Dr. Robert D. Brown graduated magnis cum honoribus from the University of Saskatchewan in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Geography. He received a Master of Landscape Architecture degree in 1982 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Micrometeorology in 1985 from the University of Guelph. He is a member of the Saskatchewan Association of Landscape Architects and a Fellow of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA).
Dr. Brown is a Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph where he has been teaching and conducting research for 29 years. He has held several administrative positions including Coordinator of the BLA and the MLA programs and Director of the PhD program. His teaching and research contributions have received many awards including an Award of Distinction for Creative Integration of Research and Teaching from CELA, the Ontario Agricultural College Distinguished Teaching Award, the CSLA Teaching Award, and the OALA Research and Innovation Award. His research program has focused on climate-responsive urban design and in particular on design for human thermal comfort.
His books on microclimatic design are widely recognized as the foundation of the field and are used around the world by researchers and practitioners. He has taught and conducted research on six continents, has published more than 60 refereed journal articles, has advised more than 100 MLA theses, and has had the pleasure and the privilege of teaching several hundred bright and talented BLA and MLA students.