A graduate of George Washington University, Professor Katen received his Master’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining the faculty at Virginia Tech, Professor Katen directed the Landscape Design Program at George Washington University and was a principle of Brian Katen, Landscape Architecture, in Arlington, Virginia. With over 20 years of practice experience, Professor Katen’s research explores the everyday landscape, community identity and conceptions of place, and the complex relationship between the landscape, its archives, and memory. His current research is focused on the African American landscape of Virginia and those everyday gathering places that have both defined and celebrated community and cultural identity throughout the state.