Chang joins Texas A&M turfgrass program
Offers expertise related to turfgrass performance and sustainability on professional turf and lawns
Baoxin “Bob” Chang, Ph.D., has a new role in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, but is not new to providing science-based solutions to enhance turf performance, sustainability and functionality.
Chang began his role as an assistant professor in the department on Aug. 1. He has spent many years in the department, holding various positions and conducting field trials to optimize turfgrass quality under varying levels of traffic, wear and environmental stress across multiple turfgrass systems.
He will teach a recreational turf class this fall, which is an introduction to turfgrass for golf courses, athletic fields and home lawns. He will also teach Sports Field Construction, Turfgrass Management Systems and Turfgrass Maintenance in future semesters.
“Teaching is part of my appointment, but I will still be research-focused,” Chang said. “My program will be comprehensive and work closely with stakeholders to identify their challenges and develop solutions.”
At Texas A&M, Chang’s research will primarily focus on developing sustainable, high-performance turf systems for golf courses, athletic fields and urban landscapes. His research will also investigate the role of lawns in urban microclimates and their environmental footprint to improve ecosystem services in residential and public green spaces.
Building a career
Chang earned his bachelor’s in turfgrass science from Southwest University, Chongqing, China, and his master’s in agronomy from Auburn University, before earning a doctorate in soil science at Texas A&M University.
He joined the department as a graduate research assistant in 2016. He spent three years as a postdoctoral research assistant before taking a general manager position for an international sports surface consulting company.
“This is kind of like coming home for me after getting my doctorate from this program,” Chang said.
For the past year, he has served as a pitch consultant for the FIFA World Cup 2026 while working for the consulting company. The U.S. is a host country for next year’s tournament, and Chang was responsible for helping find training facilities for the 48 participating teams. His job was to evaluate facilities based on FIFA standards – human resources, equipment and turf – to ensure there were enough resources for the event.
Chang also served on a U.S. Golf Association, USGA, committee for putting green construction.
Developing a research program
A unique aspect of his research concerns water conservation and the management of landscaping and turfgrass. The move by municipalities to reduce the turf-covered areas or have water-reduced systems can have multiple effects.
“We understand the need to save water, but what are the other consequences of moving to alternative landscape systems?” Chang said. “If it changes in the next decade or two, how does it impact the environment and society – that’s something I would like to study further.”
His doctorate examined the conversion to artificial turf or xeriscaping and its impact on runoff dynamics and energy balance, including the creation of heat islands.
“I want to go beyond the traditional turf management and collaborate with others – ecologists and soil scientists and economists – to determine the greater picture,” he said. “I want to apply science-based evidence to those key decisions before policymakers incentivize changes.”
