One of our own?

The latest two Landscape Architecture Magazine issues (2/2007 and 3/2007) included features on one of our own. Last month there was a feature on Darrel Morrison’s prairie restoration work and this month the Reflections column is written by Darrel.

For those who don’t know him yet, Darrel is currently teaching our planting design class with Rich Bartolone. He's been involved in that class for the last three years. Before helping us out, Darrel Morrison was the chair of landscape architecture at Wisconsin, Dean at Georgia, and has taught at other schools including the Conway School and Utah State. He is a familiar name to those of us at RU; while at Wisconsin he helped mentor Steve Strom while Steve was a new faculty member there in the 1970s and taught Jean Marie Hartman when she studied there.

Having Darrel around has been a great experience. His professional network of contacts have helped our students. His highly visible list of built works – including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and recent changes at Storm King Art Center – bring some great stories and experiences into the classroom with him. We hope that the chance to learn from our students will be a real capstone to an already great career.

If you get the chance to meet Darrel this spring -- maybe at one of our talks -- I hope you’ll let him know how much we appreciate his contribution.

(Sorry about the kid in the photo, but the only handy images of Storm King had the boys. This one clearly shows Darrel's tallgrass or alfalfa growing behind Ian.)