Muntazar Monsur, an associate professor within Texas Tech’s Department of Landscape Architecture, has been selected to receive a President's Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Award for Excellence in Engaged Teaching, recognition bestowed on individuals who exemplify the university’s commitment to community engagement through scholarship and reflect a campus-wide effort to positively impact the community.
The recognition is based on his project, 'Bringing Nature Where Children Are,' work that centers on advancing children’s nature-connectedness in everyday lives through community-engaged design and teaching partnerships with childcare centers.
Monsur’s honor will be presented at Texas Tech’s Outreach & Engagement Engaged Scholarship Awards Banquet on Monday, April 13, at the National Ranching Heritage Center. The recognition is based on his project, “Bringing Nature Where Children Are,” work that centers on advancing children’s nature-connectedness in everyday lives through community-engaged design and teaching partnerships with childcare centers and other community organizations.
"The President’s Engaged Scholarship Awards demonstrate Dr. Monsur’s dedication to bridging the gap between academia and community,” said Davis College Associate Dean for Outreach & Engagement Erica Irlbeck. “His selection honors impactful, real-world research. This recognition is a testament to his hard work, passion and commitment to creating positive change.”
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.
“I cannot express my joy at this huge recognition in my career,” Monsur said, “Engaged teaching is something that I embraced from the beginning of my career at Texas Tech, and this recognition is a very special one for me.”
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.
Earlier this year he was appointed track chair for the Service–Learning and Community Engagement Track of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, a leading international academic organization in the field. Other accolades include the Davis College Outreach & 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).
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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