Sonia Hirt, who has been the dean of the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia since 2018, announced today her intention to resign from her role at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 academic year.

A leading expert in land usage and planning worldwide, Hirt will remain as the Robert T. and Mary B. Hughes Professor in Landscape Architecture and Planning.

“Dean Hirt’s influence on the College of Environment and Design has reached every aspect of our educational, research, and service missions,” remarked Benjamin C. Ayers, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I appreciate her guidance as dean, and I am eager to see her ongoing positive impacts at the University of Georgia.”

Throughout Hirt’s time as dean, the College of Environment and Design reinforced its standing as one of the nation’s most esteemed programs in landscape architecture, urban planning, and historic preservation.

Under Hirt’s administration, college enrollment has surged by 33%, driven by an enhanced emphasis on student recruitment and retention. She advocated for the establishment and initiation of four new academic minor programs that sparked interest in CED’s primary fields among transfer students, dual degree students, and potential graduate students.

Hirt led the introduction of several new Double Dawgs dual degree pathways, allowing students to achieve both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years or fewer. CED’s Double Dawg offerings connect with disciplines such as anthropology, classics, and history. Additionally, she collaborated with deans from the School of Public and International Affairs and the School of Law to create new dual degree programs, merging a master’s degree in urban planning and development with a Master of Public Administration or a Juris Doctor degree.

This term, CED launched a new undergraduate certificate in construction management. This program will equip students with a thorough understanding of construction management focusing on landscape architecture, historic preservation, engineering, business, real estate, and law.

The college garnered significant support from alumni and private donors during Hirt’s tenure, enabling it to broaden undergraduate scholarships and graduate student fellowships. In the fiscal year 2024, contributions to CED totaled $1.5 million—136% of the college’s target.

“Serving the College of Environment and Design and UGA as dean has been aremarkable honor, and I am proud of CED’s students, faculty, and staff for their dedication and enthusiasm to create and construct a better world,” said Hirt. “I am sincerely thankful to President Morehead and Provost Ayers for their exceptional leadership. It has been a privilege to be a part of the CED and UGA communities.”

Before her time at UGA, Hirt held the positions of professor and dean at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has authored over 90 academic and professional works, including five books, and has received numerous accolades for her research and scholarship, including the highly esteemed Guggenheim Fellowship.

The university will soon initiate a nationwide search for the next dean of the College of Environment and Design.

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