Welcome to the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs. We are at an exciting moment as we continue to re-imagine the built environment, the design of buildings, their interiors, and landscapes, planning for the future while addressing sustainability, public policy, and equity. As an interdisciplinary college, CAPPA brings together the disciplines of Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Public Administration, and Public Policy to impact the communities in which we live. We encourage our students to learn from various fields as we tackle complex built environment problems with new perspectives shared through partnerships across campus, other universities, industry partners, architecture design & planning firms, nonprofits, and community partners.

CAPPA is rising as faculty engage with physical and social issues as researchers and practitioners and a growing undergraduate and graduate student body representing our regional and global reach. Our commitment to the well-being and sustainability of our environment through research and design is evident as we launched two degrees in high-demand fields: B.S. in Sustainable Urban Design and M.S. in Sustainable Urban Building Technology.

We are committed to actively engaging our students using the latest technology and practices as we prepare future leaders to navigate a different world. Fostering creativity and research through our new Virtual Reality Lab in collaboration with the Art + Art History Department and a new Design-Build Studio in Arlington that provides new spaces, equipment and opportunities for local collaboration. These are some ways we seek to inspire, motivate, and educate students to pursue excellence in academic scholarship, design practice, creative thinking and critical reflection. 

ABOUT DEAN MING-HAN LI, PH.D

Dr. Ming-Han Li is a distinguished academic leader for the built environment, particularly in landscape architecture and urban planning. Dr. Li previously served as the Director at the Michigan State University School of Planning, Design, and Construction. He led the school’s four disciplines: construction management, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning. He also enhanced the Ph.D. program in planning, design, and construction and the National Charrette Institute. His expertise covers stormwater management, transportation environment, and green infrastructure. Dr. Li has a strong research and practical background. He has received recognition for his contributions to landscape architecture education, named a fellow with the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture in 2017, and with the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2019, and was a member of the landscape and environmental design committee of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. Dr. Li was named the 2017 top 25 “Most Admired Educators” by DesignIntelligence. Dr. Li’s unique strength is his interdisciplinary professional background. He is a certified planner, professional engineer, and professional landscape architect, with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural engineering (National Taiwan University) and a master of science in civil engineering (The University of Texas at Austin), both master of landscape architecture and Ph.D. in urban and regional sciences from Texas A&M University.

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