Rights of Nature: Approaches to Environmental Justice - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

José Juan Terrasa-Soler is a partner and landscape architect at Marvel, based in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He is also an environmental scientist and university professor. He is a practicing Buddhist and enjoys hiking, nature exploration, amateur astronomy, photography, and fountain pens. 

Originally from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, he holds degrees from Mount Saint Mary’s College (Maryland), The University of Michigan, Yale University, and Harvard University. He has led teams in corporate, governmental, and nonprofit sectors. His work focuses on the intersection of ecology and design, including green infrastructure and sustainable urban design. José Juan is also a founding faculty member at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico's Master of Landscape Architecture program.

Pamela Martin is a Professor of Political Science and the HTC Distinguished Honors Fellow at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, where she teaches courses in International Relations, Environmental Politics, Sustainability and Coastal Resilience. Martin is also the Executive Director of the RISE Center, a United Nations University Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development. 

She has published numerous articles and books on global environmental policy, energy, and sustainable development. Her book co-authored with Craig Kauffman by MIT Press entitled, The Politics of Rights of Nature: Strategies for Building a More Sustainable Future, examines new policies and tools for sustainable development based on Rights of Nature approaches within communities. 

Aaron Hernandez is a registered landscape architect and Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph’s School of Environmental Design and Rural Development. His research investigates how landscapes inform relationships between cultural values, socioecological systems, and public policy, with a focus on regional urbanization and climate adaptation.

Aaron’s work has been featured in Landscape Architecture Magazine, exhibited at the Toronto Biennial of Art, and has been awarded by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture and the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation. Aaron was awarded the 2024-2025 Landscape Architecture Foundation Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership.

MaFe Gonzalez is a landscape designer and botanist with a strong interest in ecology, taxonomy, and conservation of plants. Her journey into landscape architecture was inspired by her studies in botany where she saw a need to participate in world-making—especially to create spaces that re-establish reciprocal relationships between people and the environment.

MaFe is a passionate and purposeful practitioner that initiates and supports a variety of projects and visions. Her practice framework is “Nature as Client”, which includes nature’s needs and rights as part of the design process. She is also a lecturer in the United States and Colombia, and is a leader and researcher of academic and pro-bono initiatives.

Amy Syverson‑Shaffer is the Sustainability Lead at Landscape Forms, where she advances environmental stewardship and responsible manufacturing. With a background in landscape architecture, she brings a designer’s perspective to industry and collaborates across disciplines to drive meaningful change, She progresses the company's long-term sustainability roadmap through initiatives in product life cycle assessment, zero‑waste manufacturing, renewable energy, ecological restoration, and more. Amy serves on the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee and the Landscape Architecture Foundation Board, frequently presenting on sustainability strategies. She was recently honored with ASLA’s Outstanding Service Award in recognition of exceptional leadership in sustainability and industry collaboration.