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For graduate students in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville鈥檚 School of Landscape Architecture (SoLA), learning extends far beyond the studio. Each year, students travel to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) national conference to connect with professionals, explore emerging ideas and experience the breadth of the landscape architecture profession firsthand.

Over听the听past听several听years,听the听School听of听Landscape听Architecture听has听steadily听grown听its听student听presence听at听the听ASLA听national听conference. In听September,听33听students听traveled听to听Los听Angeles,听California,听making听this听one听of听the听largest听groups听from听the听school听to听attend听the听conference.

The annual experience gives students an opportunity to step into the larger professional community while bringing their classroom experiences into conversation with the work of landscape architects, designers, researchers and educators from across the country.

鈥淭he National ASLA Conference gives our students exposure to the scope and scale of contemporary landscape architecture,鈥� said Gale Fulton, director of the school. 鈥淚n just a few days, they encounter an extraordinary range of practitioners, firms and projects from across the country and around the world, while also experiencing a destination city many of them have never visited. That exposure expands their understanding of what landscape architecture can be and helps them imagine where they might go in the profession.鈥�

Connecting the Classroom to the Profession

For graduate students, ASLA鈥檚 national and state conferences offer an immersive look at the ideas and practices shaping landscape architecture today. Through educational sessions, lectures, exhibitions, tours and conversations with professionals, students can explore topics that complement their studio work at UT.

鈥淢any students come back with an expanded understanding of what the profession is capable of working on,鈥� Fulton said. 鈥淭hey discover new firms they might be interested in working for and encounter projects and project types they hadn鈥檛 previously considered.鈥�

For third-year student Erin Woolard, attending both state and national conferences has helped her identify professional interests, make connections and see new possibilities for her career.

鈥淥ne of the greatest benefits of attending ASLA conferences over the course of my education has been gaining a much broader understanding of the profession and the opportunities available within it,鈥� Woolard said. 鈥淚’ve been introduced to firms, designers and projects that I might never have encountered otherwise, which has helped me identify new professional interests and potential career paths. I’ve also become much more confident in approaching professionals and discussing my own work. This year, I was able to build a professional connection that may lead to opportunities after graduation, which really reinforced the value of participating in these events consistently over time.鈥�

The learning also extends back into the studio. Educational sessions can introduce students to ideas and approaches that inform their own design work, connecting the projects they develop at UT with challenges and opportunities being explored elsewhere.

鈥淔or example, a presentation I attended last year about a recreational water trail in South America helped inform a curated trail project I was developing in studio,鈥� Woolard said. 鈥淓xperiences like that expose us to different approaches to design and allow us to bring new ideas and perspectives back into studio.鈥�

Together, these professional and academic experiences help students see how the concepts they explore in the classroom translate into practice, and how the profession, in turn, can inspire their work as designers.

Learning from the Place and Each Other

The conference experience also extends beyond its formal programming.

Because ASLA takes place in a different city each year, students have the opportunity to experience places many have never visited and to see landscape architecture within a new geographic and cultural context. In recent years, students have traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana; Washington, D.C.; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The college also seeks opportunities, when possible, to incorporate office visits and other experiences into conference travel. These activities complement the conference by allowing students to see professional environments and projects firsthand.

But some of the most lasting benefits of the trip may not appear on the conference schedule.

Traveling together gives students time to build relationships with their classmates and create shared experiences outside the studio. Those experiences strengthen the culture of the program and contribute to the sense of community students develop during their time at UT.

Woolard sees that community as another important outcome of attending conferences. Traveling and attending sessions together creates opportunities for students to connect across cohorts, share what they have learned and develop relationships that continue beyond the trip.

鈥淪tudents return feeling more connected to one another, more engaged in the school and more enthusiastic about the profession,鈥� Woolard said. 鈥淭here’s always tremendous gratitude among students for the opportunity to attend, and I think that speaks to how meaningful these experiences are.鈥�

For Anja Shull, a first-year student in the three-year Master of Landscape Architecture program, the trip was an opportunity to build relationships across the school. After discovering landscape architecture late in their undergraduate career, Shull found a welcoming community at SoLA. The conference strengthened that sense of belonging and created new connections with peers at different stages of the program.

鈥淭raveling across the country with my peers was a great bonding experience,鈥� Shull said. 鈥淚 know everyone a lot better now, and even got to connect with students in the other cohorts that I do not see often. We talked about lectures we each attended over dinner, and hearing everyone鈥檚 different perspectives was valuable to me. Overall, I just have a lot more people in my corner now, and I believe having connections with students who are graduating sooner than me will be helpful post-graduation especially.鈥�

Investing in What Comes Next

Making the ASLA conference experience possible requires support from across the university and the landscape architecture community. Travel and lodging for all students that attended is funded through a combination of contributions from the Tennessee chapter of ASLA, student organization funds, university travel grants and student organization support provided by the dean and the school.听

Together, these resources help make it possible for students to participate in an experience that extends learning beyond the classroom. Students return with new professional connections, fresh perspectives on design and a stronger sense of community within the school.听

The investment reflects a shared commitment to preparing students for the profession and ensuring they can engage with the ideas, people and opportunities shaping the future of landscape architecture.听