Landscape architecture pioneer to receive honorary doctorate

Emeritus Professor James Sinatra will receive an honorary Doctor of Design from RMIT University in acknowledgement of his role in establishing landscape architecture education in Australia during a long academic career at RMIT.

Professor Sinatra, originally from the United States, came to Australia in the early 1980s from Iowa State University with the aim of setting up an internationally-recognised degree program in landscape architecture.

He achieved this through a program of international student exchanges and initially led the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program and then stayed involved with the program for 15 years, before retiring and becoming an Emeritus Professor.

He co-authored two seminal texts on landscape architecture for remote indigenous communities in Australia: Listen to the People, Listen to the Land, and Landscape for Health.

These publications, co-written with Phin Murphy, showed his commitment to working with indigenous communities to understand and help shape their landscape environments in healthier ways.

Professor Sinatra also initiated design studios throughout rural and remote Australia as part of RMIT’s Landscape Architecture program, and these developed to become the RMIT OutReach Australia program.

He has received many honours, including a fellowship with the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and a National Future Leaders Scholarship, widely described as the “Jim Sinatra Leadership Award”.

RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Gardner AO, said Professor Sinatra had made an outstanding contribution in the field of landscape architecture, ranging from rural Australia to many countries around the world.

“He has created invaluable opportunities for Australian and international students and RMIT staff to participate in projects to bring real and meaningful change to communities in need,” Professor Gardner said.

“His extensive experience in this field is highly valued by all who know him.”

The ceremony where Sinatra will receive his doctorate will be held at RMIT’s Storey Hall on 17 May.