Allyson Mendenhall, FASLA, AB ’90, MLA ’99

Allyson Mendenhall, FASLA, is a landscape architect who has practiced in several leading landscape architecture, planning and urban design firms since graduating with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) in 1999. As Director of Strategic Initiatives at Sasaki’s landscape architecture, civil engineering, and ecology practice, she leads evidence-based design initiatives and the development of standards and best practices. Allyson is recognized for bridging design practice and academia through research partnerships and publications. She thrives in settings where she can connect people around content, foster knowledge exchange, and inculcate effective methods in design practices.

In addition to her GSD roles on the Dean’s Leadership Council and as a past chair of the Alumni Council, Allyson serves as the President of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), the first GSD graduate to lead this 180-year-old organization representing Harvard University’s 400,000 global alumni. Her prior roles on the HAA Board include Vice President of University-Wide Alumni Affairs and Graduate School Director representing the GSD. A former board member of the Landscape Architecture Foundation and the Denver Botanic Gardens, she currently serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture. Allyson graduated from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature in 1990.