Meet the 2019 National Olmsted Scholar and Finalists: The Undergraduates

The Landscape Architecture Foundation’s Olmsted Scholars Program is the premier leadership award program for landscape architecture students. The program honors students with exceptional leadership potential who are using ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits.

Here, we showcase the 2019 undergraduate winner and finalists, who were announced in April after being selected from a group of 37 undergraduate students nominated by their faculty. The winner receives $15,000, and each finalist receives $3,000.

They are among the 86 LAF Olmsted Scholars named in 2019 and will be honored on November 14-15 in San Diego at a luncheon and at LAF's 34th Annual Benefit.

National Olmsted Scholar Anjelyque Easley of the Pennsylvania State University

Anjelyque discusses her research on the parallels between the erasure of African American landscapes post-segregation and the erasure of Jewish landscapes post-World War II. Anjelyque is working to develop case studies that offer designers guidance for how to preserve sites, history, and culture, even as these landscapes are developed.

National Olmsted Scholar Finalist Madelynne Clark of Ball State University

Madelynne discusses her research examining the industrial outskirts of Chicago, Illinois and the impacts faced by residents living in an environment shaped by the fossil fuel industry.

National Olmsted Scholar Finalist Adriana Hernandez-Aguirre of Texas A&M University

Adriana discusses her work promoting access to high-quality green space within Las Colonias, informal settlements along the US-Mexico border.

National Olmsted Scholar Finalist Christian Moore of The Ohio State University

Christian discusses his research examining how landscape architecture can provide vision for struggling rural and agricultural communities.