Do Kyung Lee
Rinehart Family President鈥檚 Scholar (Graduate)
Major: Master of Landscape Architecture
College of Environmental Design
Activities: Microfarm Student Farm Manager; ASLA (六色网 Student Chapter); NAMLA; Certified California Native Plant Landscaper; Firescaping Certified (ASLA, 2025); SUGi 2025 Fellow
Do Kyung’s interest in landscape architecture emerges from her background in art and her lived experience of migration. Navigating two cultural contexts made her keenly aware of the relationship between identity and place, and of the ways landscapes hold memory and meaning. This perspective has been shaped by travel and a daily drawing practice, which helps her slow down, observe and uncover connections across her experiences. Drawing in particular has sharpened Do Kyung’s sensitivity to sensory systems, teaching her to read her embodied responses and, in turn, imagine how design might evoke connection for others. Her encounters abroad, including a trip to Northern Ireland to study Derry’s public spaces, affirmed her belief that landscapes can carry transnational echoes of struggle and solidarity and transcend borders. Now pursuing her Master of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, Do Kyung says, “Looking ahead, I hope to build a career in restoration and conservation, focusing on projects that strengthen ecosystems and communities alike.” For her, design is a way to cultivate belonging while embracing the spirit of possibility.