Philanthropy
Philanthropy
We are grateful for the continued support of our alumni, emeriti faculty, and community members.
Your generosity makes significant contributions to our students' lives and we welcome financial gifts of any size.
UKLA Accounts
To learn more about donations, you may contact Danielle Jostes, Senior Director of Philanthropy and Alumni. You may also contribute to UKLA funds directly or by sending a check to UKLA with the account name in the memo line.
LA Program Enrichment Endowment
The LA Program Enrichment Endowment supports activities that enhance student education in the Department of Landscape Architecture. This includes student travel, guest lecturers, workshops, and other educational programs.
William Ray Professorship Endowment
The William Ray Professorship Endowment supports continuing education endeavors, such as lectures and workshops that benefit students and regional professionals.
Bill Ray was a landscape architect and owner of a highly successful design-build firm in Louisville. He was not an alumnus of UKLA, but he had a continuing interest in the success of the Department of Landscape Architecture and generously established this fund with a bequest.
David Spaeth Memorial Endowment
The David Spaeth Memorial Endowment supports urban design focused lectures.
David Spaeth taught in the School of Architecture until his death in 1994. For many years, he taught the introductory studio in Landscape Architecture along with his course the History of Urban Form. David Spaeth’s sons established the fund along with matching gifts from friends of David and the department.
Landscape Architecture Discretionary Fund
The Discretionary Fund is a non-endowed fund that provides support for student and faculty travel, workshops, lectures, and equipment.
Tom and Jan Nieman Education Abroad Fund
The Tom and Jan Nieman Education Abroad Fund supports students participating in the Department of Landscape Architecture’s faculty-led international study programs. Tom and Jan Nieman established the fund with a lead gift along with matching gifts from friends of the department.
Thomas Nieman, PhD, FASLA, was a faculty member in the Department of Landscape Architecture (1976-2016). Tom led many travel programs in Asia, Europe, and South America and was a proponent of the educational benefits of international travel.
Jane Martin Delker Memorial Scholarship
The memorial scholarship supports upper level non-traditional students majoring in Landscape Architecture.
Jane Delker was a returning student who graduated from UKLA in 1994 and went on to a career at the landscape architecture firm Carman in Lexington. Jane’s husband Bill established the fund with a lead gift along with matching gifts from friends of Jane and of the department.
Mansbach Scholarship
The Mansbach Scholarship supports Kentucky residents entering the University of Kentucky as first year Landscape Architecture majors and who have 1) a demonstrated potential for academic excellence and/or 2) financial need. Preference is given to student(s) from Boyd County; second preference to student(s) from Greenup, Carter or Lawrence Counties; and third preference to student(s) from all other Kentucky counties.
The Mansbach Scholarship originated with Robin Mansbach, who graduated from UKLA in 1980.
Horst Schach Scholarship
The Horst Schach Scholarship supports beginning Landscape Architecture students showing exceptional intellectual growth, design ability, and studio engagement in their first year of studio courses. Horst Schach established the fund with a lead gift along with matching gifts from friends of the department.
Horst Schach, FASLA, began teaching at UK in 1969. He developed the Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and later became the first chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture.
Gray Design Building Campaign
In March 2024, we moved into the state-of-the-art, adaptive reuse Gray Design Building. We are delighted to have rooms in this building named by some of our alumni (below). Their generous donations provide much needed financial lifts, but they do something deeper: they help carry our past success as a program to our new home, where we will make new memories among the next generations of landscape architects.
The Morgan & Laura McIlwain Landscape Architecture Design Studio
With a career representing his holistic approach to Landscape Architecture, Morgan McIlwain and his wife Laura have generously donated $25,000 to the Gray Design Building fund along with a collection of water color paintings from Lexington artist Charles A. Jolly valued at more than $5,000.
The McIlwains share an extensive history with the University of Kentucky, both in education and employment. While Morgan earned his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the university and eventually returned as an adjunct faculty member in the same program, Laura worked as a medical librarian for UK’s Tobacco and Health Research Insitute for 25 years. The time they have devoted to the betterment of the University is substantial, and their continual investment is a testament to their passion for advancing education in the Commonwealth.
Architerra Group Landscape Architecture Director’s Office
Mark Taylor (UKLA '96), who serves on the Landscape Architecture advisory board, has pledged $15,000 for the Architerra Group Landscape Architecture Director's Office. “As I’ve progressed personally and professionally, I’m often reminded of my time at UK,” he said. “Aside from the lifelong friendships, I’ve also come to greatly value the training and knowledge I received. And I’m excited for the Landscape Architecture program to move into the Gray Design Building and to cohabitate with the other design groups.”
John L. Carman Landscape Architecture Collaborative Studio
Together with his wife Elaine, John L. Carman, PLA, FASLA (UKLA '76) has donated $25,000 for the John L. Carman Landscape Architecture Collaborative Studio, an undergraduate studio in the GDB. As founder and Senior Principal at the Lexington- and Louisville-based firm CARMAN, John has been a tireless advocate for the landscape architecture profession and for the importance of collaboration across planning, design, and engineering disciplines. “I feel that the great partnerships we have with many design firms has elevated our profession’s voice in improving the built environment.”
Elinor Bennett Markle Landscape Architecture Studio
Realizing the significance her degree from UK had on her career, Elinor Markle (UKLA '87) has pledged $25,000 for the Elinor Bennett Markle Landscape Architecture Studio, an undergraduate studio in the Gray Design Building. Markle feels the course of study in landscape architecture changed her life and helped her find a career she truly enjoyed. She is making this gift to support the program and help its students achieve similar fulfillment.
Billy Van Pelt Black Box
With a lifetime focused on land conservation, Billy Van Pelt (UKLA '97) has pledged $25,000 for The Black Box, an area in the Gray Design Building for students to professionally photograph work for their portfolios. Van Pelt is the Director of External Relations and Senior Advisor at American Farmland Trust, the agricultural land trust that designs innovative conservation programs.
