Utah State University's Professor Caroline Lavoie is poised to join the ranks of the esteemed Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture’s 2025 Class of Fellows. With a career that has spanned nearly three decades, Lavoie's contributions to the teaching, research, and service in the field of landscape architecture have now been officially recognized as some of the highest within the CELA community. Lavoie has maintained quite the portfolio, having authored over 30 peer-reviewed papers and exhibited her creative endeavors in 18 different art showcases internationally, as detailed by USU Today.
Lavoie’s work has aimed to seamlessly integrate the technicalities of landscape design with the expressiveness of art. Notable among her recent work is the "Crossing Borders: The Landscapes and Communities of Highway 89" solo exhibition at the Livingston Depot Museum, which attracted over 4,000 visitors. The exhibition underscored her inherent talent to authentically capture and communicate the sense of "place." Her drawings, revealing the intricate bond between landscapes and communities, are available to be seen online through the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation’s website. Explaining her source of inspiration, Lavoie said, "I draw inspiration from the moments shaped by movement, light, wind, color, texture, and the framing of a scene," according to USU Today. She further reflected on the process and the importance of mutual learning, inviting interpretations of her work to enrich her understanding.
Professor Lavoie's impact in academia can be measured by the variety of the courses she’s designed and taught at USU, including those that took students across oceans to Europe. Her students have flourished under her mentorship, clinching awards in numerous national and state design contests. Lavoie's reach extends far beyond USU, as a Fulbright Specialist, she notably led an urban design studio project in Azerbaijan in the fall of 2024 and took a sabbatical to India in 2020 to collaborate on an immersive project with local students and faculty.
Recognized for her innovative teaching strategies and her dedication to fostering cross-cultural dialogue, Lavoie's work has left a positive mark globally on landscape architecture. Apart from her teaching contributions, Lavoie has also been active in serving as a peer reviewer and juror and has led initiatives that bridge academia with real-world community needs. One of her nominators, celebrating her achievements, pointed out, "Her work reconnects people with their landscapes, emphasizing the vital relationship between communities and their environment," as captured by USU Today.
