Suzana Gavrilović serves as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, where she holds a core teaching position across multiple academic programs. Her institutional affiliation is explicitly tied to the Faculty of Forestry within Serbia's premier higher education institution. Her research and teaching expertise centers on the ecological and spatial dimensions of landscape systems. Key focus areas include landscape ecology—examining spatial patterns and ecological processes in natural environments—and geodesign, which integrates geographic information systems with sustainable design methodologies. She further specializes in landscape architecture planning, emphasizing the synthesis of aesthetic, functional, and environmental considerations in spatial design projects. Her work bridges theoretical ecology with practical applications in urban and regional landscape management. Contact details: Office 5 (new wing), Faculty of Forestry; Telephone: +381 (11) 3053 913; Email: suzana.gavrilovic@sfb.bg.ac.rs.
Dr Paul Cureton FRSA serves as Senior Lecturer in Design (People, Products, Places) at ImaginationLancaster, Lancaster University, and is a member of the Data Science Institute (DSI). His academic work bridges design, spatial planning, and emerging technologies within the School of Arts. Dr Cureton's research focuses on the critical interface between socio-technological relationships, with expertise in Urban Digital Twins, Serious Games & Speculative Design, Geodesign, Participatory Mapping & Planning, and Future Cities. His work explores Design for Digital Twins, Drone Futures, and innovative process-based methodologies for Future Environments like Geodesign. He actively supervises PhD students in areas including Design Frameworks, Urban Design Placemaking, Digital Planning, Environmental Modelling and Mapping, and Emerging Technologies. His publication record demonstrates a clear trajectory toward integrating digital technologies with urban planning and design. The 15 most recent articles reveal strong focus areas in digital twins (particularly urban applications), drone technologies for landscape and urban design, geodesign methodologies, and speculative approaches to future cities. His work increasingly connects spatial planning with emerging technologies, showing evolution from theoretical frameworks toward practical applications in urban digital modeling. FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts) Dr Cureton actively supervises PhD students including Chengyuan An, Nasser Bahrami, and Xuan Gao, focusing on design frameworks, urban design placemaking, digital planning, environmental modeling, and emerging technologies. His current research projects include Adaptation Pathways (Our Future Coast Work Package 4) and DSI: MAGE—Morecambe Area Gaming Environment, demonstrating significant grant funding for innovative work at the intersection of design, technology, and urban futures. Dr Cureton is affiliated with multiple research groups including DSI - Society Evaluation, Imagination Lancaster, and School of Design. His work through ImaginationLancaster positions him at the forefront of exploring the critical interface between new and emerging socio-technological relationships, particularly through his leadership in Design for Digital Twins, Drone Futures, and Geodesign methodologies.
Michał Jakiel is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. He holds a PhD in Geography and works as a Research Assistant while pursuing his doctoral studies since 2013. His primary research focus bridges Landscape Ecology and Spatial Planning with emphasis on protected areas, ecological corridors, and land use changes. Education: MSc in Geography (2012, Jagiellonian University) Specialization in Spatial Planning (2015, Cracow University of Technology) His research explores ecological connectivity , soil piping dynamics , and geospatial methods in conservation. Recent work investigates landscape changes in Polish national parks and piping processes in temperate mountain systems. Articles highlight the use of LiDAR technology for erosion mapping and historical cartography for forest conservation. While no formal awards are listed, his 28 publications (199 citations) demonstrate significant contributions to environmental impact assessment , geotourism , and human-environment interactions . Collaborations include European landscape planning studies and multidisciplinary analyses of ecological networks.
Yazen Khasawneh serves as an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, with his office located in 169 Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering, Notre Dame, Indiana. He can be contacted via phone at 574-631-6245 or email at ykhasawn@nd.edu. His academic qualifications include: Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology Prof. Khasawneh possesses extensive industrial experience in the design, construction, and retrofit of onshore wind turbine foundations, underground structures, deep foundations, geodesigns, slope stabilization, and high-rise building foundations. His research expertise centers on computational geotechnics, soil-structure interaction, structural and soil response to dynamic loading, constitutive modeling, forensic engineering, and multi-scale geotechnical testing and instrumentation. Notably, he developed a method to estimate rotational stiffness of existing wind turbine foundations using accelerometer frequency signatures from turbine hubs and is currently investigating dynamic wind turbine tower responses and deep machine learning applications for soil constitutive modeling from instrumentation data. He maintains active professional standing as a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Michigan, bridging industrial practice with academic research in geotechnical engineering.
Dr. Alexander Wandl is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment , Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), affiliated with the Department of Urbanism and the Environmental Technology and Design section. He is a core member of the Circular Built Environment Hub and applies an extended territorial metabolism approach to sustainable urbanism across multiple spatial scales. PhD in Urbanism (TU Delft), European Postmaster in Urbanism (TU Delft, IUAV Venice, UPC Barcelona, KU Leuven), and MSc from BOKU Vienna His research interests span urban and regional planning , urban design , and environmental sciences , with a focus on the spatial dimension of circularity transitions in cities. He integrates methods from landscape architecture , spatial data science , and participatory design , emphasizing infrastructure resilience and peri-urban development . Recent publications (2022-2024) demonstrate his expertise in territorial metabolism , circular construction hubs , and spatial data-driven sustainability assessments . His work has been funded by EU Horizon 2020 through the REPAiR and Circular Built Environment Hub projects, with significant contributions to urban heat island mapping and regenerative city frameworks . He developed interdisciplinary education programs (on-campus and online) to train future circular economy advocates and serves on the editorial board of Planning Practice and Research . His practical background in Vienna's local politics informs his approach to public participatory urban design .
Ulrike Wissen Hayek is a Lecturer at ETH Zurich's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, specializing in landscape and spatial planning. She holds a PhD from ETH Zurich (2007) and a Dipl. Ing. in Landscape Planning from Technical University of Munich (2000). Her career includes roles as Senior Researcher (2012–present) and Researcher (2008–2012) at ETH Zurich's Institute for Spatial and Landscape Planning (IRL), focusing on the Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems (PLUS). Education PhD, ETH Zurich, Institute for Landscape and Environmental Planning (2007) Dipl. Ing. Landscape Planner, Technical University of Munich (2000) Landscaper, Germany (1994) Research Interests Her work integrates advanced technologies like VR, GIS, and 3D modeling to address urban and environmental challenges. Key areas include: Sustainable Urban Design: Focusing on resilient infrastructure, renewable energy placement, and ecosystem service integration. Soundscape Engineering: Developing tools to evaluate acoustic aspects of landscapes in design processes. Participatory Planning: Using collaborative platforms and simulations to engage stakeholders in decision-making. Renewable Energy Landscapes: Balancing technical, ecological, and social priorities in energy infrastructure siting. Projects Lead roles in initiatives like CoCoNet (co-creative urban transitions), REGaitVR (VR gait therapy environments), and ENERGYSCAPE (renewable energy landscape strategies). Her work emphasizes practical applications, such as decision support systems for power line planning and web-based tools for ecosystem visualization. Grants and Labs Her research is supported by Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), and industry partners. She collaborates with the PLUS group at ETH Zurich, focusing on innovative digital methods in landscape architecture and urban systems.
Scott Lieske is Senior Lecturer in Geography at University of Queensland, developing spatial tools for urban planning and climate adaptation. His research applies GIS and modeling to infrastructure impacts, community vulnerability, and sustainable development. Key areas: Urban form analytics Transportation equity Environmental decision support Publications integrate geovisualization, crowdsourced data, and multicriteria evaluation for policy applications.
Hans-Peter Plag is a Professor at Old Dominion University (ODU), specializing in geophysics and Earth system science. He holds a Ph.D. from the Free University of Berlin and has over 40 years of academic and research experience. His roles include leading projects on geodetic monitoring, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Plag has authored numerous publications and secured grants totaling millions in funding, focusing on sea-level rise, geohazards, and global environmental monitoring. Education: Ph.D. in Geophysics (1988), M.S. in Geophysics (1982), B.M. in Mathematics (1974). Affiliations: Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography (CCPO) at ODU. His research interests span geodetic imaging, Earth system monitoring, and sustainability science. Key areas include: Sustainable anthropsphere management Sea-level fluctuations and coastal adaptation Global change monitoring via geodetic techniques (GPS, InSAR) Risk assessment for geohazards and extreme events Plag has pioneered real-time earthquake and tsunami warning systems using GPS data. His work contributes to global initiatives like GEOSS (Group on Earth Observations) and the Blue Planet initiative for ocean monitoring. Recent articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches to climate change communication, SDG implementation, and planetary physiology. He emphasizes integrating science into societal decision-making to address existential threats like sea-level rise and ecological collapse. Grants include projects on conservation leadership, Caribbean sustainable development goals, and coastal resilience. His expertise bridges geophysics, policy, and global systems science.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Erbaş Gürler is an academic at the Department of Landscape Architecture at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), Faculty of Architecture. She holds roles including Head of Department (since 2023), Chair of the Urban Design Graduate Program, and has served on various academic committees. Her education includes a PhD from İTÜ’s Landscape Architecture Department (2012). Her research focuses on landscape theory, memory landscapes, interdisciplinary interactions, and commemorative spaces. Key interests include urban identity through public memorials, cultural heritage preservation, and the role of landscape in socio-political dynamics. Notable works include studies on Gallipoli Peninsula, Istanbul’s urban transformation, and the Eskişehir Kocakır eco-city project. Awards include multiple National Landscape Architecture Awards, the 2017 Green World Award, and recognition for urban design competitions. Her work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing research-driven design education and interdisciplinary approaches. She has authored/co-authored over 40 publications, including peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, and books on landscape architecture education and urban design. Grants and collaborations include projects with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, academic partnerships in geodesign applications, and international conference participations. She coordinates interdisciplinary programs and has led design studios focusing on memoryscapes and sustainable urban landscapes. Her lab and team activities involve urban park designs, geospatial technologies (geodesign), and cultural heritage documentation. Current initiatives explore post-disaster urban agriculture and adaptive reuse of industrial sites.
John Lowry is a Senior Lecturer in Geospatial Science at Oregon State University, specializing in the application of geospatial technologies to environmental planning, disaster management, and educational pedagogy. His work bridges academic research with practical solutions, particularly in tropical island contexts such as Fiji and New Zealand. Expertise: GIS for environmental vulnerability assessment, geospatial education frameworks, and indigenous knowledge systems Key Projects: Fiji-based studies on disaster evacuation effectiveness, marine resource management, and Fijian dialect mapping Teaching Focus: Innovations in ArcGIS StoryMap pedagogy across educational levels Research interests span from spatial epidemiology of tropical diseases (e.g., leptospirosis) to the ecological impacts of invasive species. Recent work emphasizes geodesign approaches for multifunctional landscapes and geospatial curriculum development in Aotearoa New Zealand. Publications highlight methodological advancements in spatial analysis techniques, including geographically weighted regression and Bayesian networks for environmental risk modeling. His work frequently integrates socio-environmental data to address complex challenges in both developed and developing regions.
Dr. Songnian Li is a Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of Civil Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University. His expertise spans geocollaboration systems, big geospatial data analytics, and digital twins for smart cities. He holds a PhD from the University of New Brunswick and a BEng from Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping. Dr. Li's research focuses on human mobility patterns, spatio-temporal dynamics, and geosocial media analysis. He has pioneered techniques for extracting real-time traffic insights from social media data and developed frameworks for urban solar energy mapping. His work emphasizes leveraging geospatial technologies for societal decision-making. Education: PhD (2002, UNB), BEng (1983, Wuhan) Professional Memberships: ISPRS Fellow, Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing Key achievements include the 2023 Career Achievement Award and 2020 ISPRS Fellowship. He supervises PhD and MASc students in geomatics, data science, and environmental management programs. His GIS and GeoCollaboration Lab explores cutting-edge applications like 3D urban modeling and cultural heritage preservation through point cloud analysis. Dr. Li advocates for student-driven research, evidenced by a supervisee's ultra-prestigious award-winning paper.
Derek Hoeferlin is a Professor and Chair of Landscape Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. His work focuses on water-based design strategies across major river basins, including the Mississippi, Mekong, and Rhine. He leads the Way Beyond Bigness research initiative, emphasizing integrated watershed approaches to combat climate change. Hoeferlin holds degrees from Tulane and Yale Universities, and his practice, [dhd] design, combines award-winning architecture with urban and landscape design. Research Interests: - Water infrastructure and adaptive urbanism - Transnational river basin collaborations - Climate adaptation through design - Community-engaged environmental projects - Biodiversity conservation in paramo ecosystems Grants & Awards: 2023-24: $20K Here & Next Tier 1 Spark Grant for Environmental Arts & Humanities 2022-23: Mellon Foundation-funded Divided Cities Initiative 2020-21: Landmark Columbus Foundation Fellowship Key Projects: MISI-ZIIBI: Climate Adaptation Strategies (2013-2016) Bio-diversity Farms in Colombia’s Paramo de Sumapaz (2021-present) Divided Cities Initiative grants with Gavin Kroeber Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Missouri Botanical Garden, Living Earth Collaborative, and WashU’s Divided Cities Initiative. Leads interdisciplinary teams in transnational water research.
Elizabeth Wentz is Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate College at Arizona State University (ASU), holding dual appointments in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. She leads the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience initiative, supporting Maricopa County’s community resilience through knowledge sharing, and formerly directed ASU ADVANCE promoting institutional diversity. Her research focuses on geographic technologies (GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis) applied to urban environments, water resource management, and urban climate resilience. Education: Ph.D. Geography, Pennsylvania State University (1997) M.A. Geography, The Ohio State University (1989) B.S. Mathematics, The Ohio State University (1987) Research Interests: Urban climate dynamics, geospatial technology integration, water conservation strategies, spatial pattern analysis, and community resilience frameworks. Her work bridges theoretical GIScience with applied urban sustainability challenges, emphasizing data-driven solutions for heat mitigation, resource management, and disaster preparedness. Recent Research Focus: Publications highlight urban heat island mitigation via tree shade optimization, geodesign for Indigenous flood resilience, and spatial modeling of energy consumption patterns. Her studies often combine multi-source geospatial data with interdisciplinary collaborations. Grants & Projects: NSF-funded Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC) addressing climate uncertainty Urban Environmental Modeling (UEM) Project analyzing 100 global cities WaterSim model development for Phoenix water planning Labs/Teams: Director of the Urban Climate Research Center and Senior Global Futures Scientist, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams on sustainability challenges. Teaches courses on geospatial technologies and graduate research design.
Thomas R Fisher is a Professor at the Minnesota Design Center, University of Minnesota. He is actively engaged in research and public discourse on urban design, sustainability, and ethical design practices. His work intersects architecture, public health, and transportation planning, with a strong emphasis on walkability and community-based design. His research interests include urban design, system design, geodesign, service design, ethics, and the built environment. These areas are deeply connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to sustainable cities and communities, health, and equity. Fisher's work emphasizes smart design solutions that promote social equity and environmental quality. The recent publications show a consistent focus on walkability, campus environments, and sustainable urban development. His research uses data-driven approaches to assess walking behavior and environmental quality, while also contributing to broader design theory and policy. Topics such as post-pandemic design and smart urban hubs reflect contemporary challenges and future-oriented thinking. Fisher is actively involved in funded research projects, including initiatives on smart street light hubs, autonomous shuttle mobility, and rural community development in Minnesota. He frequently contributes expert commentary to media outlets on urban design, transportation, and housing trends in the Twin Cities area. He has participated in academic panels, such as 'Design in a Post-Pandemic World,' and continues to contribute to architectural education and public discourse through publications and outreach. His role as PI and Co-PI on multiple grants highlights his leadership in collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
Jiahe (Jane) Bian serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia's College of Environment and Design. Their work focuses on landscape architecture and environmental design, with research interests spanning sustainable urban development, ecological planning, and geodesign. As a faculty member, they contribute to the college's academic programs and research initiatives. Contact details include telephone number 7065421816 and email JBian@uga.edu .
