Department of Landscape Architecture Assistant Professor Nazia Afrin Trina
Nazia Afrin Trina, a researcher whose work examines how nature-based outdoor play and learning environment design support child development and early childhood education, will join Texas Tech’s Department of Landscape Architecture as an assistant professor on Sept. 1.
'I look forward to collaborating with students, colleagues and communities across Texas to create landscapes that nurture healthy childhood development.'
Trina comes to Texas Tech from North Carolina State University, where she has served as a postdoctoral scholar at the Natural Learning Initiative within the College of Design. Founded in 2000, the initiative brings together landscape design thinking and community engagement to create environments for healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come.
“Texas Tech is where I grew as a researcher, so returning as a faculty member feels like coming home,” Trina said. “I believe every child deserves access to natural environments that spark curiosity, play and discovery, and I look forward to collaborating with students, colleagues and communities across Texas to create landscapes that nurture healthy childhood development.”
Her research focuses on the relationship between landscape design and childhood development, with particular attention to biophilic design, child-friendly planting design, loose-parts play and participatory approaches to designing outdoor play and learning environments for diverse community contexts.
She also studies ways to assess the quality of outdoor learning environments, design settings that support STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education, and expand opportunities for informal science learning in early childhood.
Trina’s connection to Texas Tech began before her faculty appointment. She previously served as a graduate research assistant in the Department of Landscape Architecture’s XR (Extended Reality) Lab, where she contributed to research integrating emerging technologies, spatial analysis, and evidence-based methods to better understand human–environment interactions and inform landscape architecture research and design.
Her professional experience also includes appointments as a Lecturer and Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology in Bangladesh. She also worked as an architect at Bangladesh Police Headquarters, which operates under the government's Ministry of Home Affairs.
Trina holds a Ph.D. in Land-Use Planning, Management, and Design, and a Master of Landscape Architecture, both from Texas Tech. She completed her Bachelor of Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh.
Her research and academic work have earned recognition from several professional organizations. She received the prestigious Award of Excellence in the Research category from the National ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Student Awards in 2023. Her other honors include the ASLA Texas Chapter Student Merit Award and the Best Poster Award from the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture in 2022.
Trina joins a growing landscape architecture program at Texas Tech. The Department of Landscape Architecture, part of the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, serves more than 110 undergraduate and graduate students through its Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture programs.
The department is undergoing a period of expansion as Texas Tech invests in new facilities and academic spaces across campus. The changes are expected to provide additional opportunities for students and faculty while strengthening the department’s ability to address emerging challenges in the design and management of built and natural environments.
Her work adds another dimension to the department’s research portfolio, particularly in evidence-based biophilic design approaches and the assessment of nature-based outdoor environments.
CONTACT: Leehu Loon, Professor and Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-5215 or Leehu.Loon@ttu.edu
0909NM26