SKILL | ED Pulse Check: Global Talent, Local Practice: Navigating Immigration, Visas, and the Future of a Global Workforce - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/non-HSW)
Includes a Live Web Event on 06/25/2026 at 2:00 PM (EDT)
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- Non-member - $75
- Member - $45
- Student Member - Free!
- Associate Member - Free!
As immigration policies shift rapidly under the current political climate, landscape architecture firms face urgent questions about how to recruit, hire, and retain international talent. Each year, over 200 international landscape architecture students graduate across the U.S.—and firms that understand the system can still access this pipeline. Join a panel of international professionals and a human resources professional as they share real strategies for building an inclusive, globally informed workforce in today's environment.
Learning objectives:
- Evaluate the current immigration and visa landscape and their direct impact on hiring timelines, firm capacity, and workforce planning.
- Analyze how the STEM designation and OPT/H-1B pathways create legal, practical opportunities for firms and students despite policy uncertainty.
- Identify best practices for recruiting, onboarding, and retaining international professionals in landscape architecture practice.
- Integrate global perspectives and equity-centered strategies to strengthen teams, advance innovation, and advocate for systemic change within the profession.
Ebru Özer, PhD, FASLA (Moderator)
Professor and Department Chair
Florida International University
Dr. Ebru Özer, FASLA, is professor and chair of Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design at FIU and a principal and partner at LandscapeDE. Her book, Best Practices in Sustainable Building Design, and publications in leading outlets, including Landscape Journal, LAM, and Urban Ecosystems, focus on landscape performance, green infrastructure, urban mobility, and gender equity. She served as ASLA National Vice President of Education and CELA Treasurer. She collaborates with nonprofits, government agencies, and communities to enhance urban environments, volunteers in K–12 career initiatives, and leads schoolyard greening projects. She holds a BArch, MLA, and PhD in Civil Engineering.
Patricia Matamoros, ASLA, SITES AP, WEDG
Resilience & Adaptation Lead
Savino & Miller Design Studio
Patricia Matamoros is a landscape architect bringing seven years of experience in designing large-scale climate-resilient public infrastructure in Miami, a global frontline for sea-level rise. Her award-winning projects, including "The Barnacle Historic State Park Master Plan" and "Miami Baywalk-Riverwalk Design Guidelines," demonstrate her proven expertise in translating climate science into implementable, community-centered solutions. As a licensed architect in Venezuela with five years of experience across Latin America and the Caribbean, Patricia offers critical perspectives on regional adaptation strategies. Former Miami Chair for FLASLA and past Game Changers presenter, she holds SITES AP, Envision SP, and WEDG Associate certifications.
Rutusha Nagaraj Kapini, ASLA, PLA
Landscape Architect
Evergreen Design Group
Rutusha is a landscape architect currently working with Evergreen Design Group. She brings professional experience from both Florida and California. Originally from Bangalore, India, her exposure to art and culture inspired her journey into architecture and ultimately landscape architecture. Her work focuses on fragile ecosystems, explored through art, architecture, and landscape architecture, and has been acknowledged internationally by organizations such as the ASLA FL, EPA US, UNEP, and UNESCO. As an emerging professional, Rutusha places great value on embracing her cultural roots, which continue to shape her approach to creating ecologically thriving spaces.
Cara Critchlow
Chief Human Resources Officer
EDSA
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