LACF Congratulates the Recipients of the 2025 Regional and National Scholarships
LACF Scholar Recognition Event
Join us for an opportunity to meet the LACF's 2025 Scholars and to participate in a roundtable discussion on the future of the profession.
Date: February 25, 2026 from 1 to 2:30 pm ET
Location: By zoom
National Scholarships
Lea Papillon: LACF Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship
Lea Papillon is entering her final year of the dual Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of British Columbia. Born in Quebec and raised in Ottawa on the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, she grew up with a love for visual arts, environmental care, and social advocacy. This foundation led her to complete a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at McGill University before moving to Vancouver to work in landscape architecture and pursue her graduate studies in both disciplines. She now resides on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations, whose stewardship of these lands and waters continues to guide her work.
Special thanks goes to Bill DeLucca and the Ten for Todd Donors for funding this scholarship.
Sari Halldorson Haines: LACF Walter H. Kehm National Scholarship
Sari's interest in ecology is rooted in a desire to share. She spent her summers as a child on the shores of and swimming in Lake Winnipeg, sometimes referred to as the world’s most endangered lake. Sari can recognize now how formative these experiences were in developing her design interests; she believes we care for things we feel connected to, and swimming connects us to water. Sari sees landscape architecture as a tool to be able to share the magic of swimming with others, and in turn to foster greater ecological care.
Charlie-Kaida King: LACF BC2 Indigenous Scholarship, LACF Peter Jacobs Indigenous Scholarship and the LACF Peter Klynstra Memorial Scholarship
Kai is a status Mi’kmaq person originally from St. John’s Newfoundland. He’s now in the second year of the MLA program at the University of Toronto, and their first Indigenous MLA student. Previously Kai earned degrees in psychology-folklore at Memorial University and a Bachelor of Technology–Landscape Architecture at Dalhousie. Kai is dedicated to integrating Indigenous Heritage and Traditional Knowledge in landscape architecture and has also stepped up as a class representative within his program. Kai finds inspiration in the Newfoundland landscape and plans to return to Atlantic Canada in practice.
Regional Scholarships
Hayden Poehl: LACF Atlantic Landscape/Dalhousie University Scholarship
Hayden Poehl is a fourth year BLA student at Dalhousie University from Stewiacke, Nova Scotia. He’s got family ties and an affection for the province and the Atlantic region, and plans to make his career there. Through his studies, extra curricular activities and seasonal employment, Hayden has built a strong foundation for success in the profession. His enthusiasm for the profession and easy manner with others set him up for success.
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Victoria Miller is a third year BLA student at Dalhousie University, with roots in New Brunswick. Her great-grandfather Rennie Harley was involved with establishment of Ducks Unlimited in Canada, and Victoria has inherited his interest in wetland conservation, which has drawn her to landscape architecture. She’s a friendly leader among students in the BLA program and this past summer she completed an internship at the Glenn Group in Fredericton New Brunswick. This award is the latest in a series of scholarships that attest to Victoria’s capacity for hard work and achievement at school and in extra curricular pursuits.
Philippe Tremblay: LACF 60th anniversary of the AAPQ Scholarship
With a bachelor's degree in Studio Arts and three years of experience in organic market gardening, Philippe is pursuing a master's degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Montreal. Passionate about design processes, he is interested in the traces left by post-industrial activity and the landscape as a vehicle for social engagement. His recent professional experiences have allowed him to put his learning into practice and to understand the importance of the dialogue between practice and research. Receiving the AAPQ's Bourse d’étude du 60e anniversaire would be a valuable recognition, highlighting the efforts he have made to understand the complexity of the field and develop sensitive and grounded design reflexes.
Mélodie Charbonneau-Demers: LACF Danièle Routaboule Travel Scholarship
Originally from Abitibi, Mélodie's interests explore the connection between the body, space, and territory. Trained first in film, then in contemporary dance, she has developed a sensitive approach to movement and spatial composition. After studying sustainable development at HEC Montréal and environmental design at UQAM, she approaches landscape as a living space where all forms of life coexist. She is particularly interested in the creation of inclusive cities, designed to accommodate diversity in bodies, uses, and living things.
Natacha Sodano: LACF Maglin/Université de Montréal Scholarship
Having graduated from the urban planning program at the University of Montréal three years ago, Natacha's journey in landscape architecture has allowed her to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of the land and improve her approach to development projects. What motivates her is the opportunity to work on multiple territorial scales and come up with creative solutions that offer sustainable responses to the socio-ecological challenges of our time. For Natacha, this scholarship is a wonderful recognition at the end of an enriching academic career. It inspires her to maintain the same rigor and willingness to learn in the professional world.
Rory Labelle: LACF Alain Lamontagne (Guelph BLA) Scholarship
As a fourth-year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture student at the University of Guelph, Rory originally chose to study landscape architecture for its unique ability to blend creativity and natural sciences to address the effects of climate change. As her studies have progressed, Rory's primary goal in studying landscape architecture is to approach design with a holistic point of view using creative problem-solving to ultimately benefit communities, ecosystems, and the environment. This scholarship would greatly help her to continue to excel in her studies by allowing me to fully focus on her educational goals.
Lindsay Lane: LACF University of Guelph BLA Scholarship
Having worked in dental hygiene for over five years prior to pursuing a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Lindsay understood the importance of a holistic approach to improving the health of systems and desired to address the foundational determinant of health for every one of us—the environment. With a lifelong appreciation of the natural world, a need for professional fulfillment and an unwavering sense of wonder and curiosity, landscape architecture became the perfect opportunity. The generous scholarship offered through the LACF and her thoughtful nominator(s) will allow Lindsay to balance her studies and continued work as an intern with greater success and enrichment.
Linna Chang: LACF University of Guelph MLA Scholarship
With over eight years of professional practice in landscape architecture in China, Linna specialized in culturally grounded and human-centered design. Her MLA studies at the University of Guelph provide a valuable opportunity to expand this foundation by systematically integrating ecological principles with cultural contexts. The program’s interdisciplinary approach has broadened her perspective, inspiring Linna to embrace emerging tools such as AI to explore future possibilities for design innovation. This scholarship would be deeply meaningful to her, as it represents both recognition of her journey and encouragement to continue contributing to the field with passion, resilience, and dedication.
Benjamin Dunn: LACF University of Toronto MLA Scholarship
Benjamin's research, design, and community work have always been guided by a simple desire to leave things better than they were before. He loves studying landscape architecture because it has given him an outlet to do exactly that. It allows him to weave together his interests in human well-being, environmental design, and community engagement into an applied and meaningful vocation. This scholarship would allow him to focus on his academic work and studies with less concern about income. Moreover, it would significantly bolster his academic pedigree aiding in the pursuit of his dream job upon graduation.
James Aukema: LACF Maglin/University of Guelph BLA Scholarship
As a Canadian growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, James loved being outdoors in all seasons; building backyard projects with his parents and working in an apple orchard. Following high school, he took a gap year to help with his aunt’s flower farm in Dundas, Ontario. There James discovered that designing and visualizing outdoor projects and guiding a visitor’s experience of a place is a field unto itself: landscape architecture. He has found his passion. James plans to stay in Canada, and this scholarship would support his educational preparation to benefit the profession and public with his future work.
Thomas Davis-Moore: LACF Maglin/University of Guelph MLA Scholarship
Immigrating to Canada as a child, Thomas found his sense of belongi
ng and connection in the landscapes of the East Coast. That connection led him to study ecology, where he learned to value the relationships that sustain our environments. In landscape architecture, Thomas will build on this foundation by designing with care for all organisms in mind, protecting and nurturing the relationships that allow life to flourish together. This scholarship would provide meaningful support for his studies while encouraging him to continue sharing his passion which is helping others to find connection in our shared landscapes.
Kiana Rezvani Baghae: LACF Maglin/University of Toronto Scholarship
To practice landscape architecture today is to navigate a world in urgent need of unity: between people and land, between systems and stories. Kiana's undergraduate interests in Environmental Design at OC
AD are now expanded in the Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto. Her studies have taught her the importance of preservation and revitalization degraded ecologies and ecosystems, in order to develop gradients that can meaningfully connect different environments. Kiana is humbled by this recognition, and will use this scholarship to support her commitment to create landscapes that allow people and ecologies to thrive and strengthen one another.
Orly Sacke: LACF/Lemay Scholarship
Growing up in Toronto, Orly is ever-fascinated by the city as a palimpsest of complicated landscapes. Transit expansion overhauls how we move. The conceptual ‘100-year storm’ becomes meaningless given its frequency and in
tensity. Landscape architects gain momentum as city builders. Substantive landscape change and indeterminacy become design opportunities that enamour her with landscape architecture. This scholarship would allow her to leverage her education for design and design activism, engage the privilege of belonging to a discipline whose material realities are in constant flux, and guide an ecological consciousness punctuated by hope as we look towards uncharted climatic futures.
Boru Ali: LACF Andre Schwabenbauer / University of Manitoba MLA Scholarship
Boru was born and raised in Winnipeg. His passion for landscape architecture motivates him to design spaces that inspire connection, evoke memories, and foster a sense of belonging, while contributing to the advancement of the field. Beyond academics, Boru serves as a basketball coach, mentor, and program coordinator, roles that reflects his dedication to helping others grow and develop. This scholarship would provide him with tremendous support for his education, alleviating financial burdens and enabling him to enhance his skills and knowledge. With this support, Boru aims to contribute thoughtful, community-centered design through his practicum research, adding meaningful value to the profession.
Kamryn Sigvaldason: LACF Maglin Scholarship / University of Manitoba
Kamryn Sigvaldason is a first-year student in the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Manitoba. Her studies have deepened her understanding of the connection we share with the land and the communities that have shaped it. This connection, rooted in humility and respect, is a guiding principle in Kamryn's academic journey. In acknowledging these attributes, joy and emotion are not just incidental, but integral features that should evolve from the design. The Maglin-LACF Scholarship will provide profound support, significantly impacting her studies and her future professional practice.
Vincent Morelli: LACF SALA Academic Award
Vincent Morelli is beginning his second year in the MLA program at UBC. He graduated in June 2023 from the University of Regina with a BS in Geography and a minor in Geology. After graduating, he came across landscape architecture, which aligned with his interests in several ways, as he is passionate about the environment and creating things. He decided to pursue a master’s degree in landscape architecture which he has thoroughly enjoyed. This award will help alleviate financial pressure and will allow him to focus more intently on his studies.
Stephen McCausland: LACF Canadian Landscape Charter / University of Calgary Scholarship
Stephen McCausland is a Master of Landscape Architecture student at our School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. He completed his Foundation year studies earning a commendable cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.97, with all course grades in the A range. Especially his work for theory courses such as Landscape Ecology and Planning and History and Theory of Landscape Architecture, as well as his Landscape Architecture Studio project, was recognized as outstanding. A top student in his cohort, Stephen has demonstrated an all-around commitment and capability to excellence in landscape architecture research and design. He has an extraordinary potential to contribute to preserving and creating quality landscapes, embracing the Landscape Charter principles and objectives, in his future career.
Bryan Tan: LACF University of Calgary MLA Scholarship
Growing up in Singapore, Bryan found joy in crafting floral displays that brought smiles to people’s faces. That experience sparked his passion for landscape architecture—a field where he can blend creativity with nature to design spaces that nurture community, family, and belonging. Bryan loves working with plants and envision landscapes that make life feel more vibrant and meaningful. This scholarship would empower me to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and ultimately be a blessing to others through thoughtful design. It’s not just about shaping land—it’s about shaping lives, and he's excited to grow into that purpose.
Tasneem Wahed: LACF Andre Schwabenbauer Scholarship / NAIT
Tasneem Wahed graduated with Honours from the Landscape Architectural Technology program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in 2024 and is currently pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Calgary.
Tasneem holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Bangladesh, where she worked for several years in architectural firms before immigrating to Canada in 2021. Her professional journey reflects a deep passion for the relationship between people and place. While architecture shaped her early design foundation, her move to Canada—and the exposure to its diverse and dynamic landscapes— sparked a strong commitment to landscape architecture.
Through her studies and professional experiences, Tasneem strives to design sustainable, inclusive, and resilient environments that foster community well-being and respond to the pressing challenges of climate change and urban growth.
The Andre Schwabenbauer Scholarship supports Tasneem in advancing her education and refining her design expertise as she works toward professional licensure and a career dedicated to enhancing Canada’s built and natural environments through thoughtful, community-oriented design.
Tenaya Lynx: LACF Maglin Scholarship / University of Calgary
Tenaya was drawn to landscape architecture through the lens of water. She is fascinated by how our urban and regional systems store, harness, and distribute this essential resource, and believes landscape architecture can help reshape communities to protect the watersheds that sustain us and the land. Since beginning her studies at the University of Calgary, she has expanded her focus to include urban design and placemaking, advocating for spaces that nurture both communities and ecology. This scholarship would support opportunities that expand her vision and prepare her to advocate for resilient hydrological systems and thriving public realms.
Angela Zhang: LACF UBC Scholarship in Landscape Architecture
Angela is in her final year of the Master of Landscape Architecture program at UBC. With a background in English Literature and Environmental Design, she studies landscape architecture through a theoretical lens of meaning-making in the built environment. Her interests explore how the intersection of ecological systems, cultural institutions, and craftsmanship can enact alternate forms of agencies within human and non-human communities to instill caring and thoughtful relationships with our landscapes. With this scholarship, it will further assist her pursuit in bridging theory and practice within the field of landscape architecture.
Chloé China Hung: LACF BCSLA Robillard Scholarship in Landscape Architecture
Coming from an architectural and visual arts background, Chloé has always been fascinated with the relationships humans have with their environments, particularly the way these moments change throughout the seasons. To her, studying landscape architecture is a path to designing thoughtfully; preserving and enriching the unceded lands these interactions take place. This scholarship will allow her the opportunity to become a responsible designer and to investigate these intangible relationships.
Thea Johannus: LACF Maglin Scholarship/University of British Columbia
Growing up in Vancouver, Thea has always felt deeply connected to the outdoors and incredibly grateful to experience our local landscapes. Through her background in the Bachelor of Design in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urbanism program at UBC, she has come to understand the urgency of designing landscapes that are just, equitable, and inclusive. Landscape architecture allows Thea to pursue her interests in community-engaged design and environmental care. In turn, this scholarship will support her continued learning of embedded landscape stories and foster her growth as a collaborative designer in tending landscape futures.