Alumni Leading the Way
Caitlin Admire, LEED AP ND
Environmental Program Coordinator City of Austin Office of Sustainability
KSU MLA '11
Caitlin works on a variety of initiatives around climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience as well as green building, green infrastructure, and biophilic cities. She considers both the environmental and human impacts of nature-based solutions to be an essential part of the urban fabric and is passionate about bringing these benefits to communities. Caitlin holds a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University and spent the first decade of her career at private design firms in the landscape architecture and urban design fields. Her projects have run the gamut from residential communities to university campus planning to large-scale urban infill developments. Outside the office, Caitlin is an avid equestrian and can most often be found enjoying some fresh air from horseback!
Savanah Benedick-Welch, AICP
Planner II
City of Loveland, CO
KSU MRCP '10
Savanah graduated from K-State in 2020 with a Master’s Degree in Regional and Community Planning. Since graduating, Savanah has worked as a community planner in Hutchinson, Kansas, and in Northern Colorado. She has had the privilege of working on a variety of projects ranging from historic preservation, comprehensive planning, development planning, and sustainability planning. Savanah continues to provide expertise to the local development community to facilitate sustainability, quality development, affordability and environmental stewardship.
Samantha Estabrook, ASFPM
Resiliency Planner
City of Manhattan, KS
KSU MRCP '19
Casey Gorrell
Senior Project Manager
NYC DOT Pedestrian Unit
KSU MLA '14
Casey has been at NYC DOT for 6 years and is currently working on long term planning and policy development. Previously he had focused on designing and managing the installation of in-house street improvements project, focusing on increase pedestrian safety, accessibility, and comfort. These projects would sometime include enhancements to the city’s bike and transit networks as well.
In the past year, Casey's focus has shifted towards long range planning, including the development and management of pedestrian oriented capital reconstruction projects. In addition, he is working on a team that is developing a Citywide Pedestrian Plan that looks to prioritize pedestrians in the transportation network and reinforce that walking is NYC’s largest mode of travel.
Jonathan Knight
Senior Landscape Designer / Landscape Architect
SCAPE Landscape Architecture
KSU MRCP '12 & MLA '17
Jonathan is a multi-disciplinary landscape architect, planner, cartographer, and fine art photographer.
As a native Kansan, landscape has been the common ground throughout his life. Jonathan's most profound moments have been in/near/above/on landscape. These experiences throughout his childhood and education stimulated his passion to enter the planning and design professions in order to have a first-hand opportunity to create, shape, and design future common grounds—in service of all people and all species.
Jonathan holds two Master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning from Kansas State University. In addition to his training as a landscape architect and planner, he have been a part-time photojournalist and photographer for over 15 years having been published in numerous national publications and magazines.
Jonathan's education as a planner and designer has allowed him to work on projects ranging in size from a high school parking lot to projects that consider natural systems across the entire United States and Canada. His projects have been located across the globe in Miami, New York City, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Aspen, Colorado, Denver, Colorado, and Alberta, Canada. As a landscape architect, Jonathan has worked at industry-leading firms including West 8, Design Workshop, and currently at SCAPE Landscape Architecture. At SCAPE Jonathan is a team member for Tom Lee Park, a 30-acre public park in Memphis, TN.
Alfonso Leyva, PLA
Park Planner
City of Manhattan Parks & Rec
KSU MLA' 2016
Born and raised in southwest Kansas, Alfonso grew up in the country and have an agricultural background. He was a non-traditional student when he enrolled at K-State. Alfonso graduated with a Master of Landscape Architecture degree in 2016 and moved to Denver, Colorado for work right out of college. For a year and a half, he enjoyed working with Norris Design, reconnecting with extended family, and the natural beauty of Colorado; but he knew he belonged in Kansas.
As Park Planner with the City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department, Alfonso supports and leads planning, design, and management of capital improvement projects for the parks, recreation, and zoo divisions. He is responsible for community engagement; preparation of conceptual plans, construction documents, master plans, reports, and cost estimates; and work with other staff, as required, in project development, planning, and implementation. Alfonso works closely with the
Assistant Director of Parks and Rec, Park Superintendent, Park Supervisor, and 30 full-time employees who maintain 29 parks and 31 miles of trail within the City of Manhattan.