Bio
Christopher Baas is an associate professor of landscape architecture at Ball State University. He received degrees from Ball State University (BLA) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (master’s). A registered and practicing landscape architect, his career includes nearly twenty years of working in park and recreation, natural resource, and historic preservation agencies. He teaches landscape history and preservation, regional planning and GIS, and environmental systems. His teaching and research interests include documenting Indiana’s designed and vernacular historic landscapes.
Education:
- (1996) Master of Science, College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- (1988) Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Planning, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA.
Professional Registration
Indiana
Professional Experience
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(2008-Present) Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture and Planning, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA.
- (2008-1999) Landscape Architect/Planner, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- (1999-1992) Landscape Architect, Lake County Parks and Recreation, Crown Point, IN, USA.
Major Research and Teaching Emphasis
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Documenting and interpreting historic designed and vernacular landscapes.
- Tree-ring analysis (dendroarchaeology) of historic buildings and landscapes.
- Mormon beater hay press barns and the haymaking landscapes of southeast Indiana.
Grants and Awards
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Indiana Humanities Historic Preservation Education Grant. 2021. “Jens Jensen in Indiana.”
- Ball State University Accomplished Faculty (Landscape Architecture). 2019.
- Virginia Ball Fellowship for Creative Inquiry. 2014. “The Prairie Club + Redefined.”
- Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology’s 2011 Outstanding National Register Nomination. “The Edison Concrete Houses of Gary, Indiana.”
- Historic American Landscape Survey Challenge (2nd Place). 2011. “Landscapes of Diversity: Indianapolis Black Baseball Parks.”
Recent Research and Publications
Books and Chapters
- Rubino, Darrin; and Christopher Baas. 2019. Dating Buildings and Landscapes with Tree-Ring Analysis: An Introduction with Case Studies. London: Routledge.
- Baas, Christopher. 2016. Introduction to the reprint of The Harvester (1911), by Gene Stratton-Porter, Hastings College Press, vii-xix.
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
- Hall, J.P.; and Baas, Christopher; Ludwig, Alexandra; Rubino, Darrin. 2021. Using Tree-ring Growth Patterns to Date the Construction of the Shrader-Weaver English Barn, Fayette County, Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science, 129(1):1–11.
- Baas, Christopher; and Rubino, Darrin. 2020. The Search for George DeBaptiste’s House: The Crooked Creek Flood of 1846. Acadia: Environment & Society Portal, No. 15. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. Read article.
- Jiang, Pan; and , Shao, Long; Baas, Christopher. 2019. Interpretation of Value Advantage and Sustainable Tourism Development for Railway Heritage in China based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Sustainability 11:1-17. Read article.
- Baas, Christopher; and Davis, Taylor, Rubino, Darrin. 2018. The Fort in the Doctor’s House: Using Tree-Ring Growth Patterns to Discover Historic Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. Journal of Conflict Archaeology 13(2):97-116. Read article.
- Baas, Christopher. 2018. Using General Land Office Survey Notes to Define Reference Ecosystems for Ball State University’s Ginn Woods, Delaware County, Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 127(1):17-27.