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Title: Cross-disciplinary learning in environmental engineering and landscape architecture

Authors: Christine B. Georgakakos; Joshua F. Cerra; Shorna Broussard Allred; Kimberly Williams; M. Todd Walter; Elizabeth LoGiudice; Graham Smith

Addresses: Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, USA ' Department of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University, USA ' Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, USA ' Center for the Innovation of Research, Teaching and Learning, Cornell University, USA ' Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, USA ' Resilience Communications and Consulting LLC, USA ' Department of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University, USA

Abstract: Professional environmental engineers and landscape architects routinely collaborate in practice. However, rarely do university students pursuing these two professions interact in an academic setting. The purpose was to analyse the impact of cross-disciplinary collaboration on student learning between groups in environmental engineering and landscape architecture. This study analysed perspectives from students, teaching assistants, and instructors using open-ended survey questions, Likert scale ratings, instructor observations and engineering final project assessments. Faculty, students and stakeholders ultimately felt that the interaction was beneficial. Instructors felt the collaboration generated potential for higher quality project work compared to previous coursework developed independently. Our results encourage curricula development to foster interactions between landscape architecture and environmental engineering students.

Keywords: cross-disciplinary; collaborative learning; environmental engineering; landscape architecture; survey; undergraduate education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCE.2026.153172

International Journal of Collaborative Engineering, 2026 Vol.2 No.5, pp.1 - 35

Received: 09 Oct 2019
Accepted: 29 Feb 2020
Published online: 29 Apr 2026 *