Dane Carlson

Dane Carlson is an Assistant Professor of Art/Art History at Principia College. He also serves as a visiting design critic at Harvard University’s Landscape Architecture program and an environmental design strategist at UNOPS Nepal. His research focuses on climate justice, Himalayan landscapes, and community-driven design in trans-Himalayan regions. He collaborates with Nepali communities to advocate for adaptive landscapes that prioritize place-specific knowledge amid climate crisis and chronic disaster-making.

Carlson holds a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA II) from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) from Ball State University. His work emphasizes the intersection of environmental policy, cultural heritage, and disaster resilience, particularly in Nepal’s mountains and plains.

His research includes supporting the retreat of a Himalayan village as an alternative to imposed managed relocation programs. This community-driven approach highlights equitable design strategies amid radical environmental changes.

Carlson’s scholarly contributions span climate justice, landscape histories, and political ecology. His recent works explore temporalities of landscape in the Himalayas and disaster-making dynamics in Nepal’s Terai region. He has presented at prestigious venues like Dumbarton Oaks and published in journals such as Journal of Landscape Architecture and Landscape Research.

• Awards: 2024 Landscape Research Group Grant, 2022 Graham Foundation Grant, 2017-18 Fulbright Scholar (Nepal)
• Memberships: Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, Landscape Research Group

His professional roles include lecturing at Washington University in St. Louis and leading REALMS, a collaborative practice advocating for socially just landscapes in Nepal. Grants and fellowships have supported his interdisciplinary work linking design, advocacy, and community resilience.