On May 6th, in Champaign, Illinois, our very own Co-CEO Tiffany Beamer was honored with the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Department of Landscape Architecture. While attending her alma mater’s annual Sasaki Day Lectures, Department Head David Hayes surprised her by announcing the special recognition! The award is presented to a member of the profession “having a unique and lasting impact on the welfare of the public, the environment, and the department.” Tiffany was recognized for her “accomplishments at the national and international levels and her longstanding commitment to [the] department, college, and university, [reflecting] admirably on and [bringing] honor to her department and the University of Illinois.”
David offered a beautiful and generous tribute while bestowing the medal, saying, “This is so good! …Tiffany has been a loyal supporter of our department for more than two decades now. She is a living bridge between our undergraduate program and one of the leading landscape architecture and urban design firms of our time, OLIN.” He then read his prepared remarks: “The exceptional nature of her intellect, talent, and capacities was evident from our first meeting, so it is unsurprising to me that she has accomplished so much since completing our BLA program, summa cum laude, in 2003.” Following completion of her graduate studies at Harvard’s GSD, she joined OLIN. “That kind of longevity within a single firm is unusual …it says a lot about Tiffany—and OLIN. …When Tiffany commits, it’s for the long haul. And OLIN has always been a practice that recognizes and nurtures excellence.”
By way of introducing a long (only partial) list of Tiffany’s projects, the accolades continued, “Through her work at OLIN, Tiffany has stewarded into being an outstanding range of major public, cultural, corporate, natural, and recreational sites…[making] a significant positive impact on human and environmental wellbeing. Building such a remarkable portfolio has required consistent and exceptional skill, energy, and determination, stamina, and resilience, not to mention an extraordinary ability to collaborate with design and technical partners, clients, public agents, and community members.”
The fitting tribute by David concluded, “Along the way Tiffany has established a sterling reputation within the profession and among educators in landscape architecture. …At our department level, she’s among the most reliable and supportive alumni; I’ve never known her to decline a request. No matter where she is in her work or the world, she’s immediately available and she brings her substantial expertise and a consistently positive spirit to bear in every conversation. …And I know that Tiffany is here tonight because she chose to be here tonight—without knowing in advance that she was going to receive this award.”
Our esteem for Tiffany continues to swell as we celebrate this recognition—an award that reflects the expanse of her influence, inspiring and strengthening our profession through authentic connection.