A Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA) home page. I invite you to check us out! Our Department is housed in the Plant Sciences Building and H.J. Patterson Hall near the center of campus and the Research Greenhouse Complex on the north side of campus.

We offer challenging undergraduate programs that lead to the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA), and two Bachelor of Science degrees - Plant Science, and Agricultural Science and Technology. We offer the Master of Science (MS), Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in our graduate programs. Whether it is an interest in landscape design and management, learning more about the mysteries of the genetics and physiological processes impacting plant growth, or studying sustainability and the ecology and conservation of plant species across the landscape, our exciting undergraduate and graduate programs can help you develop your future by providing the education and experiences you need to be successful.

PSLA students have opportunities to travel both domestically and internationally. Our students participate in team contests across the U.S. which apply their knowledge in challenging activities related to professional skills building while departmental study abroad courses to Costa Rica, Italy, and the Amazon jungle create learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom setting. We also offer students internship opportunities which are wide-ranging, and place our students at the leading landscape architecture and plant management companies and at federal research laboratories across the region and country. In addition to our excellent curricula, our students are active in departmental, college and campus activities. PSLA clubs and events offer fun and unique opportunities to expand your social environment and develop professional contact networks.

PSLA departmental research programs are of interest to scientists and professionals from around the world. Our faculty conducts research in plant genomics and physiology; plant ecology, biodiversity and conservation; plant production and protection; and landscape architecture and management. Through these research programs, PSLA supports the needs and interests of our citizens and stakeholders by developing new disease-resistant cultivars and plant varieties, developing sustainability practices for ecosystems and urban forests, and designing green roofs and community green spaces. Perhaps you are interested in helping to test the strategies being developed to preserve threatened plant species in ecosystems challenged by the encroachment of our human activities. Perhaps you are interested in designing an urban corridor greenspace or gardens for a national monument. There is much to be involved in as our faculty and students seek to design and manage the sustainable urban landscapes of tomorrow and support the agricultural industry and crop production within the fragile Chesapeake Bay watershed. Teaching, research, and service/outreach are components of all of our Department and College activities. The land grant mission that originally formed the University of Maryland remains our guiding principle as we grow in excellence. Read on to see how you can become a colleague in our Department and to find the latest information on specific plant research and design/management projects of students and faculty.

Regards,

William J. Kenworthy, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair