Considering all the memories being made — and all the pictures being taken — at commencement, the Forty Acres needs to be ready for its closeup. And just in time, UT has hired the best in the business. About two months ago, Texas recruited Jeff McManus from the University of Mississippi to be director of grounds and landscape. Having the same title at Ole Miss, McManus had been in charge of one of the most famous campus landmarks in the country: The Grove.
McManus says more than 60% of high school students who visit a college campus make their decision about whether to enroll during the first few minutes based on the appearance of that campus, so it’s hard to overstate the importance of well-kept trees, colorful flowerbeds and well-defined spaces.
McManus is also author of the book “Growing Weeders Into Leaders” and has given a TEDx Talk on the connections between landscaping and leadership. Here, McManus shows some of his team’s early work on the Forty Acres and talks about what to look for during the coming years.
