IFLA President's Award

Canadian landscape architect and academic Beverly Sandalack has received this year's IFLA President’s Award. The annual award is bestowed upon an individual who has contributed to the global profession of landscape architecture through their contribution and success in advancing the mission and objectives of IFLA.

Announcing the award during a virtual ceremony, IFLA president James Hayter singled out Dr Sandalack’s work in chairing the Jury of IFLA’s Student Design Competition, a position she’s held since 2004. He noted Dr Sandalack had given her time tirelessly to the competition, and to great effect. 

Beverly Sandalack

The competition has gained in prestige and importance under her direction, he said, and is considered to be the preeminent event for students to showcase their own work, and the work of their school programmes, globally.  

“Dr Sandalack’s dedication to this task and integrity in overseeing the competition is exemplary and resulted in great benefit to the profession,” Hayter said. 

Held annually in conjunction with IFLA’s World Congress and World Council meeting, the competition has been instrumental in exposing the work of students globally and encouraging the exchange of ideas and respect for regional differences and approaches. It’s also been critical in expanding the visibility of landscape architecture in countries where it’s considered an emerging profession, Hayter said.

Dr Sandalack obtained a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Manitoba in 1990 and a PhD in Urban Design from Oxford Brookes University in 1998. She’s a Fellow of the Canandian Society of Landscape Architects and received it’s teaching award in 2018. 

A Professor since 1999, she’s founding Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture Program at the Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, and Associate Dean (Academic) from 2012 until last year.

Previous to this, she practiced landscape architecture with private sector firms in Calgary and Winnipeg, and taught in the Environmental Planning Department at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design from 1994-99, and in the Horticulture Program at Olds College from 1987-90. 

Dr. Sandalack is Co-Director of The Urban Lab, an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Calgary.