History of Program | University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability

Brief historical outline of the program

1908	First instruction in Landscape Design by O. C. Simonds of Chicago.
1909	Landscape Design Program organized in College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Five-year curriculum led to Master of Landscape Design degree. Aubrey Tealdi, Chair.
1934	Harlow Whittemore named Chair.
1939	Department transferred to College of Architecture and renamed "Department of Landscape Architecture."
1958	Walter L. Chambers named to reorganize department, with enrollment of 14 undergraduates and one graduate student. William Johnson joins the LA faculty.
1963	Department facilities moved from Architecture and Design to Cheever House.
1965	Administration of department transferred to School of Natural Resources (SNR).
1967	Regents approved phase-out of undergraduate Landscape Architecture Program.
1969	Chambers resigned. Charles W. Cares named Chair.
1971	Reorganization of SNR. Department of Landscape Architecture became Landscape Architecture Program.
1973	Program moved to 109 E. Madison. Peter Pollack joins the LA faculty.
1975	William Johnson becomes Dean.
1978	Program office moved to Dana Building (SNR) with some studio spaces in the West Engineering Building.
1979	Kenneth J. Polakowski named Chair.
1982	Program studios moved to Dana Building and West Engineering.
1983	SNR plan established. William Johnson steps down as Dean.
1984	Terry Brown named Chair.
1986	Peter Pollack retires.
1987	Kenneth J. Polakowski named Concentration Chair.
1988	William Johnson awarded Professor Emeritus status.
1989	Donna Erickson joins the LA faculty.
1992	School of Natural Resources changed to School of Natural Resources and Environment. Bob Grese named Acting Concentration Chair for 1992-93 academic year during Polakowski sabbatical.
1994	Program studios, computer lab, reading room, print room/workshop, critique /classroom and critique/lounge moved to the renovated 3rd Floor of the Dana Building (SNRE).
1995	Terry Brown named Concentration Chair.
1997	Kenneth J. Polakowski retires. Elizabeth Brabec and Joan Nassauer join the faculty. Donna Erickson named Concentration Chair.
1999-2000	Curriculum revision implemented.
1999	Bob Grese appointed Director of the Nichols Arboreteum.
2001	Ian Grandison leaves to join the faculty of the University of Virginia.
2002-03	Landscape Architecture Program moves into temporary quarters during the renovation of Dana Hall. SNRE begins academic program and governance experiment to no longer have Concentration Chairs or concentration meetings. The LA faculty collaborate to split the duties of LA Concentration Chair among four LA faculty. Larissa Larsen joins the faculty.
2003-04	Landscape Architecture program returns to Dana Hall. Assoc. Dean Jim Diana named LA program administrator. Terry Brown begins disability leave. Elizabeth Brabec resigns.
2004-05	Larissa Larsen changes her position to 50% Urban Planning/50% LA. Donna Erickson begins unpaid leave. Bob Grese appointed Director of the Matthaei Botanical Garden by the Provost (50%).
2005-06	SNRE reorganizes academic programs into nine fields of study. Joan Nassauer named coordinator of landscape architecture. Landscape architecture curriculum revised to complement revisions in SNRE MS curriculum. Beth Diamond joins the faculty at the University of Michigan, coming from three years at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and three-and-a-half years at the University of Kentucky. Donna Erickson resigns. Larissa Larsen changes her position to 100% Urban Planning.
2006	MaryCarol Hunter joins the faculty at the University of Michigan, coming from the University of Georgia’s School of Environmental Design.
2007	Christopher Ellis joins the faculty, coming from Texas A&M, as Program Coordinator.
2010	Stanton Jones joins the faculty, coming from fifteen years at the University of Oregon.
2012	Christopher Ellis leaves to join the faculty at the University of Maryland. Stanton Jones becomes Program Coordinator.
2012-13	Curriculum revision designed and phasing-in initiated.
2013	Beth Diamond passes away unexpectedly following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
2013-14	Two faculty searches are unsuccessful in their attempts to bring new faculty colleagues to the UM.
2014-15	Two faculty searches are conducted, identifying three candidates to whom offers are made. Negotiations with Mark Lindquist are concluded successfully; negotiations with two others for a second faculty position whose focus is GIS-based landscape planning and design have just recently failed.