BAC Student Named 2014 University Olmsted Scholar
Jaryd McGonagle, School of Landscape Architecture

The Boston Architectural College is pleased to announce that Jaryd McGonagle, a student in the College's Master of Landscape Architecture program, was named a 2014 University Olmsted Scholar in the Landscape Architecture Foundation's (LAF) Olmsted Scholars Program, the premier national award program for landscape architecture students.

LAF's Olmsted Scholars Program recognizes and supports students with exceptional leadership potential who are using ideas, influence, communication, service, and leadership to advance sustainable design and foster human and societal benefits.

"My passion for the field of Landscape Architecture has been a direct result of my time spent working between the disciplines of Environmental Science, Engineering and Architecture," said Jaryd. "Currently, I am focused on completing my MLA degree at Boston Architectural College, while working full time in a small Landscape Architecture firm in Boston specializing in municipal projects across New England."

Jaryd is currently finishing his third year at the BAC, and is entering thesis studio this coming fall while working in practice at Warner Larson Landscape Architects. Before coming to the BAC, Jaryd graduated from Umass Amherst with a bachelor's degree in environmental design focused on natural resource planning and design. This academic pursuit was inspired by everyday experiences growing up amongst the beautiful coastal landscapes on Cape Cod. As a member of the BAC community, Jaryd had previously participated in an independent design project for a new historical plaza design in Harvard, MA, collaborating with fellow students and Maugel Architects to envision and build a communal outdoor space.

Named for Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture, the Olmsted Scholars Program with its $25,000 graduate and $15,000 undergraduate prize is the premier national award program for landscape architecture students. Now in its seventh year, the program recognizes one outstanding student from each accredited landscape architecture program in the U.S. and Canada, along with the jury-selected graduate and undergraduate national award winners and finalists. Students are both honored for past achievements and recognized for their future potential to influence the landscape architecture profession.

These future leaders of the profession join a growing community of over 300 past and present Olmsted Scholars. The prestige and publicity associated with the award serve to promote the significance of the landscape architecture profession and help attract inspired and motivated leaders.

The School of Landscape Architecture at the BAC offers Bachelor and Master Degree programs that are distinguished by an urban, global approach to contemporary design and an interdisciplinary curriculum. With foundation courses crossing between the various design programs, students are exposed to multiple design dimensions within an interactive and dynamic atelier environment. The curricular mixture provides both the BLA and MLA level programs with a solid framework for exploring the interrelated components of a meaningful design language, while also mastering the intrinsic conditions specific to the study and professional practice of Landscape Architecture.