The department congratulates Yanhua Lu (MLA '17) on her recent appointment as Assistant Professor of Architecture & Landscape Architecture/University Extension at Iowa State University.
As a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) student at UMass, Lu worked with recently retired LARP Extension Associate Professor Michael DiPasquale on prominent UMass Extension community initiatives in Springfield. Together with local stakeholders and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Lu helped implement a new downtown wayfinding system in the city’s Central Business District. She also contributed to the development of the UMass Design Center in Springfield and “Make-It Springfield," the community makerspace founded by Professor DiPasquale and his urban design students almost 10 years ago.
After graduating from the MLA program in 2017, Yanhua Lu went on to earn a PhD in Design from North Carolina State University. Her dissertation, “Exploring the Effects of Augmented Reality Wayfinding Tools on Perceived Urban Walkability and Behavior in the Digital Era,” relates to her undergraduate design work at UMass.
Through her new role at Iowa State, Yanhua Lu will teach community-based design studios, lead research projects related to climate change and resilient design, and work to expand statewide community engagement and outreach to Iowa’s legacy cities.
"I’m excited to work with communities to co-create sustainable environments that inspire, through the integration of teaching, research, and service," said Lu.
"I’m thankful to LARP for preparing me for a career in landscape architecture. I’m grateful for my master’s advisor, Michael DiPasquale, who introduced me to community engagement and Extension, which has become my lifelong career, and treated me like family. I deeply appreciate my mentor, Henry Sanoff, for guiding me to find my voice as an advocate for communities and as an environmental design researcher. I’m also grateful for my PhD advisor, Dr. Celen Pasalar, for her unwavering support and trust, which allowed me to grow with confidence. Together, they have shaped me into someone who cares deeply about communities and students, and their faith in me gives me the courage to embrace whatever comes next."