Chipman receives 2026 CANR Alumni Service Award
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EmailRobert “Bob” Chipman will receive the 2026 CANR Alumni Service Award during the ANR Awards on Friday, February 27.
Bob Chipman will receive a Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Alumni Service Award at the February 27 ANR Awards Program.
The Alumni Service Award honors CANR alumni who have demonstrated continuing outstanding volunteer service to MSU, the CANR or meritorious public service on a local, state, national or international level. Candidates must exemplify the highest standards of integrity and exhibit character that positively enhances the image of CANR.
Chipman earned his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) degree in 1981 from the Department of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, which is now housed in the School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC). After graduation, he built an impressive career as a landscape architect and product designer. Chipman began his professional journey in Michigan, Texas and Colorado before founding his own firm in Austin, Texas, in 1989.
His work includes decades of collaboration with Landscape Forms, where he has designed more than 40 outdoor furnishing products for public spaces. Among these are the Verona chair, the Solstice umbrella line, which earned IDEA Gold and Best of NeoCon honors, the award-winning Chipman chair collection and more recently the Generation50 line which celebrated the firm’s 50-year mark. His designs continue to shape outdoor environments across the country, and the Chipman line remains one of Landscape Forms’ most successful collections.
Beyond his professional achievements, Chipman has distinguished himself through his commitment, advocacy and support for the MSU LA program. He has been a leader in promoting freehand drawing and digital hand drawing techniques, co-founding the nationally recognized SKETCH! Field Sessions at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Conferences.
He has brought this initiative back to MSU, where he leads an annual sketch walk across campus with LA students and faculty. His contributions to design education include workshops, lectures and publications that have influenced students and practitioners nationwide.
In 2011, Chipman became a founding member of the Landscape Architecture Alumni Advisory Board and has remained actively engaged for more than a decade. His leadership was instrumental in creating the Landscape Architecture Innovation Fund in 2020, a permanent endowment that supports experiential learning opportunities for students, including assistance to participate in ASLA conferences and engage with the practicing world of landscape architecture.
Chipman’s philanthropic support has elevated every facet of the MSU LA program. His contributions have advanced transformational student learning opportunities, faculty development and other high-impact initiatives. This support has further enhanced MSU’s reputation as one of the top landscape architecture programs in the nation.
He has also generously volunteered his time, offering guest lectures, participating in design reviews and mentoring students. His involvement in study abroad programs has provided students with valuable exposure to global design practices. Through these efforts, Chipman has strengthened connections between alumni and students and created opportunities that prepare graduates for success in a competitive profession.
In addition to his professional and volunteer accomplishments, Chipman is known for his creativity and passion beyond the workplace. His artistic pursuits reflect the same dedication to craft and sense of place that define his design work. An avid mountaineer and watercolor artist, he developed a unique “thin air painting” technique for capturing remote high-altitude landscapes. He also has an affinity for restoring and repairing vintage stringed instruments and playing old-time fiddle tunes with friends.
