ASLA’s Women in Landscape Architecture Professional Practice Network (WILA PPN) is sharing the next set of profiles of women in the profession (see the previous installment right here). If you’d like to be featured, the PPN’s call for submissions remains open, with profiles being shared on an ongoing basis.
These profiles will appear on the PPN’s LinkedIn group, Facebook group, and here on The Field. This post includes: Jie Han, Associate ASLA, Colleen Williams, PLA, and Mandi Fung, ASLA, PLA.
Jie Han, Associate ASLA
What inspired you to pursue a career in landscape architecture?
I grew up close to nature, constantly sketching rivers, trees, and open spaces. When I moved to more urbanized environments, I became aware of the disconnection between people and natural systems. I realized I wanted to design landscapes that could heal that gap, spaces that serve both ecological functions and human needs.
Who are the female role models who have influenced your career?
Maya Lin has been a major influence on my journey. I read her book Topologies in high school, and it opened my eyes to how design could be both poetic and deeply grounded in place. Her work helped me realize that landscape architecture could be a powerful way to engage with memory, culture, and the environment, and ultimately led me to pursue it in college. I’m also shaped by the women I’ve met along the way—mentors, professors, and collaborators—who model integrity, resilience, and care in both their design work and their leadership.