MLA candidate Chris Baos is the
winner of the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF)’s 2025 Kenneth R. Brooks MLA Research Scholarship.
Originally from Greece, Chris is pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture at the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. Passionate about mitigating natural hazards, Chris aims to work in urban and regional planning with an emphasis on disaster resilience and sustainable development. He holds both a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Science (MS) in Architectural Engineering and was recognized as the top graduate of his architecture school by the Technical Chamber of Greece.
He was selected for the 2025
Kenneth R. Brooks MLA Research Scholarship to pursue his graduate research. This scholarship is awarded to a continuing MLA student based on their “outstanding proposal for thesis or capstone research that contributes to the body of knowledge needed to advance the practice of landscape architecture,” according to LAF.
“Louisiana is a remarkable natural and cultural laboratory—rich with real-world challenges and unexpected beauty. It has a unique spirit that constantly surprises you. This is a place with soul and a strong sense of local identity—exactly what we seek in students here.”
“Thanks to professors like Dr. Harmon and Dr. Wang, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in meaningful, community-oriented projects from the very start of my studies,” Baos said. “This year, I consider it a great privilege to collaborate with the Louisiana Sea Grant team, guided by Dr. Matthew Bethel, and to be part of a dynamic interdisciplinary network that includes Dr. Alyssa Outhwaite, Dr. Chris Boyd, and many others.”
“I always look forward to our visits to Pointe-au-Chien and the time spent with people like Donald and Theresa Dardar. They represent a resilient and forward-moving Louisiana. Their example carries a powerful message—one the world urgently needs to hear.”
“The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) and its people do truly inspiring work. It’s remarkable how deeply they support, connect, and listen to students and researchers across the country. They shine a light especially on smaller or more ‘decentralized’ programs.”
“This fellowship will allow me to deepen my research into coastal Louisiana and its communities,” he said.
“But perhaps most importantly, it offers the opportunity to connect with Professor Kenneth Brooks—a deeply experienced landscape architect and educator with a longstanding commitment to the future of our profession and a sincere belief in the next generation. I actively seek mentors with integrity and vision who can both inspire and guide me as a designer and a researcher. I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to collaborate with him.”
About the Kenneth R. Brooks MLA Research Scholarship
Professor Kenneth R. Brooks, FALSA, FCELA, PLA, has had a long career in academia including: 18 years of teaching, research, and service in The Design School in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. Prior to that, he taught for 22 years in the Department of Landscape Architecture / Regional and Community Planning at Kansas State University and for 5 years at Washington State University. Throughout his career, Professor Brooks emphasized the value of research, particularly for students at the master’s level. This scholarship recognizing his career, has been established to provide financial support so that master’s students can focus on a rigorous, evidence-based research project that contributes to advancing the discipline of landscape architecture.
Candidates will be evaluated based on the merits of their intended research as well as the applicant’s academic aptitude and commitment to the profession of landscape architecture. The scholarship award may be used for research expenses, tuition, living expenses, or other costs associated with the applicant’s course of study; funds do not need to be exclusively used for research project expenses.
The LAF has awarded a total of $165,000 to 26 outstanding students for its 2024-25 scholarship season.
The 17 scholarships offered support the next generation of designers by rewarding superior student performance, supporting access and diversity, supporting original research, and assisting students with unmet financial need. The awards are made possible through funds established by generous sponsors.
LAF “congratulates all of our 2025 winners, who were selected through a competitive process by sponsor- and LAF-convened juries made up of leaders in landscape architecture practice, academia, and industry.”
