Jayoung Koo is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Landscape Architecture, and faculty partner with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK). She is a multi-disciplinary researcher with diverse backgrounds in landscape architecture, community design, urban and regional planning, environmental restoration planning, GIS, and horticultural science. Her research focus on sustainable resilient landscapes is directed toward the enhancement and overall health of built environments at various scales and perspectives, site to regional, urban to rural. With the proper understanding of bio-physical, socio-economic, and cultural factors and accompanying processes, built landscapes and communities can become healthy and sound places beneficial for their inhabitants.   

Jayoung established the community design extension and outreach program and provides public space design assistance to communities throughout the state. She integrates landscape architecture, planning, and community design methods during her facilitation to construct sound design solutions and communication strategies that can assist community partners in enhancing and sustaining healthy communities.    

Her research and teaching interests include the restoration of deteriorated landscapes, social factors of public places, placemaking, and support for healthy sustainable communities. She continues to study the ecology of places while collaborating on projects that support the health of communities and their environments.    

She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Davis, a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) from Seoul National University, and a Bachelor of Science from Korea University.