Sean Michael
Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning (LAEP)
Professor | FCELA
Biography
Dr. Michael holds a joint appointment in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Outdoor Product Design & Development. He served on the faculty at Texas Tech and Washington State Universities before joining USU in 2008. His PhD (Virginia Tech) focused on the relationship between landscapes and criminal behavior. He practiced in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Colorado, before studying environmental psychology and design through an MLA at Texas A&M University. While earning a BSLA at West Virginia University, he served as the first landscape intern at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater". He is a Fellow of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Michael's instructional foci include preparing future faculty for academic careers, professional practice, sustainability, the history of outdoor products, and the outdoor recreation economy. He has taught Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), connecting professionals and students with techniques for improving user safety through the planning of safe sites. His instruction in land development in the West has centered on "gateway communities" and their relationship with public lands. His classes involve community and industry partners to connect students with real-world, hands-on learning opportunities.
Research Interests
Dr. Michael's areas of expertise include impacts from and deterrence of crime in urban parks, stressing offender behavior and spatial preferences coupled with multi-disciplinary strategies.
Sean is author of the first CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) training program for landscape architects, entitled "Security Design: Strategy, Integration and Liability (see www.asla.org/ContinuingEducation.aspx).
A security design consultant, he publishes and speaks to local, state and international audiences on trail design/planning as well as security in the landscape. His work has assisted trail development in Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties of WA, Missoula, MT, Moscow, ID, Spokane, WA, Avery, ID and Colorado Springs, CO. He has also been a partner with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on trail planning projects.
Awards
Faculty in Residence, 2021
Design Workshop
Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2019
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Design, West Virginia University
Fellow, 2019
Council of Educators in Landscape Architeture
Distinguished Alumni Award, 2018
College of Architecture / Texas A&M University
Outstanding Administrator, 2015
Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture
"Top 5 Best Seattle Area Playgrounds" - Powell Barnett Park, Seattle, WA, 2006
Susan Black & Assoc.
Certificate of Appreciation, 1999
Tri-Cities Children’s Center, WA
Publications | Abstracts
- Michael, S.E, (2022). Balancing Business and Design: Inside the Operations of an Award-winning Landscape Architecture Firm.. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture
- Michael, S.E, (2022). Odology – Lessons from J. B. Jackson’s Life on the Road.. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture
- Christensen, K., Michael, S.E, (2014). Assessing Landscape Architecture Faculty Scholarship. Landscape, City, and Community; 2014 Proceedings of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture
- Michael, S.E, (2013). The case for a scholarship of business practices in landscape architecture.. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture
- Michael, S.E, (2007). The past as we show it: Trends in delivery of landscape architecture history. Proceedings of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference
- Ellsworth, J.C, Michael, S.E, (2005). Distance learning: Teaching and learning in a digital place and time.. Proceedings of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference
- Michael, S.E, (2004). Threat management: Beyond CPTED. Proceedings of the ASLA National Conference
- Michael, S.E, (2004). Preserving pleasure grounds: Security in public parks. Proceedings of the Security Design Coalition’s Safe Spaces Symposium
- Michael, S.E, (2002). Urban parks, crime, and deterrence. International CPTED Association Conference
- Michael, S.E, (2001). A teaching module in human ecology. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (2001). Hope for historic parks: Resolving the conflict between crime prevention and landscape integrity. National Council on Public History Annual Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (2001). Rising to the challenge: A tool for educating landscape architects on crime prevention. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (2000). Changing behavior in the landscape of learning. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (2000). Demystifying park crime patterns: The role of offender rationality in site selection. Environmental Design Research Association 31 Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (2000). How’s everyone else do it? Creating a dissemination tool for innovative design studio methodologies and projects. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (2000). Landscape architects’ role in public safety: Integrating crime prevention into the design process. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference Proceedings
- Michael, S.E, (1996). Deterring crime in parks: The landscape architect's role. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture 96 Conference
- Michael, S.E, Hull, R.G, (1995). Empowering people and police in urban parks: Tactical design to disadvantage offenders. Environmental Design Research Association 26
- Michael, S.E, (1995). Integrating CDTED in the Design Studio. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture 95 Conference
- Hull, R.G, Michael, S.E, (1994). Ebb and flow of leisure experience. Fifth International Symposium on Society and Natural Resource Management
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Curriculum
- Michael, S.E, (2006). Security design: Strategy, integration and liability. ASLA LATIS Program
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Christensen, K., Michael, S.E, Sleipness, O., (2019). Revisiting Scholarly Productivity Among Recently Tenured Landscape Architecture Faculty. Landscape Research Record, 8, 15-24.
- Christensen, K., Michael, S.E, (2014). Quantifying Scholarly Production among Recently Tenured Landscape Architecture Faculty. Landscape Research Record, 2, 31-39.
- Chong, G.C, Michael, S.E, (2011). A Study of the Form of the Early Housing and Program of Historical Tourism in Jamestown Settlement, U.S.A. . Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea, 27:4, 53-60.
- Michael, S.E, (2000). Feedback via electronic voice messages. Teaching Professor, 14:12
Professional Journal
- Michael, S.E, Hull, R.B, Zahm, D.L, (2001). Environmental factors affecting auto burglary. Environment and Behavior33, 368–388.
- Hull, R.B, Michael, S.E, Walker, G.J, Roggenbuck, J.W, (1996). The ebb and flow of brief leisure experiences. Leisure Sciences18, 299-314.
- Hull, R.B, Michael, S.E, (1995). Nature–based recreation, mood change, and stress restoration. Leisure Sciences17, 1-14.
- Hull, R.B, Michael, S.E, (1993). Stress restoration through recreation: Experiences at a local park. In P. Gobster (Ed.), Managing Urban and High–Use Recreation Settings. U.S. Forest Service General Report NC–163, 50-54.
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | MultiMedia
Video
- Michael, S.E, (2020). Consumer tutorial: Overland Trailers 101. Overland Expo *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Technical Reports
Research Reports
- Michael, S.E, (1999). Deterrence strategies for park crime: Findings from CPTED research. USDA Forest Service
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
Bulletins
- Michael, S.E, Hull, R.B, (1994). Effects of vegetation on crime in urban parks. Interim report for the U.S. Forest Service and the International Society of Arboriculture
Magazine/Trade Publications
- Michael, S.E, (2021). Product performance review: Sevina Hybrid, Clearwater Lights, USA. Owners News, BMW Motorcycle Owners Association *
Other
- Michael, S.E, (2002). Accounting for security in planting designs. Landscape Architecture Magazine
- Michael, S.E, Hull, R.B, (1995). Effects of vegetation on crime in urban parks. Arborist News
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Teaching
Creative Works | Other
- Product design & prototyping for Mercedes Sprinter aux battery & compressor mount, Other, OPDD - Consultation
- How to assemble solar power, Other, OPDD - Video - 2023
- History of off-road recreation in Canyon Country, Other, OPDD - Creative work - 2022
- Overland Trailers 101, Other, OPDD - Video - 2020
- Solar Power for Every Overlander, Other, OPDD - Video - 2020
- Spokane River Iron Bridge & Centennial Trail, Spokane, WA, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2008
- Latah Trail rail-to-trail, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2008
- Landscape master plan for the resident, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2003
- Landscape master plan for the resident, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2003
- Landscape Master Plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2001
- Landscape Master Plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2001
- Landscape Master Plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2001
- Landscape Master Plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2001
- Landscape Master Plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2001
- Landscape Master Plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 2001
- Trail signage system, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 1991
- Wetland mitigation plan, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 1990
- Preliminary design, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 1989
- Environmental Impact Statement, satellite image-based vegetation mapping , LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 1988
- Rhododendron recovery plantings, LAEP - Peer review of built or created works, - 1986