Judy Shao-Yu Chen

Judy’s most important lesson gleaned from her landscape architecture studies is the ability to see the world at different scales, from an area as small as a tree trench to an entire watershed. She is particularly interested in regional ecology beyond and undefined by municipal boundaries.

Judy began her education at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan where she studied Foreign Language and Literature with a minor in Urban Planning. She then moved on to University of Virginia for her Master in Landscape Architecture where her research focused on projects that attended to climate resiliency, public space and urban design, and the cultivation of multi-species environments. She was named UVA’s 2023 Olmstead Scholar.

An avid people-watcher, Judy enjoys spending time in public spaces as much as possible. She is fascinated by the drama of everyday life, and similarly, loves theatre and cinema. She is intrigued by the immersive experience and the audience’s perspective in both real life and staged performance.