memberSPOTLIGHT < Don Burger
Don Burger
South Dakota State University
Faculty Representative
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota
When did you realize you wanted to become a Landscape Architect?
It was about a year into college. I was an elementary education major and not having much fun at it. My wife suggested I take Intro to Landscape Architecture to fill a general education requirement. I took it, loved it, and never looked back.
What is your favorite landscape, and why?
High mountain valleys, especially with small villages in them. I appreciate the way the architecture and the landscape blend, particularly when the construction utilizes local materials. It shows the potential harmony between human intervention with nature.
I am a member of ASLA because I think it is important to be involved in the profession and service to the community. ASLA gives me a venue to serve and reach out.
What is the most important thing you have learned since joining the profession?
That I don't know everything, and that's okay. That's why we have colleagues and teams.
Where would you like to be in 20 years?
I would like to be looking back at a very successful career in teaching and enjoying all of the great successes of my former and current students.
What is something you find joy in other than landscape architecture?
I enjoy travel in all of its forms. I enjoy trail riding (bicycling), road trips, and leading travel studies trips in the US and Europe. I like becoming embedded within a new place and coming to an understanding of how that place works in a social, cultural, and environmental sense.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I really don't like heights. When I was a kid, I used to go hiking with my family. We loved to get to the top of a cliff and get right to the edge to enjoy the view. My dad sneaked up on me once while I was standing at the edge of a cliff and grabbed me from behind. Scared me silly. I haven't liked heights since.
