Colgate M. Searle Jr.

Colgate M. Searle Jr. is a Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he has taught for over 30 years. He served as former head of the department and is the originator of the interdisciplinary course Field Ecology/Design Foundations, while also acting as chief critic for RISD's European Honors Program.

His educational background includes:

• BFA from Rhode Island School of Design
• BLA from Rhode Island School of Design
• MLA from Harvard University

Searle's research centers on community-based participatory environmental design, emphasizing ecological restoration and sustainable urban solutions. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with real-world applications in landscape planning, historic rehabilitation, and watershed management, consistently prioritizing environmental stewardship and community engagement in both classroom instruction and professional practice.

Key initiatives include the Wheeler School Farm Master Plan, Swan Point Cemetery restoration, Blackstone River Bike Path development, and the Roger Williams Park Botanical Garden project. His research on the I-95 highway corridor reimagined elevated infrastructure as urban connectors, while the One River Project pioneered mixed-use waterfront development with ecological restoration, and ongoing work addresses post-earthquake reconstruction in Castelvecchio Calvisio, Italy.

Searle has earned significant recognition:

• Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects
• Multiple RIASLA design awards
• RISD Alumni Council Arts Education Award

As principal of Searle and Searle (founded 1975), he integrates professional practice into academia through projects involving environmentally sensitive lands and historic landscapes. His work receives substantial funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, RI Economic Policy Council, RI Development Council, and The Fund for Sustainable Education. He founded RISD/Earth University in Costa Rica, advancing sustainable campus planning and agricultural waste utilization, while maintaining an international presence through lectures and critiques at Harvard, Tsinghua University, Seoul National University, and the Chinese Academy of the Arts.