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Dr. Margaret Bryant
ESF Appoints Dr. Margaret Bryant to Chair Landscape Architecture Department
SYRACUSE, NY – The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), one of the nation’s premier colleges focused exclusively on the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable future, appointed Dr. Margaret Bryant chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture.
“Dr. Bryant brings extensive experience and enthusiasm for teaching and research to the department, along with exceptional leadership. Her student-centered approach to education will inspire students in their academic pursuits.” said Dr. Samuel Mukasa, Provost and Executive Vice President.
Bryant has been with ESF since 2007. She studies spatial/landscape planning, ecological design, sustainable urbanism, and the relationships between design thinking and science. She brings a wealth of experience to the position, including a passion for student-centered education. She was a first-generation college student and takes particular pride in serving students at ESF. While teaching core courses in the undergraduate and graduate professional curricula, she has been the major professor for over 30 graduate students, including six Ph.D. students in the Graduate Program in Environmental Science.
Bryant has served as interim chair since June 2022 following the retirement of Distinguished Service Professor Douglas Johnston. In this relatively short period, she has engaged department faculty in the strategic planning process and guided a collaborative effort to significantly restructure the program curriculum. She has also helped to provide stability and continuity of leadership as the department implements curriculum changes, brings on a cohort of new faculty while supporting current faculty success, and returns to a renovated Marshall Hall.
“I am honored to serve as the chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at a pivotal time in its history,” said Bryant. “Not only are we moving back this summer into a newly renovated Marshall Hall -- an impressive and beautiful space to call our home -- but also we are welcoming several new faculty to the Department and making substantial curricular upgrades to better serve our students. We are proud to offer an outstanding design education to ESF students, and we are eager to invite alumni back to visit.”
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.