Publication lists A&M landscape architecture
professors among ‘most admired educators’

Two members of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning faculty at Texas A&M University were named among the “Most Admired Educators of 2009” in the latest edition of America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools, an annual publication compiled by the Design Futures Council, publishers of the bi-monthly DesignIntelligence newsletter.

Forster Ndubisi, professor and head of the department, and Michael Murphy, associate professor of landscape architecture, were among 26 U.S. educators listed by the publication as examples of excellence in design education leadership. The DesignIntelligence staff compiled the list from a survey of design professionals, academic department heads and students.

Ndubisi has headed the LAUP department since fall 2004. In addition to authoring numerous articles, papers and book chapters, he’s written three books, one of which received the Certificate of Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Washington chapter.

Ndubisi specializes in ecological design and planning, community design, growth management and interdisciplinary design education.

Michael Murphy’s lasting influence on students was illustrated in 2005 when his former student, George W. Seagraves II ’80, established a $25,000 endowed scholarship in his name. Murphy taught several of Seagraves’ landscape architecture design courses.

“Professor Murphy challenged his students, though I probably didn’t appreciate it as much then as I do now,” said Seagraves, president of the Midwest region of D.R. Horton Inc., a nationwide residential homebuilding company.

Also in 2005, Waveland Press Inc. published Murphy’s landmark book, “Landscape Architecture Theory: An Evolving Body of Thought,” which has been cited as an important addition to the very small body of literature that synthesizes the broad and varied theories upon which landscape architecture depends.

“Landscape Architecture Theory” is among the handful of books that every landscape architect should own, read, discuss, and then periodically read again,” said Lake Douglas, associate professor and graduate coordinator at the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University. “This book speaks to everyone in the profession,” he continued. “It should provoke meaningful discussion, inform the way we teach and practice our profession, and influence the design challenges with which the profession is now engaged.”

Murphy’s scholarship has focused on interdisciplinary design and programming, environmental planning and design, and landscape architecture theory.

 

- January 20, 2009 -

- the end -