Email: mmonsur@ttu.edu
Phone: 806.834.2994
Office: CASNR Annex 131
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Monsur is an assistant professor in Texas Tech University's Department of Landscape Architecture. His teaching and research efforts are focused on advancing children’s health, wellbeing, happiness, and learning by creating environments that support play, interactions, curiosity, and creativity. One of his primary goals at Texas Tech is to collaborate with different departments and units of the university and the city/state to develop a long-term research plan focused on a holistic approach to childhood development by bringing more nature into children's everyday experiences.

Dr. Monsur is the lead of DoLA XR (Extended Reality) Lab; an advanced center for exploring effective applications of Extended Reality (XR) technologies – including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) for advancing landscape architecture education and research. The lab currently leads several multidisciplinary and collaborative research projects focused on using immersive technologies to promote health, wellbeing, and learning.

Dr. Monsur is the PI (Primary Investigator) of multiple federally funded grants focused on healthy environments for children and advancing education/learning using interactive virtual tours. In his roles as the PI and Co-PI at Texas Tech, Dr. Monsur is engaged in grant projects worth $1.7 million.   

Monsur is also an expert in distance education and online course development in the fields of design. He is trained in Quality Matters (QM), a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer-review process that certifies the quality of online courses. Prior to joining the Tech faculty, Monsur served as a postdoctoral research scholar with the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) a NC State University. Earlier he was a lecturer at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology's Department of Architecture in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Monsur received his bachelor's degree and master's degree from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in architecture. His doctoral degree in design is from North Carolina State. His honors and awards include Best Poster Honorable Mention in CELA (2022), President's Emerging Engaged Scholarship Award, TTU (2020), the Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology (2018), NCSU Professional Development Award (2016), and the ARCC Consortium King Medal for Excellence in Innovation, Integrity, Scholarship in Architectural/Environmental Design Research (2015).

Recent Grants

USDA NIFA Capacity Building Grants titled Using Interactive Virtual Tours to Train Childcare Professionals and Future Leaders to Create Healthier Early Childhood Environments (2022-2025). Amount: $300,000. Role: PI.

PlayCore Inc. Private Grant titled PlayValuation: Creating Play Value Assessment Score Databases for Play Components. Amount: 35,000. Role: PI

USDA-NIFA Higher Education Challenge Grant titled iVisiT: Interactive Virtual Tours for Advancing Food and Agricultural Sciences (2021-2024). Amount: $750,000. Role: Co-PI.

Creating Active Outdoor Environments for Young Children of Texas – Phase 5, Texas Department of State Health Services (2021-2022). Amount: $121,000. Role: Co-PI.

USDA NIFA Capacity Building Grants titled Effectiveness of a Child Care Hands-on Gardening Component for Preventing Preschool Obesity in Different Climatic Zones and Demographic Areas (2020-23). Amount: $272,149.Role: PI. 

Creating Active Outdoor Environments for Young Children of Texas – Phase 4, Texas Department of State Health Services (2020-2021). Amount: $198,500. Role: Co-PI. 

Recent Publications

Craig, D.; Trina, N.A.; Monsur, M.*; Haque, U.T.; Farrow, G.; Hasan, M.Z.; Tasnim, F.; Akinbobola, M.S. (2024) Effective Nature-Based Outdoor Play and Learning Environments for below-3 Children: A Literature-Based Summary. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health (IJERPH, IF=4.6, CS=5.4), 21, 1247. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091247 

Trina, N.A.; Monsur, M.*; Cosco, N.; Shine, S.; Loon, L.; Mastergeorge, A. (2024) How Do Nature-Based Outdoor Learning Environments Affect Preschoolers’ STEAM Concept Formation? A Scoping Review. Education Sciences (IF=3.0, CS=4.0), 14(6): 627. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060627 

Andalib, S.; Monsur, M.* (2024) Co-Created Virtual Reality (VR) Modules in Landscape Architecture Education: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating the Pedagogical Effectiveness of VR. Education Sciences (IF=3.0, CS=4.0), 14(6):553. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060553

Thomas, A.; Monsur, M.; Lindquist, C.S.; Montague, T.; Simpson, C.R. (2024). Evaluation of Military Service Member Preferences of Landscape Design Elements in Therapeutic Gardens. Land (IF=3.9, CS=3.7), 13, 658. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050658

Monsur, M.*; Hefner, T.; Van Allen, J.; Trina, N.A.; Andalib, S.Y.; Cosco, N. (2024). Effects of Childcare Hands-On Gardening on Preschoolers’ (3–5 Years) Physical Activity in Semi-Arid Climate Zone. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health (IJERPH, IF=4.6, CS=5.4), 21, 548. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21050548

Khan, M., Spinney, J., & Monsur, M. (2023). To do or not to do: practical and ethical concerns in online research with children and young people during crises. Children's Geographies (IF=2.5, CS=4.4), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2023.2237916

Wells, N. M., Cosco, N. G., Hales, D., Monsur, M., & Moore, R. C. (2023). Gardening in Childcare Centers: A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effects of a Garden Intervention on Physical Activity among Children Aged 3–5 Years in North Carolina. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health (IJERPH, IF=4.6, CS=5.4), 20(11), 5939. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20115939