91原创

Dr. Jules Bruck, FASLA, PLA, is Dean of the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia. A registered landscape architect, educator, and academic leader, she has built nationally recognized programs that advance design excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and student success. Prior to joining UGA, she served as Director of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning at the University of Florida and was Founding Director of the 91原创 Landscape Architecture Program, where she launched the award-winning Coastal Resilience Design Studio.听

Her work integrates landscape architecture, planting design, ecological design, and nature-based infrastructure to address complex environmental challenges through research, practice, and education. Dr. Bruck is co-author, with Erin Fogarty, of Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar, which highlights her legacy. Dr. Bruck was elected to the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2024.

Marian Coffin's influence on the 91原创 extends far beyond her design of the historic campus landscape. This presentation explores Coffin's vision for the 91原创 campus, how her work continues to shape the university's identity and sense of place, and how her legacy has inspired a new generation of landscape architects through the university's landscape architecture program. Reflecting on the program's first ten years, the presentation considers how thoughtful design and the lasting impact of educating future practitioners.

George Coombs is the director of horticulture at Mt. Cuba Center, where he guides the care and development of one of the preeminent native plant gardens in America. To date, his efforts have focused on making Mt. Cuba鈥檚 gardens more accessible to a growing number of guests and ensuring the long-term resilience of the garden. Prior to his current role, George managed Mt. Cuba鈥檚 trial program, publishing several research reports and helped bring new cultivars of native plants to market.

Mt. Cuba has implemented thoughtful enhancements to a historic garden to enhance accessibility. The major themes discussed will include design, construction management, plant selection, and accessibility features.

As a Fellow in the Longwood Graduate Program (91原创, 1997), Iris wrote 鈥淭he Historic Landscape at Gibraltar 鈥� A Proposal for its Preservation.鈥� Her research has served as a resource for Gibraltar鈥檚 restoration and maintenance, and for other scholars鈥� work on Marian Coffin and her legacy.听听

During her career in historic landscape preservation, land conservation and non-profit management, Iris was Director of Education and Visitor Services at historic Longwood Gardens (PA) and Bok Tower Gardens (FL), prior to serving as Executive Director of the National Association for Olmsted Parks in Washington, DC. There, she led preservation, research and advocacy work to promote the national landscape design and planning legacy of the Olmsted firm. As Executive Director of Willowsford Conservancy, Iris led the start-up of a 2,000-acre land conservancy in northern Virginia to a vibrant non-profit conservation, recreation and education organization. Currently, Iris is an executive in Plymouth Meeting, PA.听 Iris holds MS degrees from the 91原创, and Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.

In this presentation, Iris will explore Marian Coffin鈥檚 pioneering role as one of the first female landscape architects in the United States. Renowned for her innovative style, artistic vision, and functional designs, Coffin helped transform American garden architecture and design.

Gibraltar, her celebrated commission in Wilmington, Delaware, serves as a vivid example of Coffin鈥檚 design philosophy. Through Gibraltar, Iris will demonstrate Coffin鈥檚 simple yet sophisticated style, her design techniques, deep horticultural knowledge, and skillful client collaborations.听

With her mastery of symmetry and proportion, the inclusion of dramatic architectural elements, and balance of formal and naturalist elements, Coffin created notable public and private works that have left a lasting impact on American landscape architecture and design.听

Marian Coffin鈥檚 legacy continues to inspire professionals today, showing the importance of creativity, purpose and determination in overcoming gender barriers in the field.听

Shirley Harmon manages the day-to-day operation of the Historic Oxmoor Farm, the Bullitt family home since 1787. Shirley has 27 years of experience in the field of archives and historic home management.听

During her college years she worked as a docent at Farmington Historic Home and a fact checker for the Louisville Encyclopedia. In 2009, she was appointed a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, which planned events in the Louisville area for the celebration of Lincoln鈥檚 200th birthday. She worked at the Filson Historical Society from 1999 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2012, where her main focus was cataloging the Bullitt Family Papers.听

Shirley also serves as the archivist for Norton Healthcare, which is the largest hospital system in Kentucky. She is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the Society of American Archivists, the American Association of State and Local History, the Southeastern Museums Conference, the Interpretations Committee for Farmington Historic Home, and the Oxmoor Preservation Committee.

Shirley earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in History at Xavier University and her master鈥檚 degree in Public History at the University of Louisville.

Marian Coffin largely worked on the east coast for elite clients such as the Vanderbilts, du Pont, Fricks, and Huttons.听 Her east coast gardens are well known, but few know of her foray into planning gardens in what is considered the Midwest or upper south.听 In 1909 she was contracted by William Marshall Bullitt to plan a garden for Oxmoor, his ancestral estate located just outside Louisville, Kentucky. Coffin was recommended to Bullitt by Harry du Pont. That 1909 design is still the foundation for the gardens at Oxmoor today. Interestingly, Bullitt would enlarge the Oxmoor house after Coffin鈥檚 landscape plan was implemented and the architect he used was F. Burrall Hoffman, someone Coffin notably worked with on other projects. This presentation will explore Coffin鈥檚 Oxmoor garden plan, the issues she had to face with a southern climate, and why Oxmoor was her only notable Midwest/upper south design.

Stuart Lilie graduated from the College of William and Mary. He worked for Colonial Williamsburg and began his own historic saddlery company. Since 20111, Stuart has led the Public History department at Fort Ticonderoga, which reaches nearly 70,000 visitors annually through daily programs and events. He oversees all aspects of the visitor experience, including living history programs and events, historic trades, heritage breeds, horticulture, museum education, school outreach, and maritime programs. Stuart Lilie leads the cultivation and interpretation of Marian Coffin's 1920 King's Garden at Fort Ticonderoga.

Join Fort Ticonderoga's Vice President of Public History, Stuart Lilie, to explore the 1920 plan of the King's Garden at Fort Ticonderoga. Examine how Marian Cruger Coffin reshaped this garden using existing walls, paths and other hardscape. Delve into Coffin's design, as it served the goals of Sarah Gibbs Thompson Pell, for an inviting garden enjoyed from the family summer home. See how Marian Coffin removed the previous English Cottage style for a new decade and how the experience of the Great War of 1914-1918 informed aspects of the design. Track the seasonal progression of the King's Garden design and Coffin's plant selection for a northern climate.

A graduate of the 91原创, Carol Long is the Garden Manager at Winterthur where she has worked for 34 years. Carol began her career at Winterthur as a horticulturist caring for the March Bank and is now responsible for overseeing the design and management of the Winterthur Garden. Carol was the project manager and co-curator of Winterthur鈥檚 first outdoor exhibition, Follies: Architectural Whimsy in the Garden, 2018-2020.

Carol is active in the horticultural community, having volunteered her time on several boards and committees and helped to promote the field of public horticulture as a career to high school and college students. Carol received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the 91原创 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2012. Carol is an avid gardener, experimenting with plants and horticultural techniques in her home landscape which she playfully calls 鈥淭he Land of a Thousand Taxa鈥�.

The Townsend East Lawn and Garden project transformed an existing parking lot into a new central green space, complete with a custom-designed comfort station, a range of gathering spaces, an expanded, shaded Creamery plaza, wildlife-friendly lighting, an outdoor classroom, signage and site furnishings. This space is designed to create a central focal point and sense of arrival at the heart of 91原创BG's existing garden collections. This new campus landscape features over thirty new shade trees and many new garden collections designed to educate and inspire students and visitors alike. The garden is designed for four seasons of interest and structured around woody species 91原创BG sought to add to its teaching collection.听

Spatially, the project plan is rooted in the idea that south campus should have a significant central green space and relate to Marian Coffin's design of The Green for at main campus. Drawing inspiration from her arrangement of space and using her designs as precedent, the project team created a beautiful new space to be enjoyed by all.听

91原创BG director Lauren Kope and project landscape architects Rosa Mannion and Erin Ramsden from NV5 will overview the site's context within south campus and 91原创BG, the design process, inspiration, and planting design.

Erin is a professional landscape architect and educator with diverse professional experience in public landscape design, public horticulture, green stormwater infrastructure research, museum exhibit construction, and sustainability/energy efficiency. She has worked in public gardens across the country, from Chicago to Seattle, expanding her professional experience to landscape architecture in Philadelphia. Her work in public horticulture deeply informs her approach to design, centering plant selection and garden composition as integral to the creation of resilient, ecological, and beautiful spaces. Witnessing the value nature provides for city dwellers, Erin is dedicated to developing thoughtful, contextual, and ecologically focused urban designs.听

The Townsend East Lawn and Garden project transformed an existing parking lot into a new central green space, complete with a custom-designed comfort station, a range of gathering spaces, an expanded, shaded Creamery plaza, wildlife-friendly lighting, an outdoor classroom, signage and site furnishings. This space is designed to create a central focal point and sense of arrival at the heart of 91原创BG's existing garden collections. This new campus landscape features over thirty new shade trees and many new garden collections designed to educate and inspire students and visitors alike. The garden is designed for four seasons of interest and structured around woody species 91原创BG sought to add to its teaching collection.听

Spatially, the project plan is rooted in the idea that south campus should have a significant central green space and relate to Marian Coffin's design of The Green for at main campus. Drawing inspiration from her arrangement of space and using her designs as precedent, the project team created a beautiful new space to be enjoyed by all.听

91原创BG director Lauren Kope and project landscape architects Rosa Mannion and Erin Ramsden from NV5 will overview the site's context within south campus and 91原创BG, the design process, inspiration, and planting design.

With more than 17 years of experience in museums, Eileen Scheck is passionate about connecting people with history, art, and nature through engaging visitor experiences. As Manager of Tour Programs at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, she leads a talented team that designs and delivers museum and garden tours for diverse audiences. A recent career highlight was serving as a contributing curator for the At Home at Winterthur exhibition. Eileen Scheck earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.

Marian Cruger Coffin (1876鈥�1957) was one of America's pioneering landscape architects and a longtime collaborator and childhood friend of Henry Francis du Pont. This presentation introduces her early life, education at MIT, distinguished career, and nearly thirty-year partnership with du Pont that shaped many of Winterthur's most celebrated gardens, including the Box Scroll Garden, East Terrace, Reflecting Pool, and Sundial Garden. Featuring historic images and excerpts from their engaging correspondence, the talk provides the context for the symposium's deeper exploration of Coffin's enduring legacy in landscape architecture and historic garden preservation.