2025 Fellows: William C. Sullivan, FASLA, Illinois Chapter

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL
by

x

In a career of more than thirty years, William Sullivan's contributions to landscape architecture have transformed research, education, and practice. His work bridges science, medicine, and design, and has expanded the science on how accessing green infrastructure affects mental health, recovery from mental fatigue and stress, success in school, and social cohesion among neighbors. As the most cited landscape architecture researcher globally-with over 19,500 citations to his published work-William and his collaborators have substantially bolstered the evidence base for design decision-making. By employing pioneering techniques such as thermal imaging, brain monitoring, and artificial intelligence applications-he has developed new ways of measuring and documenting landscape impacts on human health, cognitive function, and community resilience, setting new standards for landscape architecture scholarship. From delivering inspiring lectures to audiences worldwide, to teaching incarcerated students in the University of Illinois's Education Justice Project, to engaging students at Chicago's Academy of Math and Science, William has created opportunities in our profession for historically omitted populations, amplifying diverse voices and perspectives. His work has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and tens of millions of dollars in grants. With his involvement in initiatives like the European Union's Climate-neutral Cities program and partnerships with African institutions and as the first landscape architect appointed to the National Academy of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health, he has elevated the profession's role in public health policy globally. His rigorous research methods combined with practical applications have helped increase demand for professional services while providing practitioners with tools for creating more effective, equitable, and healthy environments.