Department of Landscape Architecture Assistant Professor Yeongseo Yu
Yeongseo Yu, whose recent research at a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory explored new ways to integrate renewable energy infrastructure with ecological and community benefits, will join the Texas Tech Department of Landscape Architecture faculty this fall as an assistant professor, bringing expertise that spans design and planning, advanced environmental modeling, and landscape performance analysis.
Yu's scholarship is distinguished by a broad technical toolkit that combines landscape design with advanced environmental modeling and spatial analysis.
Yu comes to Texas Tech from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he served as a postdoctoral research associate in the Energy & Environment Directorate. His research focused on the laboratory's Connecting Transmission Corridors (ConCord) Initiative, a PNNL-led initiative exploring how electric transmission corridors could be transformed into multifunctional landscapes that strengthen ecosystems, support communities and improve environmental resilience.
At the university, Yu's research and teaching will align with several campus strategic research themes, including Systems Resilience & Adaptability, Powering Our Future, Rural & Urban Development, and Advancing One Health.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Yu, an award-winning faculty member, to the department,” said Leehu Loon, professor and chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. ‘His work connects to other departments in the Davis College and the campus community and our students will benefit from his research and teaching expertise.”
Yu's scholarship examines the intersection of landscape architecture, renewable energy and environmental systems. His research interests include energy landscapes, PV-green roofs and agrivoltaics, with a broader focus on ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and place-based approaches to climate resilience.
His expertise spans landscape design and planning, advanced environmental modeling, and landscape performance analysis. He has extensive experience using geographic information systems, computational design platforms, hydrologic and microclimate modeling, and environmental sensing and monitoring technologies to evaluate landscape performance and inform sustainable design decisions.
Prior to joining PNNL, Yu earned a doctorate in landscape architecture from the University of Oregon. He received his Bachelor of Engineering in Landscape Architecture from Kangwon National University and his Master of Landscape Architecture from Seoul National University, both in South Korea.
His work has received national and international recognition throughout his academic career. In 2024, he and his collaborators received first prize in the 2024 U.S. EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge, an annual collegiate competition recognizing innovative green infrastructure designs for managing stormwater runoff.
“Receiving first place in the EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge was meaningful because the project showed how carefully designed landscapes can integrate stormwater management and ecological performance while responding to community needs,” Yu said. “That experience reinforced my interest in creating design solutions that are technically grounded, responsive to place, and able to provide multiple benefits at the same time.”
Additional honors include the ASLA Oregon Student Honor Award, the University of Oregon Promising Scholar Award, and Seoul National University's Outstanding Thesis Award.
Yu joins one of the state’s growing landscape architecture programs. Texas Tech's Department of Landscape Architecture, housed within Davis College, serves more than 110 undergraduate and graduate students through its Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degree programs.
"The department prepares graduates to design meaningful, resilient and sustainable environments that improve lives and advance the profession in West Texas and beyond," Loon said. "Dr. Yu's expertise will further strengthen that mission while expanding opportunities for collaborative research."
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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