Major: Landscape Architecture
Minor: Community Planning
Hometown: Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Miranda Hulme won the South Country Garden Club Scholarship and is the Department of Landscape Architecture’s Olmsted Scholarship Award nominee for leadership and value to landscape architecture (a national award). This past year, she served as president of the student chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects. 

Q. What makes the College of Arts and Sciences at URI unique?

A. The support from faculty is what makes the College of Arts and Sciences unique at URI. Especially in the Department of Landscape Architecture, they are extremely supportive and make sure that you are being pushed to do the best you absolutely can. When you think you have nothing left they help you dig a little deeper. The program is so small that it allows you to get more one on one time with your professor if needed. Since it is a smaller program you tend to gain a personal connection with the rest of the students and the faculty. Another unique factor is how close the students are to another no matter the year. The studio space really unites the students. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic the students are still able to be united and collaborate in a remote setting.

What accomplishments and/or activities at URI are you most proud of now?

I am most proud of the workshops that have been implemented in the program. Being remote it has been hard to connect and learn from each other not being in our typical setting. To help all students connect and learn from each other, I created two workshops helping students with their computer programs connecting us back together. Having these programs be put in place has allowed the in-person to virtual learning easier for our students.

What research projects, internships, experiential learning, and/or study abroad programs did you participate in at URI? How did they enhance your education?

In my time here at URI, I have had the opportunity to have two internships. These internships were extremely important to my undergraduate education. I was able to work alongside professionals in the field related to landscape architecture. I was able to get hands-on experience that helped me further my classroom knowledge and apply it to the real world. I got the opportunity to be a TA three times for two different professors. My first time was for LAR 353: Landscape Plants I with Professor Angelo Simeoni my junior year. I was able to aid students in reviews of taxonomic keys for woody plant identification. The other two times was for Professor Richard Sheridan’s LAR 343 and LAR 344: Junior Studio classes during my senior year. I was able to help facilitate final critiques and help the students along the way giving them tips and tricks. Overall, this helped me strengthen my education by constantly refreshing my knowledge to be able to teach it to others.

What do you value about your liberal arts education?

I have thoroughly enjoyed my liberal arts education. As a student who is dyslexic, school has always been a huge challenge for me. Throughout my time here I was able to find myself apart from my disability. I grew tremendously and had opportunities that I would have never thought imaginable. I value the experiences I got through my education.