Firm: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois

ASLA Election Year: 2017

Category: Knowledge

M. Elen Deming, of the University of Illinois, received her nomination for 'Knowledge' from the Illinois Chapter. As an advocate for design research and creative collaboration, Elen demonstrates that professional practice and higher education, although distinct, are interdependent. She is the coauthor of the transformative Landscape Architecture Research: Inquiry, Strategy, Design, which earned her international acclaim. Her wide-ranging career encompasses and balances academic theory and practical reality. As a result, her scholarship and writings are grounded in and informed by the challenges facing design practitioners. Her reputation as a disciplined and inspiring teacher is legendary among the legions of students she has influenced throughout her teaching career. She is also a pioneer in e-learning-enhanced teaching methods that combine writing and visuals through media.