Cotleur & Hearing Returns to UF for Centennial Celebration & Leadership Summit
Cotleur & Hearing returned to the University of Florida in October for a milestone moment at the College of Design, Construction and Planning. This year marked the Centennial celebration of the college, recognizing 100 years of shaping leaders in architecture, landscape architecture, planning, construction, and design. The celebration aligned with the annual Leadership Summit and the official ribbon cutting of the new Bruno E. and Maritza F. Ramos Collaboratory. The Collaboratory is a forward thinking, interdisciplinary environment designed to bring students, faculty, and professionals together to collaborate, test ideas, and elevate the future of design education.
Representing our firm, Co-President Nicole Plunkett attended the summit in her role as Chair of the Professional Advisory Council (PAC) for the Landscape Architecture Department. The council works closely with faculty to enhance curriculum, expand professional mentorship, and connect students with real world project opportunities. For Nicole, returning to the campus where her own career began made the Centennial celebration especially meaningful. It was an opportunity to guide the future of the program and help inspire the next generation of landscape architects.ng in education, and strengthening the future of our profession.
The summit also recognized emerging talent within our firm. Landscape designer Hayden Bertone was invited to present to the Board of Trustees, faculty, and current student cohorts. He shared the story of receiving the Joshua Lepp Award Scholarship during his senior year at UF, which funded travel across Europe to study design through a global perspective. His travels included iconic landscapes such as Versailles and the energetic public realms of Barcelona and Madrid. The highlight was seeing his international competition winning garden constructed in Portugal. Hayden described the experience as life changing and a defining moment in his path as a designer.
We were also proud to reconnect with our former Cotleur & Hearing intern, Allie Scharch, who is currently in the University of Florida Landscape Architecture Program. Allie attended the summit and joined Nicole and Hayden on campus, reflecting the strong mentorship and lasting relationships our firm builds with students and emerging professionals. The Centennial celebration, combined with the opening of the Ramos Collaboratory, made it clear that the University of Florida is reinforcing its reputation as a national leader in interdisciplinary design education. Cotleur & Hearing is honored to contribute to this momentum and remains committed to developing talent, investing in education, and strengthening the future of our profession.
