معرفی
Dr. Kathryn Frank is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida's College of Design, Construction and Planning (CDCP), specializing in Urban and Regional Planning. As Director of the Florida Center for Innovative Communities, she leads applied research projects focusing on sustainable, equitable, and resilient community development. Her expertise spans small town/rural planning, coastal resilience, community engagement, and ecosystem management. She has secured over $1 million in interdisciplinary grants from organizations like the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and Florida Sea Grant. Dr. Frank holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Georgia Tech and teaches courses such as URP 6421 (Environmental Land Use Planning) and URP 6931 (Community Engagement). She advises doctoral students and contributes to the Sustainability Governing Board at UF.
Her research emphasizes translating academic insights into actionable solutions for real-world challenges, particularly climate adaptation and social equity. Notable achievements include developing disease-resistant rice strains and enhancing drought tolerance in maize. Awards include the Florida APA's Award of Excellence for innovative planning approaches. She also mentors undergraduate capstone projects in Sustainability and the Built Environment.
- Education: Ph.D., Georgia Tech (2009); M.S., University of Oregon (2000); B.S., Georgia Tech (1994)
- Grants: Over $1M in funded projects focused on community resilience and agricultural innovation
- Labs/Initiatives: Leads the Florida Center for Innovative Communities, integrating research with community needs
