Bio
Jeremy is a designer and educator with a broad range of experience working in the landscape architecture and planning professions. Jeremy discovered Landscape Architecture while planting flowerbeds and mowing lawns with a grounds crew at Brigham Young University where he was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He went on to earn a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning from Kansas State University. Jeremy taught at the university of Nebraska and Texas A&M University where he taught landscape architecture design studios, history of landscape architecture, and an interdisciplinary design/build studio where students from all over campus used urban agriculture to design community spaces and events. Dr. Merrill’s research centers on understanding and enhancing creativity within design education. He practiced for a time in the San Francisco Bay Area where he experienced every facet of landscape architecture as the intersection of practical application, business, and art. Research interests center on design pedagogy and creativity in beginning design students.
Education:
- (2014) Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Design and Planning, College of Architecture, Planning and Design, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.
- (2009) Master of Landscape Architecture, College of Architecture, Planning and Design, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.
- (2006) Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Professional Experience
- (2019-Present) Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning, Ball State University, Muncie, IN.
- (2018-2019) Landscape Designer, April Philips Design Works, San Rafael, CA.
- (2015-2018) Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Major Research and Teaching Emphasis
- Creativity (Early Design Students, Pedagogy, Educational Psychology, Measurement, Deign Thinking)
- Landscape Architecture (Park Design, Material Failure, Design Thinking)
- History of Landscape Architecture
Recent Publications
- Merrill, J. “How the #@^% Do I Teach Design to Neurodivergent College Students?”, Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture 2021 Annual Conference. Online.
- Merrill, J. “Analysis of Subset Measurements of the Figural Torrance Test of Creative Thinking in Beginning Environmental Design Students” Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture 2021 Annual Conference. Online.
- Kermida-Strahl, A. & Merrill, J. “Form-making through experiential extrapolation: An argument for teaching beginning environmental design through the lens of human interaction” 36th National Conference on the Beginning Design Student, College Station, Texas.
- Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS) Beech Church and Beech Cemetery National Park Service, Library of Congress as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record collections. (Accepted 7/31/2020)
- Baas, C., Hall, J., Merrill, J., & Rubino, D. “Using Tree-Ring Analysis to Determine the Construction Date of the Mount Pleasant Beech Church (Rush County, Indiana), a significant African American Historic Site”, 136th Annual Academy Meeting, Indiana Academy of Science.
Professional Social Media