ASLA-NY is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural DEI Grants for ASLA National Conference and LARE. ASLA National Conference Grant covers $1,500 of the cost of attendance to the annual ALSA Conference on Landscape Architecture. LARE Grant offers $1,000 toward the cost of the LARE exam and preparations. Eligible for emerging professionals in landscape architecture, the DEI Grant prioritizes Black, Indigenous and People of Color for its awards.

Amber Betances | 2022 ASLA National Conference Grant Recipient

Amber L Betances graduated from Rutgers with a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture in 2017. As an assistant landscape architect for NYC Parks, she focuses on creating safe and accessible spaces for all ages and abilities. Her passion for environmental justice began during a conference she attended during her junior year. Robert Bullard’s lecture helped inform her decision to focus her career on community-based design and increasing accessibility to equitable green spaces. Her optimism runs deep in designers’ capacity to help cultivate a greater consciousness for more vibrant and healthy communities.

Yang (Jack) Bai | 2022 LARE Grant Recipient

Yang (Jack) Bai, from Baotou, China, is an Assistant Landscape Architect at the NYC Parks. He brings cross-disciplinary experience in landscape, urban design, and graphic design to NYC Parks projects of all scales. Jack holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art & Design from Dalian Nationalities University in China, and a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from University of Colorado, Denver. He also holds a Master’s in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University, where he was awarded with the Lucille Smyser Lowenfish Memorial Prize, the GSAPP Prize for Excellence in the Urban Design program.