LAF Olmsted Scholar
Jade Rhodes, MLA ’25, has joined a distinguished community of national Olmsted Scholars as SoA’s 2025 selectee. The Landscape Architecture Foundation’s Olmsted Scholars Program (https://www.lafoundation.org/what-we-do/leadership/olmsted-scholars-program) recognizes landscape architecture students with exceptional leadership potential who are using their ideas, influence, communication skills, and service to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits. The 2025 cohort of Olmsted Scholars will be formally recognized at LAF’s Annual Benefit held in conjunction with ASLA’s Conference on Landscape Architecture in New Orleans in October.
Image: Jade Rhodes (source: headshot provided by Jade Rhodes)
Pūlama ʻĀina Award
Congratulations to Kaimana Tuazon, MLA ‘25, recipient of this year’s Thomas S. Witten, FASLA, Pūlama ʻĀina Award for his outstanding capstone work titled “Nā Ala Hou: Re-Envisioning a Hawaiian Approach to the Way We Connect”. The Pūlama ʻĀina Award recognizes an MLA graduate whose capstone project focuses on regional/community planning and/or urban design with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and resilience. The recipient has demonstrated knowledge of applying ancient Hawaiian ahupua‘a principles and/or modern-day interpretations of landscape-relevant Hawaiian bio-cultural practices. Mahalo nui to Tom Witten, Chairman Emeritus of PBR Hawaii, for establishing this award in 2021.
Image: Kaimana Tuazon and Tom Witten (source: Judith Stilgenbauer, no need to credit, of course)
ASLA Hawaii Chapter Graduating Student Awards
Xavier Duarte, MLA ‘25, and Lynn Mayekawa, MLA ‘25, were selected by a jury of local ASLA leaders as recipients of this year’s Hawaii ASLA Student Honor and Merit Awards in recognition of their exemplary capstone projects. These awards recognize academic achievement, design competence, and communication skills. Judging criteria include excellence in research, analysis/planning effort, design innovation, impact on community, ecology, and significance to Hawaii’s cultural and environmental context. Mahalo nui to the 2025 Hawaii ASLA awards jury: Joel Kurokawa, Ray Higa, and Robyn Sweesy! Also, to program alumni Hana Fulghum MLA ‘22 (HI ASLA president-elect) and Malu Stanich MLA ‘21 (HI ASLA vice president), who presented the awards on behalf of the chapter Executive Committee.
Image: Hana Fulghum, Lynn Mayekawa, Xavier Duarte, Malu Stanich (source: Judith Stilgenbauer, no need to credit, of course)