Jennifer L. Thomas

Jennifer L. Thomas serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture within the School of Design at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her academic profile centers on landscape architecture as a cultural medium reflecting social complexities and ideological discrepancies through built form, with primary research in landscape history and theory, cultural heritage studies, and preservation—particularly regarding historic statues/monuments and institutional landscapes.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado Denver
• Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Oregon

Professor Thomas's research investigates multiscalar historical landscapes, especially nineteenth-century insane asylums and monument controversies, revealing how built environments embody societal ideologies. She emphasizes collaborative processes, materiality, and visual culture in landscape architecture, exploring adaptive reuse of institutional sites and therapeutic landscape design within historical contexts.

Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on landscapes' role in societal wellness, examining Olmsted and Vaux's asylum designs, medical topography, and monument iconoclasm. This work bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates on cultural heritage, mental health infrastructure, and public space equity.

Scientific awards include:

• Illinois ASLA Student Merit Award for 'General Design-Undergraduate Project' for studio project 'URBAN FLUX'

Professor Thomas secured $18,000 as Principal Investigator for the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) and National Park Service Grant 'CESU-Establish Youth Partnership for Future Design Professionals,' and received Virginia Tech's $1,500 New Faculty Mentoring Grant. She testified as an expert witness before the Illinois General Assembly's Statue and Monument Review Task Force in 2021, demonstrating policy engagement with her research.