ESF Student Selected as 2011 Olmsted Scholar Finalist

Award recognizes student leaders in landscape sustainability
4/28/2011

Charles Hamilton, a graduate student in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), was selected as a Landscape Architecture Foundation 2011 Olmsted Scholar finalist.

Of the 40 nominees from across the United States and Canada, Hamilton was selected as one of only five finalists.

While at ESF, Hamilton worked for the Syracuse Environmental Finance Center to help connect New York farmers directly to local consumers. He also worked with the Center for Community Design Research at ESF, participating in a range of community design projects. Additionally, he created and conducted a series of community engagement activities for his capstone project at a 1,300-student girls' school in Marrakech, Morocco.

Hamilton hopes to use design to help underprivileged groups and engage communities in the design process. In his leadership role as a graduate teaching assistant, he has guided students' work in design studios and community workshop facilitation.

As a top student leader in landscape sustainability, he will receive $1,000 at the LAF Annual Benefit in San Diego, Calif., in October, receive lifetime use of the designation of "National Olmsted Scholar Finalist," and have his work highlighted on the LAF website.