School of Planning, Design and Construction

With this newsletter we are highlighting some of the many accomplishments of MSU Landscape Architecture Alumni. We hope to expand and continue to highlight Alumni accomplishments and recognitions in our newsletter. Please send news of yours’s or your colleagues’ achievements to secretary.MSULAAAB@gmail.com. We are also interested in stories for our newsletter, social media, and website.

William Johnson, FASLA, MSU Class of 1953
Bill has received recognition in the form of 2023 Alumni Award from Harvard University Graduate School of Design Alumni Council. The award was announced on May 24. A live stream can be viewed at  https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/event/kimberly-dowdell-speaks-to-gsd-graduates-at-class-day-2023/. The announcement follows the welcome at the top of the program. IN August a story will be posted on the Alumni & Friends website. More about Bills’ distinguished career can be found on the TCLF Website https://www.tclf.org. His oral history film can be found at https:// tclf.org/William-bill-Johnson-oral-history.

Debra Guenther, FASLA, Part Mithun, MSU LA Alum
Deb leads the landscape architecture studio and Mithun. Her firm was recognized By American Institute of Architects as the 2023 Firm of the Year. The Architecture Firm Award is the highest honor AIA bestows on an architecture practice. The award recognizes a firm that has consistently produced distinguished architecture for at least 10 years. More information can be found at
Mithun news post: https://mithun.com/2023/01/24/mithun-receives-2023-aia-architecture-firm-award/ AIA news: https://www.aia.org/showcases/6572178-mithun

Deb was also the recipient of Landscape Architecture Foundation’s (LAF) Fellowship for Innovation + Leadership Grant 2021-2022 Cohort. Her research addresses Design in Kinship: toward a Relational Work Between Designers and Community Organizations. A film of her final presentation can be reviewed at Http://Vimeo.com/723464915. May ways of listening can be reviewed at http://vimeo.com/520923464

Stephanie Onwenu, BLA, MSU MSU LA Alum
Stephanie is the VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Michigan Chapter of ASLA Executive Committee. On Wednesday, June 21st, 2023, at 1pm she and Wendy Fry will be presenting an ASLA webinar titled "Strategies for Building and Strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within ASLA and the Profession". Wendy Fry and Stephanie and will be sharing information about efforts with the Michigan Chapter, the DEI Committee, and the Michigan Chapter ASLA Foundation. Register here: https://asla-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrdumgqDkpE9R9Z-5QZ6L40qpCPIyIleFt#/registration. Check the ALSA Website for a link to a recording.

Joe James, BLA, MSU Class of 2000
Joe James was recipient of 2022-2023 cohort of LAF Innovation and Leadership Grant. His work included the creation of a graphic novel to introduce a new generation to landscape architecture. More information about the project can be found in his article and on the LAF website at Https://lafoundtaion.org/news/2022/09/laf-fellowship-spotlight-joe-james. The final presentation will be June 15,2023 in Washington DC.

Also, after years of practice with Reed Hilderbrand Joe started his own firm in 2021, Eponymous Practice is in Rhode island. Joe is also an adjunct faculty at Rhode Island School of Design.

William “Bill” Wenk FASLA, BA, MSU Class of 1969
Bill Wenk has written a book Working Water: Reinventing the Storm Drain, published by ORO Editions. The book demonstrates better approaches of managing and designing stormwater infrastructure in ways that support more efficient water use, clean urban runoff, support natural systems, and enhance the vitality and livability of our cities. Learn more by reading the article in this newsletter titled Working Water – Thoughts on 40 years of practice.