Brad Davis
Job Title: DAN B. FRANKLIN DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, MLA PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Curriculum VitaeContact
Email: bdavis@uga.eduPhone: 706-542-4704
Street address: 101 Denmark Hall
Personal Interests
Ecological planting design, native plants, therapeutic gardens, plein air drawing and painting, rural landscape preservation.
Brad Davis
Biographical Information
Brad E. Davis is the MLA Program Coordinator and the Dan B. Franklin Distinguished Professor for the College of Environment and Design. He is a licensed landscape architect with practice experience in South Florida and East Tennessee, where he designed residential fine gardens with a heavy emphasis on planting design, urban redevelopment projects, parks, and greenway trails. Noteworthy public projects include the Sailfish fountain downtown entrance to Stuart, Florida; The World’s Fair Park Greenway expansion to the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Ayres Hall Quad restoration on the campus of the University of Tennessee, and numerous private residences.Davis teaches design studios on community masterplanning and conservation neighborhood design, healing gardens and health design, summer travel study courses in plein air drawing and watercolor, and the CED’s annual East and West Coast field trips to visit professional offices and see iconic works of landscape architecture. In the summer of 2012 he taught on the UGA Cortona, Italy campus. While he teaches a wide range of courses, he is consistently found teaching plant community and identification courses. Davis enjoys igniting a passion for plants knowledge and better more ecological planting design in the next generation of landscape architects.
His scholarship looks at the intersection of ecological planting design and aesthetics and use of native plants in various contexts. Native plants are often viewed as messy and undesirable in human-dominated landscapes. Davis’ research seeks to develop design strategies to overcome negative perceptions and introduce individual native species with greater cultural appeal. He is currently testing unique native mixes of perennial grasses and forbs for use in urban green infrastructure projects and more rural sites. His work includes extensive teaching and research in the area of healing gardens and use of gardens and green spaces as part of health care settings.
When not teaching in the CED, Davis can be found tending his own experimental garden and small farm, spending time with family, or standing at an easel painting the landscape.
Education
Masters of Landscape Architecture, 2002, Louisiana State University - Thesis: Healing the Whole Person: A Post Occupancy Evaluation of the Rooftop Therapy ParkBachelors of Science (Biology), 1998, East Tennessee State University Minor in Vocal Performance (Chamber Choir, Men’s Choir, Opera)
EXHIBITS
Davis, B. E., and Nichols, D. Oh, the Places We'll Go! (to photograph plants in designs)
Circle Gallery, October 13-December 17, 2021
Selected Publications
Dunlap, S., Davis, B., and Calabria, J. 2022. Hypernatural Piedmont Prairies: A Screening Process for Optimum Placement. Native Plants Journal, 23(3) 324-336.
Davis, B. E., and Nichols, D. 2021. Plants in design: A guide to southern landscape plants. University of Georgia Press
Davis, B.E., Chappell, M.R., and Schwevens, J.D. 2012. Using native plants in traditional design contexts: Smilax smalli provides an example. Native Plants Journal, 13(1), 27-34
Davis, B. E. 2011. “Rooftop hospital gardens for physical therapy: a post occupancy evaluation.” Health Environments Research and Design Journal, 4(3), 14-43
Mention in Publications
2014. Marcus, Clare. C. and Sachs, N. Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence Based Approach to designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces. 222-223. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ.
Organizations
American Society of Landscape Architects
Sigma Lambda Alpha National Honor Society of Landscape Architects
Honors and Awards
2022 . Distinguished Faculty Excellence Award, College of Environment and Design
2022 . Georgia ASLA Merit Award in Communications
2012 . Dean’s Award for Teaching Innovation, College of Environment and Design
2012 . University of Georgia Teaching Award
2012,’14,’15 . University of Georgia Office of Career Development Recognition
2009 . University of Georgia Leadership in Service-Learning Award
2004 . East Tennessee ASLA Service Award