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Dr. Pap advocates for the integrity of local settlements. She integrates the ecological, cultural, and economic needs into the decision-making and plan making processes of communities. She studied the cultural and religious drivers of historically fragmented territories. One of Dr. Pap’s expertise is working with and advocating for the rights of fragmented communities within the process of ethnic and religious disputes over land rights.
She has a firm belief that the best approach to work with historically oppressed communities is to listen to the people who remained and fought for their settlements by seeking common understanding within the community first. Since communities evolve with their land they have strong ties and identify with their landscape. Representation of the will of communities, communicating and mapping their needs for decision-making entities is lacking under current pressures of urbanization. Disappearance of farmlands. Loss of integrity of historic neighborhoods. Fast paced changes leave citizens unprepared to have a cohesive strategy, or to step up and into the planning process. Communities often lack knowledge of how to initiate change within the community and with the city/administrative body. More often than not “progress” can overwhelm a community with character and roots.
Dr. Pap holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Texas A&M University in Urban and Regional Sciences, a Masters of Arts in Environmental Planning and Design from University of Georgia, and a Bachelors of Science in Ecology and Environmental Protection from Babes-Bolyai University. She has taught at Texas A&M University various undergraduate and graduate courses within the topic areas of landscape architecture, analytical methods, urban planning and ecological design and planning.
Dr. Pap is a docent at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin, TX and member of the local Conservation Advisory Board in College Station, TX. Throughout her career she has supported, and volunteered at many organizations and has taken leadership roles at professional and charitable organizations like the American Planning Association, and Native Plant Society of Texas.
She is a native Hungarian speaker and she identifies herself as a member of the Székely ethnic minority. Most Székelys live at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains within the Valley of Transylvania.