led the Mithun team whose role was to express and visualize the priorities of the PDA, the Market community, locals and visitors for future physical improvements and programming of the public space and building renovations. Learn more about Mithun's efforts here: https://www.pikeplacemarket.org/about-pike-place-market/pike-place-market-master-plan/

Mithun is providing technical assistance to community-based organizations in Puerto Rico, Montana and Minnesota as part of the EPA’s Community Change Equitable Resilience program to support the organizations’ grant applications for implementation funds to realize community climate resilience priorities in their neighborhoods. Learn more about the program here: https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants-program

Sea2City, a design challenge in Vancouver BC to explore sea level rise design in False Creek through the lens of decolonizing the design process, has been recognized with an Award of Excellence and as Project of the Year by the Canada Society of Landscape Architects.  Mithun worked with Indigenous cultural advisors from Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Watuth Nations to co-design a vision for shared land management of a restored shoreline that builds a culture of adaptation through the dynamic relationships between people, land and water. Learn more here:  https://www.csla-aapc.ca/awards/2024-awards-excellence

Multi-Generational Collaboration: Hidden Creek Park West - Portland, OR | Mary Lou Iverson, Class of 1957 and Laurie DeVos, Class of 1994

Mary Lou Iverson and Laurie DeVos recently worked together on a 12-acre inclusive park and playground. Iverson, a graduate of the MSU Recreation program, is the owner of The Iverson Associates, and is a certified playground auditor and risk management consultant for projects all over the United States.  DeVos, a professional landscape architect, has worked for close to 20 years at the City of Hillsboro, Oregon Parks & Recreation Department, helping to design and oversee the construction of community and neighborhood parks. 

The project that brought them together is Hidden Creek Park West, a new community park designed to be as inclusive and engaging as possible for everyone in the community, including people with differing sensory, physical, and cognitive needs.  A large focus of the park is a fenced 1-acre playground, which has unique playground elements, including a custom wood forest giant named Oro, who is 20’ from the ground to toes.  Oro contains opportunities for open-ended, creative play for children of all ages and abilities, including climbing, sliding, resting in hammocks, chalkboards, and just hanging out. Due to the uniqueness of Oro, DeVos opted to pull in a third-party independent playground risk consultant and was delighted to find out at their first meeting that Iverson was also a MSU graduate.  The two Spartans plan to keep the friendship going at future Portland, Oregon MSU alumni get-togethers!

Promotion | Dan Lord, Class of 2000

Dan Lord was recently promoted to the Chief of the Finance and Operations Division of the Department of Natural Resources. Dan’s responsibilities for the DNR include overseeing the department’s budget, federal aid funding, public grant programs, real estate transactions, oil mineral and gas leasing, and statewide facilities. Dan has been with the DNR for twenty years after transitioning from the private consulting sector earlier in his career.

Retirement | Keith Cheli, Class of 1992

Keith Cheli will be retiring this July from the Department of Natural Resources. Keith has made a sizeable impact in the State of Michigan in the public and private sector managing a range of park, trail, and harbor infrastructure projects both as a consultant with Rowe Engineering and as a Regional Planner for the DNR. Over his career Keith has also been an active member in the Michigan ASLA chapter. We wish Keith well as he moves into a new phase of life and continues to dabble in the profession!

Retirement | Steve Troost, Class of 1982

As the campus planner for Infrastructure Planning and Facilities at MSU, the completion of Vision 2050 will serve as the capstone project of Steeve Troost's tenure with retirement scheduled for September 2024.

New Firm and Appointment | Josh Seyfried, Class of 2009

Josh Seyfried announces the formation of a new consulting practice, Studio Seyfried Studio in Seattle, Washington. The firm will focus on Placemaking for People through Landscape Architecture and Urbanism. Josh has also been appointed to the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.

Project Awards and Press | Sandy Fischer, Class of 1976

The Leach Botanical Garden, planned by Sandy Fischer with Land Morphology, has received National and International Awards. It was winner of the 2023 Verdant Vistas Award from Monocle Magazine and Winner of the 2023 Award of Excellence from the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). It has been published in print magazines Luxe Magazine Pacific Northwest, El Décor Italy, Daily Journal of Commerce, Architectural Record, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Public Gardens Magazine, various Portland Publications and highlighted on 27 design and gardening websites including Journal of American Architects, Dezeen, and World Landscape Architects. 

New Firm: Ijeomalandscapeartscapes LLC | Stephanie Onwenu, Class of 2018

Stephanie Onwenu, ASLA is the founder of the new firm ljeomalandscapeartscapes LLC and a resident artist at Project Art where she teaches youth age 4 to 14 about art and landscape architecture. She was featured in a LAF Perspectives article where she discusses community based and non-traditional practice. Stephanie was also interviewed for Voyage Michigan Magazine's Shoutout Series where she explains why she pursued a creative career, the importance of art to her personally, and the inspirations and goals of her new firm.

Visual Artist, Landscape Designer, Educator contributes to MASLA, Landscape Architects Foundation and LABASH | Stephanie Onwenue, Class of 2018

Stephanie Onwenu was featured in a LAF Prerspectives article in April 2024: https://www.lafoundation.org/news/2024/04/perspectives-stephanie-onwenu

Stephanie also spoke at LABASH in March at two sessions: https://whova.com/embedded/speaker_detail/YB2CdzRuRojMsKbwS2Im-rBvHWLEf5repHX8tV582CY%3D/36613985/

Session #1-Rays of Optimism: Explored how Students, Allied Organizations and Professionals are Centering Diversity to Strengthen their Practices. During this panel discussion, participants heard from representatives who are leading diversity, equity, justice and inclusion efforts across the student, firm, and professional organization sectors. The session highlighted critical work being championed throughout the Midwest within landscape architecture firms, schools, professional organizations and outreach programs. The intention was to exchange best practices, lessons learned, and advice for creating synergy between initiatives; let's discover how we can better center diversity within all aspects of our practice, strengthening our work for the betterment of the diverse populations we serve.

Session #2-Climate Change and the Racialized Landscape: Fighting the Impacts of Racist Policy explored the historic role that race, urban planning and policy have played in the decreased quality of life, health disparities and other detrimental effects climate change is having on these communities throughout the country. LAAAB Board Member Charles Cross, was also on the panel.