Recording / From Needs to Nature: Crafting Effective Early Childhood Outdoor Environments

As an experienced Professional Development Manager, Anthony Iracki is dedicated to making a positive impact in the park and recreation industry. Based in Michigan, he's passionate about promoting inclusion, innovative programming, and community vitality. 

Dr. Monsur is an assistant professor in Texas Tech University's Department of Landscape Architecture. His teaching and research efforts are focused to enhance the quality of children's lives by improving/modifying environments with special emphasis in schools, preschools, and childcare centers. 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 of childhood development by bringing more nature in children's everyday experience to promote health and wellbeing. 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. He was involved in the development of the first officially certified QM course for the College of Design at NC State University.  Prior to joining the Tech faculty, Monsur served as postdoctoral research scholar with the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) in the College of Design at North Carolina State University-Raleigh. In NLI, he worked as the project coordinator of a multi-year USDA AFRI grant investigating the role of gardening on physical activity and consumption of fruit and vegetables among preschool-age children. Earlier he was a lecturer in 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. Recent honors include receiving the Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology (2018), NCSU Professional Development Award (2016),and the ‘Architectural Research Center's Consortium King Medal for Excellence in Innovation, Integrity, Scholarship in Architectural/Environmental Design Research' (2015).