Rui Zhu, Ph.D.

Dr. Rui Zhu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Texas Tech University. Her research focuses on urban regeneration, green infrastructure, landscape performance, and spatial analysis, with particular attention to climate adaptation and equitable urban futures.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China, a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Science from Texas A&M. Before joining Texas Tech, she served as a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture for two years.

Dr. Zhu’s scholarship has been recognized nationally and internationally. In 2020, she received a national Honor Award in Research from the American Society of Landscape Architects for her project “Resilience Through Regeneration: The Economics of Repurposing Vacant Land with Green Infrastructure.” That same year, she received the EDRA Certificate of Research Excellence (CORE) Award. In 2023, her innovative work on environmental analysis was honored as a Top 10 Exceptional Paper by Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

She has published 18 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the co-editor of Contemporary Landscape Performance Methods and Techniques: Lessons from the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center (2024). She also serves as the lead editor of the forthcoming book Vacant Land Regeneration: Novel Strategies for Maximizing Local Impact (Routledge, December 2025).

Outside of academia, Dr. Zhu enjoys caring for animals and dancing.