Jeffrey Blankenship

Jeffrey Blankenship is an Associate Professor of Art and Architecture at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where he has been a faculty member since 2011. He is affiliated with the Department of Art and Architecture and teaches across design, urbanism, and landscape studies.

• Ph.D., Cultural Geography, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2011
• Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1999
• Master of Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1999
• Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, University of Kentucky, 1994

His research centers on cultural geography and landscape architecture, with a focus on 20th-century American landscapes and the work of J.B. Jackson. He explores themes such as modernity, everyday spaces, and the cultural meanings embedded in designed environments. His interdisciplinary approach bridges architecture, geography, and the humanities.

His recent publications examine mid-century geohumanities, capitalist leisure practices, and the evolution of landscape thought. These works appear in leading journals such as GeoHumanities, ACME, and Landscape Journal, reflecting a scholarly trajectory deeply engaged with the cultural interpretation of space and place.

He is currently completing a monograph titled Everyday Modernity: J.B. Jackson and Landscape Magazine, 1951–1968, under contract with LSU Press, which promises to be a significant contribution to the history of landscape discourse.

Blankenship has also contributed to professional practice through his editorial and technical work on the Time-Saver Standards series, demonstrating a commitment to both academic and applied dimensions of landscape architecture.

He teaches introductory and advanced design studios, courses in urban and landscape design, the history of modern landscape architecture, and portfolio development. His email is blankenship@hws.edu.