Skip To Main Content
Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Select where to search:


Leann Andrews

Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, Stuckeman Career Development Assistant Professor in Design
Headshot of Penn State Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture Leann Andrews

Leann Andrews is an assistant professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and is affiliated with the Ecology Plus Design: E+D initiative and the Penn State One Health Group. She is a licensed landscape architect with a background in global health, ecological restoration, green infrastructure, community design, and dance; and she delights in the fusion of the arts and sciences for social and environmental activism.

Andrews leads transdisciplinary action research and participatory design projects with vulnerable communities in the United States and Peru, assessing the impacts that landscape interventions have on human and ecological health using One Health and Planetary Health frameworks. Her built, planning and research work has won numerous national and international awards and has been highlighted in the New York Times Daily 360, BBC Health Check, Alaska Airlines Horizon Magazine, Landscape Architecture Magazine, and King 5 News.

Andrews is a founder and board member of the design activism non-profit Traction and is a member of the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Emeritus Board, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Advisory Circle, and the Center for Technological, Biomedical, and Environmental Research (CITBM) in Peru.

  • Education
    • Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Minor in Dance from The Ohio State University in 2007
    • Master of Landscape Architecture, Certificate in Global Health from University of Washington in 2013
    • Ph.D. in the Built Environment, Global Health focus from University of Washington in 2018

     

  • Honors + Awards

    2020–22

    • Stuckeman Career Development Assistant Professor in Design

    2020

    • Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Case Study Investigation (CSI) Research Fellow

    2016–17

    • National Institute of Health Fogarty International Global Health Scholar

    2013

    • LAF National Olmsted Scholar

    2006

    • National Morris K. Udall Scholar
  • Publications + Presentations

    2018

    • Alarcón, Jorge O., Jorge A. Alarcón, and Leann Andrews. “Epidemiología, arquitectura paisajista, “Una Salud” e innovación: Experiencia en una comunidad amazónica,” La Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública. 35(4):667-74.
    • Korn, Abigail, Susan Bolton, Benjamin Spencer, Jorge A. Alarcón, Leann Andrews, and Joachim Voss. “Physical and Mental Health Impacts of Household Gardens in an Urban Slum in Lima, Peru.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 15(8): 1751-1762.

    2017

    • Contributing Author. Human Health & Well Being Working Group. “Site Commissioning White Paper.” S. General Services Administration. July. Prepared by Andropogon Associates, Ltd.
    • Andrews, Leann, Andrew Bailey, Zach Barker, Marin Braco, Nina Chase, Kim Dietzel, Karl Krause, Tim Mollette-Parks, Andrew Sargeant, and Nate Wooten. “The Olmsted Scholar Agenda: From Declaration to Action.” An action plan for the New Landscape Declaration. Landscape Architecture Foundation.
    • Leann Andrews and Nancy Rottle. “Deploying Living Walls as Kinetic Facades” Journal of Living Architecture. 4(2): 17-31.
      • Awarded “Best Paper of the Year” for JoLA by the Green Infrastructure Foundation

    2016

    • Yocom, Kenneth, Leann Andrews, Nicole Faghin, Karen Dyson, and Thomas Leschine. “Revitalizing Urban Waterfronts: Identifying Indicators for Human Well-Being.” AIMS Environmental Science. 3(3): 456-473.

    2015

    • Andrews, Leann and Kathleen Wolf. “Open Space and Human Health in the Central Puget Sound Region.” The Central Puget Sound Regional Open Space Strategy. White Paper. December.

    2014

    • Andrews, Leann and Ben Spencer. “Design as Preventive Medicine.” In Developing Global Health Programming: A Guidebook for Medical and Professional Schools, edited by Jessica Evert, Paul Drain, and Thomas Hall. 2nd ed. Global Health Collaborations Press.
  • Built Works

    With the InterACTION Labs Program (a design and research collaboration between the informal amphibious community of Claverito, Traction, University of Washington, Penn State, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas Biomédicas y Medioambientales, Instituto Nacional de Salud del Peru, and others):

    • Claverito Waterfront Park and Community Center, Iquitos Peru
    • Claverito Household Floating Gardens, Iquitos Peru
    • Claverito School Secret Garden, Iquitos Peru

    With Traction (formerly the Informal Urban Communities Initiative):

    • Fog Water Farm Park and Gardens project, Eliseo Collazos, Lima Peru
    • Pitagoras Primary School Ecological Education Park, Lomas de Zapallal, Lima Peru

    With the UW Green Futures Lab:

    • Duwamish Floating Wetlands and Community Science Program, Seattle, WA
    • Biodiversity Green Wall, Edible Green Screen and Water Harvesting Demonstration Project, Seattle, WA
  • Service + Affiliations

    PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION + CERTIFICATIONS

    2012

    • Social, Economic and Environmental Design (SEED) Certified

    2011

    • Registered Landscape Architect, State of Washington

    SERVICE

    • E+D (Ecology Plus Design)
    • Penn State One Health Group
    • Tri-State One Health Task Force
    • Traction, Board of Directors
    • International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Advisory Circle to the executive committee
    • Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Emeritus Board
      Morris K. Udall Scholar Mentor
    • Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovación Tecnologica (CONCYTEC) de Peru
    • Architects Without Borders
  • Expertise
    • One Health
    • Global Health
    • Public Health
    • Landscape Architecture
    • Community Participatory Design
    • Urban Ecological Design
    • Design Activism
    • Transdisciplinary Action Research