• Landscape planning
• The role of design research

Hoversten came to the University of Idaho from the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he served as Coordinator of Landscape Architecture and Planning. His research was responsible for approximately $2.3 million funded research leading to over seventeen national and regional design and planning awards and numerous scholarly articles. He has served as president of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), an accreditation team chair, peer reviewer for scholarly journals and books and outside reader for tenure and promotion. His professional experience prior to joining academia includes Manager of Land Planning during the formative years of establishing Summerlin, a 22,000 acre new town in Las Vegas, and Associate for Royston Hanamoto Alley and Abey Landscape Architects and Planners.

• “A Framework for Establishing Maintenance Tasks and Life Cycle Costs for Landscape Projects.” Conference Proceedings. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. 2006. with Elizabeth Scott, Susan Bahnick Jones, and Brian Pugh.
• US 95 Landscape and Aesthetics Corridor Plan. Nevada Department of Transportation. Approx. 120 page, four-color, presentation quality land plan document. December 2006.
• US 50/NSH 28 Landscape and Aesthetics Corridor Plan. Nevada Department of Transportation. Approx. 120 page, four-color, presentation quality land plan document. December 2006.
• Landscape and Aesthetics Program Manual. Nevada Department of Transportation. Approx. 300 page procedural manual based on case study method. December 2005.
• Project Design and Development Manual. Incorporating landscape architecture into NDOT’s existing 1,000 page manual. Nevada Department of Transportation. December 2005.
• "The Centrality of Land-based Issues in Design Education: Architecture within Landscape." Invited article for 306090 Architecture Journal; pages 36-41. September 2004.
• "The Pattern and Palette of Place: A Landscape of Aesthetics Master Plan for Nevada's Highway System." Invited article for Mass, The Journal of the School of Architecture and Planning, University of New Mexico. 2002. With Elizabeth Scott, Susan Bahnick Jones and Brian Pugh.
• "Planning Concepts." Earthword, The Journal of Environmental and Social Responsibility. Fall 1991.
• "Attributes of a Successful Ethnobotanical Garden."  Landscape Journal, 23(2): 153-169. with Susan Bahnick Jones.
• "Visitor Experience at Red Rock Canyon: A Case Study in Public Land Design." Landscape Journal, 21(2):51. with Susan Bahnick Jones

• Walking Box Ranch: Resource Inventory, UNLV Planning Initiative Grant, $30,000. 2006.
• Walking Box Ranch: An Opportunity for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Geology, Archaeology, and Landscape Architecture, UNLV Stimulation, Implementation, Transition and Enhancement (SITE) Grant, $7,500. 2005.
• Research Support for Park Master Planning, Nevada State Division of Parks, $123,000. 2006.
• Research Support for Landscape and Aesthetics Program Implementation, Nevada Department of Transportation, $299,000. 2005.
• Research Support for Landscape and Aesthetics Program Implementation, Nevada Department of Transportation, $394,500. 2004.
• City of Laughlin Landscape Development Plan, $2,900. 2004
• Research Support for Landscape and Aesthetics Program Implementation, Nevada Department of Transportation, $289,261. 2003.
• Dayton County Landscape Development Plan, Nevada Division of Forestry, $2,000. 2003.
• Research Support for Landscape and Aesthetics Program Implementation, Nevada Department of Transportation, $277,000. 2002.
• Douglas County Landscape Development Plan, Nevada Division of Forestry, $4,000. 2002.
• NDOT Landscape and Aesthetics Master Plan, Nevada Department of Transportation, $190,000. 2001.
• Las Vegas Springs Preserve Program and Conceptual Design Research, Las Vegas Valley Water District, $208,000. 2000.
• Las Vegas Springs Preserve Conceptual Design, Las Vegas Valley Water District, $91,000. 1999.
• Mojave Desert Preserve Schematic Design Coordination, Las Vegas Valley Water District, $328,000. 1997.
• North Well Field Master Plan, Las Vegas Valley Water District, $65,134. 1996.
• Design Charette, Mojave Center Master Plan, Las Vegas Valley Water District, $5,000. 1996.
• Mojave Center Master Plan, Las Vegas Valley Water District, $74,100. 1993.
• Data Collection on Robert Royston and Asa Hanamoto, UNLV Barrick Faculty Grant, $3,000. 1993.
  
  

• UNLV College of Education First Choice Learning Garden. UNLV. 2005.
• UNLV Arboretum Physical Master Plan, UNLV. 2005.
• Highlands Neighborhood Landscape Development Plan. City of Las Vegas Neighborhood Development. 2005.
• Laughlin Landscape Development Plan, City of Laughlin. 2004.
• Echo Bay Site Plan and Design Guidelines, Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 2003.
• Douglas County Landscape Development Plan. 2002.
• Boulder Beach Campground Revision, Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 2002. 

•  Fellow, Council of Eduactors in Landscape Architecture

• Regents' Award for Creative Activity, Fellow Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture and the University and Community College system. 2009.

• Outstanding Educator, Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. 2006

• Fellow (in field of Knowledge), American Society of Landscape Architects. 2001.

• Award of Recognition for Teaching and Administration. Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture. 1997.