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INDIVIDUAL
STUDY
PLAN

PEYTON WHALEN
UW CEP 2017
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Table of Contents:
Letter of Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Visual Map of Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Class Schedule
o Fall 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
o Winter 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
o Spring 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
o Fall 2016: Study Abroad . . . . . . . . 9
o Winter 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
o Spring 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
o Summer 2017: Study Abroad . . . . . . 12
Internship Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Study Abroad & Extracurricular . . . . . . . . 15
Senior Project Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Letter of Introduction
Sustainability is a practice that can be incorporated into just about anything.

Architectural design, city planning and overall living: all of these concepts can be

bettered when a sustainable mindset is taken into account. Being able to conserve an

ecological balance and understand the toll that natural resource depletion has on our

planet is especially important given the outstanding footprint that Americans have

(myself included), in combination with the opportunity that we have to change it.

Throughout my studies at UW, I have learned how sustainability can be incorporated into

a wide variety of subjects. I was originally introduced to the field of sustainability winter

quarter of 2015 when I went on a study abroad to Costa Rica. This study abroad focused

in ecology and community. The experience integrated natural science, culture, and socio-

economic aspects of the neo-tropics with hands-on field experience in tropical ecology

research. It also included tours of sustainable infrastructure and design. Concepts such as

housing design and technique, agriculture, bio-digesters, and the way all of these designs

are integrated into the community and beyond caught my attention.

From here I am now attempting to construct a series of courses that will lead me

to an ascertainment of knowledge in this field. I want to incorporate technique and design

into sustainability, so I have found a couple studios and seminars (included in my class

schedule under methods credits) that key in on not only sustainability, but its

implementation as well. This is what Im looking for: real-life application. Because of

this, I took part in a study abroad fall quarter of my junior year. This program was

through the Landscape Architecture department, and was a Design/Build project. In this

program, I was able to combine my theoretical studies into a real life design studio and
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construction project.

From what Ive been exposed to so far of multi-functioning design properties in

buildings, structures, and more, I have ascertained that I want to be a part of the process

that brings green living to life. The focus of sustainable planning, technique, and design

is one that is learned through hands-on interaction, and I intend to utilize what I have

learned through CEP and my Urban Ecological Design minor to do this. Ultimately, I

must cultivate my knowledge through an excessive amount of baseline information,

hands-on practice, and real-life implementation.

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Visual Map of Courses

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Fall 2015
CEP 301: Idea of Community (Core, 5 credits)
o Through this course, I learned about theories of community and communal
rights and responsibilities. Through the class, there was an experience of
building a learning community within my major as well as an exploration
of struggles pertaining to community in every sector of life. This class
allowed me to expand the way in which I think about myself in relation to
my community, and well as place these ideals in a historical context.

CEP 300: CEP Retreat (Core, 1 credit)

o While I missed the retreat that focused on planning analysis assessment
and development of the major, it allowed me to take a step towards
leadership on my own terms. In order to gain credit, I had to design a plan
in which I would be in a position of leadership. I achieved this in two
major ways: I learned the responsibilities of a point in committees, and
will be the co-point of the Community Engagement Committee winter
quarter. I also coordinated and submitted a project to the Campus
Sustainability Fund.

CEP 400: CEP Governance (Core, 1 credit)

o Governance emphasizes personal and collective leadership, democratic
decision making, and learning through direct action and reflection.
Through this class I have began to cultivate personal skills as a doer and
leader, and have hopes of applying these skills to projects and team
management in the future.

L ARCH 300: Introductory Landscape Architecture Design Studio

(Methods, Minor, 6 credits)
o This class is an introduction to history and environmental influences in
field while developing design and graphic skills. I learned how to perform
site analyses and drawings to convey design concepts, as well as form
relationships of visual perception to drawing, understand roles of values in
design, better my verbal communication, and analyze design processes. It
has been especially beneficial to my understanding of sustainable design.

ENGL 383: The Craft of Verse (2nd Major, 5 credits)

o This class is an intensive study of various aspects of the craft verse
through readings in contemporary verse and writing using emulation and
imitation. I intend on double majoring in creative writing, so this class is
instrumental in my development of baseline knowledge for the major.
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Winter 2016
CEP 302: Idea of Community (Core, 5 credits)
o Through this course, I hope to learn about theories of community and
communal rights and responsibilities. I also hope to experience building a
learning community within my major through the exploration of struggles
for community in every sector of life. I hope that this class, the literal
idea of community, will perpetuate a personal understanding of
existential compatibility of relations within people.

ARCH 498 Special Projects (Methods, 3 credits)

o This instructor-initiated and department-approved systematic study offers
a specialized subject matter. The topic this quarter pertained to a
sustainability project in the community. This three-credit lab provided a
unique opportunity to develop my ability to integrate technical expertise
with architectural design. I will learn how to model energy performance of
the building with a focus on optimizing the exterior faade (walls and
windows) within the context of an interdisciplinary design process that
must balance aesthetics, cost, constructability, structure and sustainability.

URBDP 498 B (Methods, 1 credit)

o The topics for each quarter vary depending upon current interest and
needs, and are announced in the preceding quarter. I hope to learn about
different professions and the possible places my life could lead.

ENGL 384: The Craft of Prose (2nd Major, 5 credits)

o This class is an intensive study of various aspects of the craft of fiction or
creative nonfiction, and will include readings in contemporary prose and
writing using emulation and imitation.
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Spring 2016
CEP 303: Social Structures and Processes (Core, 5 credits)
o This class will investigate use of formal and informal social structures and
processes within context of community and environment. It will look at
patterns and institutions of social organization and relationships among
different sectors. Issues of interrelatedness, citizenship, knowledge, and
communication will be discussed. I hope for this class to further the
dimensions in which I think pertaining to intake of knowledge.

CEP 300: CEP Retreat (Core, 1 credit)

o This retreat will focus on planning analysis assessment and development
of the major and will provide opportunities for community building and
all-major policy deliberation and decisions. Workshops for skill building
in consensus, facilitation, and for major-specific activities such as
developing individual study plans and study abroad experiences will
occur. I have hopes that this retreat will further my leadership proficiency.

CEP 498: Specialized Topics (Methods, 5 credits)

o This class is was an introduction to a variety of programs. Throughout the
quarter, we learned the basics in operating InDesign, PhotoShop, GIS and
Sketchup. Each unit in the class was oriented to a project outcome, and the
tactics learned in one software was applied and incorporated in the
following project. The final outcome of this class was a portfolio
showcasing my resume and the work I had completed throughout the
quarter within the applied projects in all four softwares.

ENGL 361: American Political Culture: After 1865 (2nd Major, Diversity, 5
credits)
o American literature in its political and cultural context from the Civil War
to the present. This class emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to
American literature, including history, politics, anthropology, and mass
media. Includes attention to thinking critically about differences of power
and inequality stemming from sociocultural, political, and economic
difference.
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Fall 2016: Study Abroad

L ARCH 403 : Cultural Design Studio (Methods, Minor, 6 credits)
o Studies of the landscape at various scales and in diversified contexts.
Offers better understanding of visual components of landscapes, designer's
capacity to evaluate and change these components, and resultant
interaction with, and effect on, landscape user. The focus of this course is
to design with a sensitivity for unique cultures and how to incorporate
their values and views into the end product. Students will learn
participatory design and collaborative design techniques and methods and
develop observational and documentation skills.In this project we will be
collaborating with students from the University of Rijeka to build a
sensory garden at Dom Podmurvice. The project will focus on therapeutic
design for the blind and for disabled adults. The site for the sensory garden
is on the grounds of a former monastery and may incorporate historical
precedents of monastery gardens. Students will design and build the
project under the guidance of faculty from the U of WA and U of Rijeka.
We will take several field trips to important cultural landmarks in western
Croatia and tour the city of Rijeka, several times with specific foci using
local guides. The program is open to all students from all disciplines.

L ARCH 495: Filed Sketching / Sketchbooks (Methods, Minor, 3 credits)

o This retreat will focus on planning analysis assessment and development
of the major and will provide opportunities for community building and
all-major policy deliberation and decisions. Workshops for skill building
in consensus, facilitation, and for major-specific activities such as
developing individual study plans and study abroad experiences will
occur. I have hopes that this retreat will further my leadership proficiency.

L ARCH 332: Materials, Craft and Construction (Methods, Minor, 3 credits)

o Materials and structures in landscape construction. Design criteria and
construction techniques for detail elements of landscape architecture.
Working drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and procedures.
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Winter 2017
CEP 461: Ethics and Identity (Core, 5 credits)
o This class will be an examination of personal, societal, vocational,
environmental, and planning ethics. Through readings and discourse on
ethical foundations for public life, individual and group readings on values
and human potential, I hope to develop an understanding of ecological
context, moral responsibility, and self-awareness. I will also construct
positive, diverse views of humanity and environment regardless of race,
gender, ethnicity, and beliefs. This class will be key to my understanding
of how others (and myself) are integrated into community.

CEP 491: Senior Project Prep Seminar II: Methods and Actualization (Core,
1-3 credits)
o This class focuses on implementing the senior project/capstone, including
revisions and updates as seen fit. I have hopes that this class will bring me
further clarity in developing my senior project.

ENGL 334: English Novel: Later Nineteenth Century (2nd Major, 5 credits)
o Examines the high water mark of the realist novel, as well as its
fragmentation into popular genres like science and detective fiction and
the emergence of literary modernism. Authors analyzed in this class
include: Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Darwin, Olive
Schreiner, H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker and M. P. Shiel.

ENGL 483: Advanced Verse Workshop (2nd Major, 5 credits)

o This class is an upper level workshop of various aspects of the craft verse
through readings in contemporary verse and writing using emulation and
imitation. I intend of double majoring in creative writing, so this class is
instrumental in my development of baseline knowledge for the major.
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Spring 2017
CEP 462: Community and Environment (Core, 5 credits)
o This capstone quarter will merge core seminars, disciplinary courses in
major, community field experiences for mastery of personal knowledge
and skills. It will include a reflection and synthesis of themes in major,
engagement with contemporary issues, as well as compare theoretical
definitions of community and environment with individual philosophies
and knowledge within thoughtful, applied context.

CEP 446: Internship (Core, 3 credits)

o Connects core and individual courses with field work. Group and
individual readings develop understanding of how students' internships
and field placements constitute particular element of community and
environmental planning. Explores how what we do for a living is part of
our lives as citizens and public service.

CEP 300: CEP Retreat (Core, 1 credit)

o This class will focus on planning analysis assessment and development of
the major. There will be opportunities for community building and all-
major policy deliberation and decisions. There will be workshops for skill
building in consensus, facilitation, and for major-specific activities such as
developing individual study plans and study abroad experiences.

L ARCH 363: Ecological Design and Planning (Minor, 3 credits)

o Introduction to landscape ecological theory applied to urban
environments. Comparison of different vocabularies used to describe
landscape structure and function, from the fields of landscape design,
urban design, and biology. Discussion of design theories that have sought
to re-center landscape planning and design around the goal of achieving
ecological sustainability.
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Summer 2017
ENGL 493: Sacking Rome: Rome from a Writer's Perspective (2nd Major, 5
credits)
o This course is designed as an introduction to imaginative thinking, from
the writers perspective, with Rome as a focus. What does it mean to be an
artistan American writer in Rome? Between what is art? and what
is Rome? lie the several literatures of Rome and Italy, Europe and
America, travel and history, culture and archaeology. Apprenticed to all of
these, walking the cobbles daily with notebooks in hand, well read, write,
converse, and experience personally that carriage of mind which makes art
sensible and possible, and so in literary terms sack the city at the center of
the world.

ENGL 395: Reading Rome Perspective (2nd Major, 5 credits)

o Read and discuss works from some of Rome's great poets, writers, and
historians.

ENGL 363: Roaming Rome

o Roam Rome with experts in its art, architecture, history, and culture. This
course will include various guest speakers and field trips.
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Internship Goals
In winter quarter of 2016, I procured an internship with King County Metro

Transit. King County Metro Transit is a regional leader in getting people where the need

to go quickly, reducing commuter stress, greening the environment and improving urban

air quality, by providing comfortable, effective transit services for the thousands of

commuters and other residents of King County, Washington. Metro has pioneered dozens

of innovations that have made them a leader in this nations public transportation

industry. I was originally hired on and interned within the Engineering Records of the

Design and Construction section. The Transit Divisions Design and Construction section

manages a wide range of engineering, construction, right-of-way, permitting and

environmental activities for transit facilities concentrating in three program areas:

passenger facilities, bus facilities, and the overhead system that provides power to

trolleys.

The internship was geared to start winter 2016 and continue for one year, thus,

into November or December, 2016. However, my internship was renewed and I am

currently still a TMT. The internship has required about 16 hours per week, with full-

time hours available in the summer of 2016. Originally, my work was focused on

performing real-time library management in the Design & Constructions (D&C) Records

Center. I worked under the supervision of a career service Supervising Engineer as well

as the Records Centers staff to accomplish various levels of library management tasks

for both hardcopy and digital documents management. The tasks included the following:

Organize, file and catalog engineering and contract documents in their

original forms
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Scan paper documents into electronic form and file them under an existing

electronic document management system (Kinnosa)

Upload electronic documents to SharePoint sites to be used by internal and

external clients,

Archive permanent records to King County Records Center and King County

Archives, and

Assist D&Cs Records Manager in other library management tasks on an as-

needed basis. Students with a library science background may be able to

provide consultation on the organization of library records.

While this internship was originally geared towards library management, my tasks began

to orient towards design during the summer while I commenced working full-time. These

tasks included designing possible bicycle facilities at the up-and-coming park and rides,

surveying existing bus zones, and designing new bus zone layouts in AutoCAD using the

survey template imported from the field.

While at Metro I have grown as an individual through the hard skills and real-life

experience it has provided. By gaining competence in specific programming, time

management, organizational ability, and more, I have been able to increase my aptitude in

the skills needed to perform well in the work force. Ultimately, my goal in gaining life

experience has been readily achieved.

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Study Abroad and Extracurricular

The first study abroad experience I had the opportunity to go on was winter

quarter of 2015 to Costa Rica. As I explained in my letter of introduction, this study

abroad focused in ecology and community. The experience integrated natural science,

culture, and socio-economic aspects of the neo-tropics with hands-on field experience in

tropical ecology research. It also incorporated extensive tours of sustainable

infrastructure and design. Concepts such as housing design and technique, agriculture,

bio-digesters, and the way all of these designs are integrated into the community and

beyond caught my attention. It was actually during the last week of my stay in Costa Rica

that I applied to CEP. Ultimately, I was unsure whether or not to pursue environmental

science or CEP at the point that I went on the study abroad. However, through the

experience, I came to the realization that the open structure of CEP would be most

beneficial for my future goals by allowing me to take the hands-on and implementation-

oriented classes of environmental science and beyond, and therefore establish a thorough

understanding of sustainability.

I plan on undergoing two more study abroads before I graduate. The first I have

already completed, which was in Rijeka, Croatia. The aim of the program was to fully

design and build a therapeutic garden for the deaf, blind, and a handful of other

stakeholders. Throughout the process, my peers and I had the job of gleaning what we

could from the community members pertaining to what they would like to see in the

garden, and to then compartmentalize these into the design itself. Once our design was

finalized and approved by the school administrators who owned the land, we began to

build from the plans we had drafted, and each aspect, large and small, became realized
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through a process of trial and error.

The second will be right after I graduate from CEP (Summer quarter A term).

This is due to my second major, Creative Writing. Through this opportunity I will have

the opportunity to fulfill the remaining English requirements that I have to complete the

major, while also studying in the beautiful city of Rome. The details of this program are

outlined in the class schedule portion of this ISP.

As far as extracurricular activities are concerned, I have spent my spare time

composing music and snippets of writing, attending concerts, and hanging with my father

at his cabin on the Olympic Peninsula completing projects.

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Senior Project Plans

The question that I will be explicating for my senior project is what makes art

honest? Throughout history, individuals have attempted to share with others what they

personally believe to be honest and true in this world through the medium of the zine: a

proclamation of individual expression through a self-published compilation of artistic

mediums. I intend to interview artists in my community concerning what they believe

makes art honest. I hope to interview artists practicing photography, drawing and

painting, and music. The expected takeaways from these interviews will be snippets of

inspirational dialogue, as well as photos of the artists work. My end goal will be an

attempt to compile a zine of my own out of these findings. In addition to this, I hope to

take these conversations and discoveries to create a musical rendition of truth in my own

form. By executing this project, I am hoping to create something inspiring for the

audience that makes them think critically about honesty not only in art, but in all arenas

of life.