Emma Potter

Education

University of Virginia, Masters in Landscape Architecture

Virginia Tech, B.A. Environmental Policy and Planning; Smart, Sustainable Cities

Biography

Emma Potter accepted the role of Project Associate for the Urban Planning with Integrated Natural Systems (UPWINS) team after graduating with her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia (UVA). This project makes up half of the Natural Infrastructure Lab (NIL) at UVA’s School of Architecture, led by principal investigator Michael Luegering, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture. Federally funded research, the multi-million-dollar grant project by the US Army Corps of Engineers will continue to push the profession forward as a critical player in the STEM discipline of landscape architecture.
 
As a coastal native, Emma grew up in Virginia Beach, frequently exposed to the social and environmental contentions in a wet landscape. The area is also known for its agricultural advantage, situated along the Chesapeake Bay. Exposure to the coast and food security led her to a bachelor’s degree in environmental planning at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).  At Virginia Tech, community engagement and food justice initiatives became integral in her learning experience and ultimately landed her in the master’s program at UVA.
 
During her graduate studies, Emma took on the role as Assistant Event Coordinator for Morven Programs. Named the UVA Sustainability Lab, led by Director Beth Meyer, Morven serves as a hub for students to engage with a landscape rich in cultural and historical context. The position with NIL offers a full-circle moment as a part of the field work is sited on the Morven property. She was also a student research assistant for Barbara Brown Wilson, founder of the Equity Center, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Housed at UVA’s Environmental Institute, the Climate Equity Atlas is a co-produced research and community project that aims to provide a visual tool along with a network of resources to support the residents of the Eastern Shore through equitable development.
 
In effort to meld her empathetic outlook with community focused environmental research, Emma designed her graduate thesis in her hometown with C.L. Bohannon, PhD, ASLA, Associate Professor in the Landscape Architecture Department and the Associate Dean of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (AD JEDI). The visionary project is titled, “Strawberry Fields Forever? Agricultural Heritage as Place-Based Landscape Design.”
 
Emma is overjoyed to return to UVA to collaborate with the brightest minds and change makers the world has to offer.