Muntazar Monsur, an associate professor in Texas Tech’s Department of Landscape Architecture, has been appointed track chair for the Service–Learning & Community Engagement Track of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, a leading international academic organization in the field.
The appointment places Monsur in a key leadership role overseeing the peer-review process and scholarly direction for research rooted in university–community partnerships. His three-year term, which is eligible for renewal, will be formally recognized in March at CELA’s 2026 Annual Conference in Cincinnati.
“This is a significant appointment,” said Bo Zhang, CELA’s vice president of research and an associate professor at Oklahoma State University. “In this leadership role, Dr. Monsur will be responsible for overseeing this specific body of knowledge and contributing to the academic direction of our organization.”
Additionally, the appointment perfectly aligns with Monsur’s interests and expertise, added Leehu Loon, Professor and Chair of Texas Tech’s Department of Landscape Architecture. “In short order, CELA and its member institutions will benefit from Dr. Monsur’s leadership and award-winning research in service learning and community engagement,” he said.
Founded in 1920, CELA represents nearly all higher-education programs in landscape architecture across the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a growing global presence. The organization plays a central role in shaping research, pedagogy and public service within the discipline.
“I am truly excited to work alongside some of the most respected landscape architecture scholars as track chairs and to engage in conversations that are shaping the future of our discipline,” Monsur said.
“Serving in this role offers a rare opportunity to see where landscape architecture research and engaged scholarship are headed from the front lines and to help elevate work that meaningfully connects universities, communities and real-world impact.”
Monsur’s scholarship focuses on how designed environments influence children’s health, well-being and learning. His work emphasizes play, interaction and creativity, and has resulted in more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and approximately $2.7 million in grant funding. As an engaged scholar, he often integrates teaching, research and outreach by involving students in community-based, action-oriented research and design-build projects.
A native of Bangladesh, Monsur is also known for his work at the intersection of technology and design. He directs Texas Tech’s XR Lab (Extended Reality Lab), which explores the use of virtual, augmented and mixed reality to advance landscape architecture education and research.
His honors include the Davis College Outreach and Engagement Award (2025), the Davis College Junior Faculty Award (2024), the Texas Tech Alumni Association New Faculty Award (2024), the Texas Tech President’s Emerging Engaged Scholarship Award (2020) and North Carolina State University’s Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning (2018).
Before joining Texas Tech in 2019, Monsur was a postdoctoral research scholar with North Carolina State’s Natural Learning Initiative in the College of Design. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, a doctoral degree in design from North Carolina State, and a graduate certificate in geographic information systems.
CONTACT: Leehu Loon, Professor and Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University at {806} 834-5215 or Leehu.Loon@ttu.edu
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