Student News
Celebrating student achievements
Aggie Earns International Award for Hensel Park Redesign
Na Wang ’25, a doctoral student in urban and regional science, has earned the 2025 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Student Award of Excellence in Research.
The award, given to just one student worldwide each year, recognized her master’s thesis, HAIL: Healthy Aging through Intergenerational Living.
“Winning the Student Award of Excellence in the Research category is one of the highest honors a student in the field can achieve,” said Dr. Galen Newman, head of Texas A&M’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. “It signifies that the student’s work is not only at the top of their peer group but is also recognized by leaders in the profession as advancing the discipline itself.”
Inspired by Family
Wang’s work was inspired by her experiences growing up in China, where her grandparents’ declining mobility limited their ability to spend time outdoors. When she came to Bryan-College Station, she noticed local seniors faced similar struggles with isolation and limited access to parks. Her research showed that parks cover only five percent of land within a half-mile of senior facilities in the area. Even Hensel Park, the city’s largest, lacked basics like rest areas and accessible walking paths. Yet its location — between Bryan’s older population and College Station’s student community — made it an ideal site to bring generations together.
A Park for All Ages
Wang created a design toolkit to help planners build inclusive parks that support activity and connection across age groups. Using it, she reimagined Hensel Park with shaded trails, seating areas, play zones, gardens and ponds. Each element encourages interaction while addressing risks like heat and flooding. “Intergenerational communities improve health outcomes across the lifespan,” Newman said. As aging populations rise worldwide, Wang hopes her work will guide more age-friendly public spaces. She was recognized at the 2025 ASLA Conference in New Orleans.
ASLA Celebrates National PARK(ing) Day
On Friday, Sept. 19, the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) joined the nationwide PARK(ing) Day celebration by transforming campus parking spaces into creative parklets.
The event highlighted how small urban interventions can spark community interaction in green spaces and showcase the impact of landscape architecture in everyday life.
