This past October, 23 of our landscape architecture students attended ASLA’s Annual Meeting and EXPO in Philadelphia. With the help of the Department, as well as the Wisconsin ASLA State Chapter, these students participated in the four day conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The group of students had the opportunity to attend education sessions provided by the Conference and network with other students and professionals. Aside from the more than 130 sessions to pick from on topics ranging from ecological restoration to climate resiliency, the students also had the opportunity to explore the conference’s exposition events. The expo room filled with 350 exhibitors featured design products, solutions, and services. Professors Eric Schuardt and Sam Dennis attended the conference as well. With Professor Schuardt’s help, the students were able to visit three design firms: Olin, Groundswell Design Group, and Land Collective. Another highlight of the trip, as noted by ASLA president Rachel Nicolaison, was winning second place in the Spirit Award at the Alumni Tailgate; consequently, 10 passes for next year’s conference in San Diego were awarded to the group.
Not to be outdone by the students, our very own Professor Shawn Kelly took the spotlight on the final day of the conference as he was sworn into his term as President of ASLA for 2018-19. This remarkable accomplishment is recognition of Shawn’s many contributions to the profession and to ASLA. Professor Kelly has been a teacher in 
landscape architecture at UW-Madison for 23 years. During this past fall, he taught Landscape Architecture Technology II and Professional Practice. Alongside his new presidency and teaching, Professor Kelly continues to operate his own firm in Williams Bay (Kelly Design Group). He is a strong believer in providing students with opportunities to develop the skills needed for the professional environment. Professor Kelly will teach LA Technology I and the second semester of LA Capstone in the spring.