Board of Directors
Maria A. Villalobos H., Director
Villalobos is an Associate Professor at IIT in Chicago and Director of the Master in Landscape Architecture and Urbanism program. She earned her Ph.D. at the esteemed School of Landscape Architecture of Versailles, France, where she delivered a dissertation on the Botanical Garden of Roberto Burle Marx, which explored the creative process for the regeneration of urban landscapes. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, she received the first prize in the Venezuelan Architecture Biennial in 2017 for the Rehabilitation of the Botanical Garden of Maracaibo. Villalobos also holds a Master in Design Studies from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and was honored with the Annual Award for Excellence in Housing Design in 2004. Her professional experience includes working at the New York Department of City Planning from 2005 to 2009, focusing on the recovery of Lower Manhattan after 9/11, and developing world-class public projects in New York, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro as part of the team at Arup NYC.
As Co-Founding Artist Creator at Botanical City, Villalobos emphasizes preserving endangered cultural landscapes and overcoming abandonment in cities. She serves on the Lincoln Yards Advisory Council, the Committee on Design for the Department of City Planning in Chicago, as well as a Board Member of Friends of the Park in Chicago and a Core Member of Dark Matter University. Her contributions to the field have earned her the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture 2022 Excellence in Design Studio Teaching Award, and she currently serves as a Board Member of Friends of the Park in Chicago since 2023.
Nola Talmage, Director
Nola Talmage is a Landscape Designer and graduate of the UCLAx Landscape Architecture Program. She’s also a Founding Principal at Field Sound — a Los Angeles-based landscape design studio. Nola is a mother of 2 young children and has lived in Los Angeles for 25 years. In her previous career she worked in commercial photography as a technical assistant, producer, and location scout. Her advocacy work includes serving as the Membership Chair for the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee for a number of years. Most recently she’s engaged as a student outreach volunteer with YO! 4 LA (Youth Outreach for Landscape Architecture in Los Angeles), a committee of the Southern California ASLA Chapter.
Nola is the recipient of the Landscape Architecture Foundation Peridian International/Rae Price FASLA Scholarship, as well as the 2020 Class Fund Scholarship.