School of Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architecture Faculty

Karen YunJin Seong

Acting Director
School of Landscape Architecture

Karen Seong is the Acting Director of the School of Landscape Architecture at the Academy of Art University (and the Director of the School of Architecture).

She is a proponent of online education as a means to meaningfully diversify the architectural profession. She also advocates for community-based design projects founded on her belief that architects have a responsibility to serve in the interest of the public. Under her leadership, student work was recognized with AIA SF Leadership Award, ACSA Conference Presentation, and NBC Bay Area news coverage.

Karen developed her professional expertise while with the multi-national firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Karen held leadership positions working collaboratively with large international teams on award-winning projects ranging from high-rises in Manhattan and Kuwait, a bioscience research building for Rice University, college campuses for the Kuwaiti government, and artist James Turrell’s Roden Crater Fumarole in Arizona. She is a licensed architect in California and New York, a LEED accredited professional, and NCARB certified. She serves on the board of the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects and is a professional member of the National Organization of Minority Architects.

Karen received a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, with distinction, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with High Honors from UC Berkeley. Karen has previously taught at UC Berkeley and has been a guest critic at various institutions in the US and in Korea. She was born in South Korea and lived in Malaysia before immigrating to the US at age 19.

Website:

https://karenseongarchitect.com/

LinkedIn

Karen Song hedshot

Part Time Faculty

Toni Bava

Toni Bava

  • Planting Design
  • Landscape Architecture Design

Position: Part-time Faculty

Education:
Master’s in Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California, Landscape Architecture)

Industry Credits:

  • Registered Landscape Architect, State of California; LEED AP; ISA – Certified Arborist
  • Established landscape architectural practice, Antonia Bava Landscape Architects, in 1987
  • A lifetime of work developing medical and healthcare campuses that foster the healing and wellness of people, as well as benefit our environment.
  • A lifetime of teaching landscape architecture:
    • 1995-2012 – Instructor of landscape architecture at University of California Berkeley Extension
    • 2012-present – Instructor of landscape architecture at Academy of Art University

Links

Taylor Broussard

Taylor Broussard

  • Landscape Drawing and Drafting

Position: Part-time Faculty

Industry Credits:

  • 2018 NAHB Master-Planned Community of the Year – Gold
  • 2018 NAHB Best Signage – Silver
  • 2021 NAHB Master-Planned Community of the Year – Silver
  • 2021 NAHB Best Signage – Silver

Links

Shruti Dixit

Shruti Dixit

Shruti Dixit has two decades of professional experience in master planning and landscape architecture projects across the world. She has worked on a wide range of projects of various scales, which have included hospitality and resort design, public parks, townships, institutional campuses, and historic landscapes. Since 2015, she has immensely enjoyed teaching an introductory design studio to architecture and landscape architecture majors at the Academy of Art University.

Shruti is a licensed landscape architect in California, a LEED accredited professional, and has a special interest in cultural landscapes and in placemaking endeavors. She enjoys creating places that are meaningful to the people who use them and firmly believes that designers and planners can be active agents in making a positive impact on society through the quality of places they help create. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture in India and a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the Pennsylvania State University where her work was recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Peter Frankel

Peter Frankel

Position: Part-time Faculty

Industry Credits:

As a Landscape Architect and Associate Principal at Bionic, Pete has played a key role in the design and implementation of projects varying in scale from the 24 Acre LinkedIn Middlefield campus in Mountain View to the Museum of Craft and Design “Flashlight” Parklet, both of which received the ASLA Northern California Honor Award

  • Licensed Landscape Architect, California
  • Geraldine Knight Scott Traveling Fellowship, UC Berkeley
  • ASLA Student Award, Certificate of Merit

Links

H. Lynn Harrison

H. Lynn Harrison

Position: Part-time Faculty

Education:
Bachelor of Architecture, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina, Architecture)

Industry Credits:

  • New Architecture San Francisco: Featured article Kiiroihana Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
  • Sunset Magazine: Featured article of Cooper Residence Design
  • San Francisco AIA Design Award: Cooper Residence, Tiburon, CA
  • San Francisco AIA Design Award: Kiiroihana Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
  • Award for Historic Renovation: Stanyan Park Hotel, San Francisco, CA
  • Yerba Buena Gardens Exhibit of Buildings: Harrison Plaza Office Building, San Francisco, CA
  • Preservation Director Art Deco Society of California (ADSC)
  • ADSC Design Award: Harrison Plaza Office Building, San Francisco, CA
  • ADSC Design Award: Piedmont Piano Company, Oakland, CA
  • ADSC Design Award: Stookey’s Club Moderne, San Francisco, CA

Links

Sergio Lima

Sergio Lima

Position: Part-time Faculty

Education:
Master of Architecture, University of Palermo (Palermo, Italy, Architecture)

Industry Credits:

  • Fluent in five languages (Italian, English, French, Spanish and Sicilian)
  • I have travelled extensively across 43 countries in all continents
  • ASLA Northern California Chapter Honor Award, Guthrie Green, 2012
  • ASLA National Honor Award, California Academy of Sciences, 2009
  • Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Green Roof Award of Excellence, California Academy of Sciences, 2008
  • ASLA Northern California Chapter Honor Award, Sun City Takarazuka, 2006
  • City of Las Vegas Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Best Public Space, Lewis Avenue Corridor, 2006
  • I was responsible for most of the planting design for the Burj Khalifa project (the tallest tower in the world) in Dubai, UAE

Links

Brett Marsengill

Brett Marsengill

Position: Part-time Faculty

Brett is a licensed landscape architect and planner. With over 22 years and 80+ projects, Brett has successfully led high-profile planning, design and construction project on a national and international basis. His passion for design integration of urban context and ecological systems creates memorable dynamic environments. With a specialization in large parks, his work can be found from Seattle to Las Vegas and San Francisco to Atlanta. He holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia and a Master of Environmental Planning from Arizona State University.

Simon McKenzie

Simon McKenzie

Education:
Master of Architecture, McGill University (Quebec, Canada, Architecture)

Jeff McLane

Jeff McLane

Postion: Part-time Faculty

Jeff McLane is a licensed landscape architect in California. For over two decades he has been a founding partner and president at Jeff McLane + Associates Landscape Architects in Marin. He was a founding partner of MAC Studio, a community-based design group in Oakland. Jeff is also a painter and sculptor who has exhibited his work in galleries throughout the Bay Area. Jeff is LEED BD+C certified through the US Green Building Council and is committed to design work that is sustainable, responsible and inclusive. Jeff has worked on a variety of projects throughout the Bay Area. These involve working for variety of public and private clients including commercial, educational, institutional, and community participatory design projects throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Diego Romero-Evans

Diego Romero-Evans

  • Emerging Topics and Research Methods

Position: Part-time Faculty and Technical Advisor

Education:
Masters Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California, Landscape Architecture)

Industry Credits:

  • Selected two consecutive times as beneficiary on the exclusive group of International Professionals within the USCIS-Extraordinary Abilities Program (2021-2027)
  • Awarded with the Chilean National Commission for Science and Technological Research Grant (2017), the Communications ASLA Honor Award (2019)
  • Co-recipient of the Communications ASLA Honor Award (2019), and the Italian Architectural Rothoblaas Award (2011)

Links

Naima Sweeting

Naima Sweeting

  • Enhanced Studies
  • Pro Practice for Landscape Architecture

Position: Part-time Faculty

Industry Credits:

  • Licensed Landscape Architect, State of California
  • Principal and Owner of Studio Serrette

Links
Lee Ann Toney headshot

Lee Ann Toney

Lee Ann Toney headshot

Lee Ann Toney

  • The Natural World 1: The Base
  • Survey of Landscape Architecture

Position: Online Instructor

Education:
Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California, Landscape Architecture)

Industry Credits:
I am a Licensed Landscape Architect and have enjoyed a fulfilling career in the landscape profession. I have worked on collaborative teams at Gates & Associates and Camp & Camp Associates in the San Francisco Bay Area. Both firms focused on creating inviting and immersive outdoor spaces with projects that focused on campus planning, urban design, city parks, streetscapes, and residential landscapes. In Nevada County, I worked with Bisnett Design Associates on community masterplans and residential projects. I have enjoyed writing online LAN courses for the Academy of Art University and teaching online classes in the Landscape Architecture Department for the past 12 years. I strive to educate the next generation of working professionals in this field and set them up for success! Volunteering for the SYRCL (South Yuba River Citizens League) Wild and Scenic Film Festival each year is inspiring, and I enjoy participating in the community effort that goes into hosting this event that promotes activism thru film and art.
Mark Yin headshot

Mark Yin

Mark Yin headshot

Mark Yin

  • Landscape Architecture Design Studio

Position: Part-time Faculty

Education:
Bachelor of Science, California Polytechnic University (San Luis Obispo, California, Landscape Architecture)

Industry Credits:
Walt Disney Imagineering – Senior Landscape Architect

  • Lead Landscape Architect – Adventureland, Hong Kong Disneyland
  • Lead Landscape Architect – Main Entry and Hollywood Backlot, Disney’s California Adventure
  • Additional Disney Projects:
    • Cinderella’s Castle Forecourt – Tokyo Disneyland
    • Raging Spirits rollercoaster attraction – Tokyo Disney Seas
    • Hong Kong Disneyland Master Plan
    • Disney’s California Adventure Master Plan
    • Disneyland Paris Master Plan

    Sasaki Associates – Senior Associate

    • The Headquarters at Seaport, (San Diego, CA)
    • Vista de las Montanas Student Housing (Cal Poly Pomona)
    • Joseph E. Gallo Recreation & Wellness Center (UC Merced)
    • University of Hong Kong Centennial Campus Master Plan (Hong Kong SAR)
    • Wilmington Waterfront Development Master Plan (Wilmington, CA)
    • The Huntington Master Plan (San Marino, CA)

    Greenridge Studio + Workshop

    • Eichler Home and Landscape Renovation, Castro Valley, CA
    • Kipp Stewart Home and Landscape Renovation, West Hollywood, CA
    • Custom Furniture and Fabrication – Shows and Commissions
    • Retail Display Fixtures (Title Nine Sports, 14 locations nationwide)
    • Modular Workstations (Title Nine Sports Corporate Office, Emeryville, CA)

    Alameda County Arts Commission – Public Art Advisory Committee

    • 2012-2020 (two four-year terms)
    • 2024 – present (committee co-chair

    Soccer Coach

    • Middle School – 2010-present (14 years)
    • High School – 2018-2022

    Endurance Sports

    • Ultramarathons – Distances up to 100km
    • Triathlons – Distances up to Half-Ironman
    • Open Water Swimming