College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Academics

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Ming-Han Li was named director of the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC). His appointment will be effective Jan. 8, 2018.

Li, currently serves as a professor and associate department head of the Department of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning (LAUP) at Texas A&M University. He is also a research engineer, with a joint appointment, at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the most renowned transportation research group in the world.

“Dr. Li’s experience and scholarship make him a great fit,” said Ron Hendrick, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “His interdisciplinary approach to the built environment mirrors our approach and opportunity in the School of Planning, Design and Construction.”

Li started his academic career in 2003 as an assistant professor and within 11 years reached full professor in 2014 at Texas A&M. Because of his excellent teaching, research and service records, he was awarded the Senior Schob Scholar title (equivalent to professorship) by LAUP in 2014.

He was inducted as a fellow of the Center for Health Systems and Design in 2014, and the Center for Housing and Urban Development in 2012 at Texas A&M. Most recently, Li was inducted into the Academy of Fellows by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, where he has served in various positions, including president.

Li was named one of the 25 “Most Admired Educators” for 2017 by DesignIntelligence.

"Yes! I'm going to East Lansing, Michigan. What an honor to have the opportunity to work with this talented group of people with diverse cultural backgrounds and intellectuality who are dedicated to make a difference for the world,” Li said.

Li is a professional engineer and a professional landscape architect in the State of Texas. He earned a bachelor of science in agricultural engineering from the National Taiwan University, a master of science in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and both a master of landscape architecture and a doctoral degree in urban and regional sciences from Texas A&M.

His teaching has focused on sustainable water management, low-impact development and landscape architecture construction.

Li succeeds at bringing together multiple disciplines to collaborate on research, focusing on low-impact development, green infrastructure, bioretention stormwater facilities for transportation corridors, streambank soil bioengineering, and sustainable and resilient landscapes and communities. Lately, he has developed performance measure research on built environments, particularly targeting landscapes.

He has authored/co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles, numerous conference papers and research monographs. Many of his publications have been featured in top-notch journals, including Landscape and Urban Planning, Water Environment Research and American Society of Civil Engineers journals.

Li’s competitive research funding has come from state agencies and federal programs, including the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Southwest Region University Transportation Center. His total funding (internal and external) has reached $4.4 million, in which $1.1 million was allocated to him directly.

Li succeeds Scott G. Witter, who retired in December. Currently, Scott Loveridge is serving as interim director.

The School of Planning, Design and Construction is the only school in the nation that unites four built environment disciplines to foster synergistic learning and collaboration: Construction management, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning. These four academic programs are accredited and produce career-ready graduates.

The students are provided with the opportunity to learn about and work on real-world, cross-discipline projects and activities. Nationally recognized, world-renowned faculty cross-collaborate on pressing built environment issues, and deliver timely and crucial sustainable research and outreach.

The National Charrette Institute is also a part of SPDC. It focuses on placemaking-related issues locally and nationwide.