DI taps Li as top U.S. educator, ranks landscape architecture programs among nation’s best

Lauded as one of the world’s go-to experts in his field, Ming-Han Li, professor of [landscape architecture] (http://laup.arch.tamu.edu) at Texas A&M, was singled out as one of the 25 Most Admired Educators for 2016-17 by the [Design Futures Council] (http://www.designfuturescouncil.com) , a global network of design, product and construction leaders. Additionally, the group again ranked Texas A&M’s landscape architecture programs among the nation’s elite.

Li and other top educators were recognized in the latest issue of the council’s newsletter, [DesignIntelligence Quarterly] (http://www.di.net/about/) . They were selected by the publication’s staff with extensive input from thousands of design professionals, academic department heads, and students.

Educators and administrators throughout the United States in architecture, industrial design, interior design, and landscape architecture are considered for inclusion in the annual list.

“Li is an engaging teacher who develops new and relevant learning environments at Texas A&M,” said Li’s DesignIntelligence entry.

His research interests include storm water management, bioretention, soil erosion control, stream bank bioengineering, and sustainable landscape construction technology.

Li also leads his field’s embrace of landscape performance — quantifying and reporting the environmental, economic and social benefits of design.

He recently served as the elected head of the [Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture] (https://www.thecela.org) , a global group that advances education, research and outreach in the field.

Li joins a distinguished group of Most Admired Educators at Texas A&M previously recognized by the council including Rodney Hill , professor of architecture, [Forster Ndubisi] (http://archcomm.arch.tamu.edu/archive/news/fall2010/stories/Ndubisi_top_educators.html) and [Jon Rodiek] (http://archcomm.arch.tamu.edu/archive/news/fall2010/stories/Rodiek_Jon.html) , professors of landscape architecture, [Michael Murphy] (http://archcomm.arch.tamu.edu/archive/news/spring2008/stories/murphyRegan.html) , retired professor of landscape architecture, and J. Thomas Regan , the late, former dean of the College of Architecture.

The new DesignIntelligence Quarterly also published the group’s annual ranking, “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools 2016-17,” placing Texas A&M’s undergraduate and graduate landscape architecture programs in 9 ^th and 11 ^th place, respectively among the top 20 programs.

The rankings are compiled each year from a survey of professional practice leaders with direct experience hiring and supervising recent design graduates.