Dr. Taner R. Özdil Inducted as President of CELA
Photo Credit: Dongying Li, & CELA
The Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) comprises virtually all the higher learning programs in landscape architecture in the United States and several others in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The CELA membership also includes individual and institutional members from many other parts of the world. All members of the faculties from these institutions are invited to participate in CELA, as are others who possess an interest in the academic practice of landscape architecture (source: https://thecela.org/about-cela/mission)
Dr. Taner R. Özdil, an Associate Professor for the Landscape Architecture Program and Associate Director for Research at The Center for Metropolitan Density (CfMD), has been recently inducted as the President of CELA. With over 30 years of extensive academic experience engaging landscape architecture, urban design, and physical planning disciplines, Dr. Özdil is poised to lead the organization, serving as a cornerstone for landscape architectural education.
In his teaching role at UTA, Dr. Özdil has dedicated himself to shaping the minds of future landscape architects through graduate-level studios in urban landscape, urban design, and environmental planning topics. His commitment to education extends to advising thesis students and working with multidisciplinary cohorts across various programs in CAPPA. Dr. Özdil's research explores environmental, economic, and social value creation, landscape performance, green infrastructure, and resilience topics in mixed-use environments and high-density areas in metropolitan regions.
Dr. Özdil's journey with CELA began in 1998 as a doctoral student at Texas A&M University. A fortunate coincidence brought him to present at that year's CELA Conference in Arlington, TX. Through the years, he developed a passion for active engagement in the organization, influenced by the mentorship of esteemed faculty at his previous institutions and his time at UTA, where he began as a tenure-track faculty member in 2007. He further deepened his connection with CELA, mainly through his collaboration with the late Dr. Pat D. Taylor, a significant figure in the landscape architecture program here at CAPPA.
Photo Credit: Dongying Li, & CELA
Dr. Özdil's election as CELA President is pivotal after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recognized landscape architecture as a STEM discipline in 2023. This designation underscores the field's integral role in addressing complex global challenges through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics inherent in the education and practice of landscape architecture. Dr. Özdil shares that "As a career academic and a citizen of this precious and vulnerable world, I was motivated by what landscape architecture, as a discipline and area of practice, can accomplish for environmental sustainability and nature-based solutions. By serving my academic community actively, I can motivate my peers and students alike to carefully shape the built environment while improving human conditions for a resilient future," he reflects on his inspiration to become the president. Dr. Özdil's extensive experience, including serving as Vice President for Research and Creative Scholarship (VPR) during the trying times of COVID-19, has equipped him with the skills necessary to effectively lead such an influential organization. Upon taking the new role, Dr. Özdil expressed his appreciation and enthusiasm. "It's a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as the CELA's President, an outstanding organization for landscape architecture primarily serving academic practitioners (educators, scholars, researchers, and advocates) in North America and worldwide for over 100 years," he stated. He feels a deep connection to CELA as a professional "home" among peers dedicated to making meaningful changes in the built environment and the world. Over the next three years (starting from 2024 as President-Elect), Dr. Özdil will leverage his experience across three continents to guide CELA's mission of enhancing landscape architecture education and practice. He anticipates some challenges, leading an organization composed of nearly 100 member programs and 1,000 members across North America and beyond. However, he is confident in the collective expertise of the CELA Board, which comprises 20 dedicated academics committed to furthering the profession in the 21st century. Moreover, Dr. Özdil attributes most of his understanding of academic expectations and needs in landscape architecture to his academic experiences at the University of Texas at Arlington, which have propelled him to foster a culture of collaboration, community service, and outreach. He hopes to enhance the experiences of CELA members and institutions, promoting innovative research scholarship and creative activities that advance landscape architecture in North America and beyond.
As Dr. Özdil embarks on this new chapter, the landscape architecture community can anticipate an inspiring leadership focused on evidence-based inquiry, creative exploration, and dialog across design and planning disciplines highlighting environmental resilience, nature-based solutions, and landscape performance to advance landscape architecture discipline and area practice for future generations. With his unwavering commitment to education, research, and community service as part of the CELA Board, our professor is set to shape the future of landscape architecture, paving the way for a sustainable and resilient world.