1. Christian Guerra, a BSLA and Sustainable Community Development double major,worked as a Landscape Interpretation & Maintenance Intern at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, MA. Christian's main duties included assisting the head gardener with the upkeep and preservation of this historic landscape. He conducted tours of the Frederick Law Olmsted grounds and coordinated with the National Park Service staff who guide visitors through the Olmstead historic home and office. Christian also completed an independent research project referencing archival photographs to create more comprehensive maintenance graphics. These graphics are to be published via the National Park Service.
"Being in the same room where Frederick Law Olmsted, his family, and employee lived and worked was an incredibly awe-inspiring and motivating experience. It is a national treasure and we are fortunate to have it in the state of Massachusetts," said Christian.
2. Dylan Welch, a Master of Regional Planning student, interned at the South Hadley Planning and Conservation Department where they developed tools to support daily planning research. For example, Dylan inventoried all development planning and zoning maps and tracked changes in South Hadley’s zoning over the past 70+ years. On the conservation side, they helped evaluate the success of an urban tree program that began in 2021 with 800 trees given to residents for free.
“My task was to zip around town and check up on how the trees were doing. I had fun seeing different parts of South Hadley and meeting enthusiastic residents who showed a lot of interest in their trees," said Dylan.
In August, Dylan presented the results of their evaluation to the Conservation Commission. Another round of tree-giveaways is planned for this fall!
“Over the summer, I gained new perspectives on what it can be like to work in a small planning/conservation department and how tight knit a community an office of that size can foster. I also learned how even in our highly digitalized society, town halls continue to act as important resources for many people, such as military veterans and new residents," said Dylan.
3. Swetha Hiranya Venuturupalli, a Master of Regional Planning student, refined her skills in project management and design through a summer internship at UMass Campus Planning and Facilitation.
As a campus planning intern, Swetha played a pivotal role in supporting the effective development and enhancement of our university. She assisted in data collection and analysis, conducted site assessments, and participated in master planning and campus community engagement efforts. Swetha also created reports, gained proficiency in mapping, and fostered coordination among various UMass departments and professionals.
“This experience affirmed my passion for urban planning and solidified my career aspirations in the field. Very grateful to be working for UMass!” said Swetha.
4. Eli Spencer, a Landscape Architecture undergraduate student, worked at Noel's Nursery in Orange, MA. Eli supported the nursery with daily landscaping, planting, and softscape design. Through his role, Eli advanced his knowledge and skills in working with plants that are popular in general landscaping. He also learned about concepts in planting design, such as Feng shui, and enjoyed experiencing the energy of the spaces he and the nursery team created.
“I gained a lot of insight into how different spaces can make a person feel. One of the best feeling our team experienced over the summer was completing a client’s request and seeing how the client responded to the finished work. Transforming spaces for the better, recommending fun and unique plants for gardens, and working with great people made me like the industry even more!” said Eli.