Thaïsa Way, FASLA
Category: Knowledge
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Thaïsa Way, of the University of Washington, received her nomination, in Knowledge, from the Washington Chapter. Way significantly impacts the profession through her teaching, research, scholarship and leadership. As a consummate learner, critic, valued educator and inspired advocate, she actively engages the role of design in the social values and environmental ethics related to the concepts of landscape and urbanism. A highly regarded professor, Way educates students to critically examine how the histories of urban landscapes, particularly public spaces, inform contemporary design and policy making. Weaving an understanding of history, culture and place, she guides these future practitioners through their exploration of what it means to develop healthy and equitable cities in the U.S. and around the globe. Her extensive writings and lectures have an international reputation for extraordinary scholarship and profound insights into the role of landscape architecture in the broader world and the fundamental intersection of urban landscape, design and history. As one of the great thinkers within our discipline, Way is not merely a chronicler of the profession, but an active agent in its transformation.