Brian Katen, FASLA
Category: Knowledge
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia

Brian Katen, of Virginia Tech, received his nomination, in Knowledge, from the Virginia Chapter. Through his practice, research and teaching Katen has demonstrated a deep commitment to place-based inquiry and has shown a passionate commitment to honoring local and regional cultural identity. His research and teaching challenge easy, first-readings of the landscape and reveal the complex, hidden cultural dimensions of our everyday public spaces. Katen's groundbreaking research on the diverse and often invisible layers of Virginia's cultural landscapes and the sites of memory of marginalized groups have been at the forefront of innovative recent place-based scholarship and has challenged the completeness of our traditional histories. Katen exemplifies what an academic leader should be, undertaking research on Virginia's invisible cultural landscapes and confirming that early-20th-century African American public spaces were significant realms for both social encounters and the formation of identity.