people

My name is Ayda, and I am a Ph.D. student in planning, governance, and globalization (PGG) program at VT. I received bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning and master's degree in urban design, both from the University of Tehran, Iran. My research mainly lies in the field of environmental planning. I am interested in testing the physical and social vulnerabilities of urban environments toward the risk of climate-related hazards such as extreme heat events. My favorite hobbies are baking, swimming, and yoga. I also think that I am very good at making homemade pizzas, but I don’t know why the facial expression of those who have tried tells an opposite story :)

Lechuan graduated with an undergraduate degree in Smart and Sustainable Cities and a minor in Landscape Architecture in May 2021, and went on to complete a master's of urban spatial analytics at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022.

My name is Lechuan, I’m a Senior majoring in Smart and Sustainable Cities with a minor in Landscape Architecture. I was born and raised in Zhejiang, China before coming to Virginia Tech. I’m interested in sustainable development and hoping to learn more about it through my current undergraduate and incoming graduate studies. Currently I’m helping Theo with research on Green Infrastructure (GI). We mainly focus on how experts in academic and professional fields with different expertise are working together to adopt interdisciplinary studies on GI in order to provide comprehensive solutions to stormwater management. Traveling is my favorite thing to do when I am off. But I’m the kind of guy who starts to enjoy the fun of traveling the moment I step out of my home: I like riding public transportation so I am actually more enthusiastic about being “en route” rather than simply “visiting.”

Max graduated with an masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning. He is currently working as an urban planner in the City of Salem, VA.

My name is Max, and I completed a dual degree program in Smart and Sustainable Cities and Environmental Policy and Planning with a minor in Geography at Virginia Tech in May of 2021. During my senior year, I began working towards an Accelerated Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning which I will complete in the Spring of 2022. I am primarily interested in community resilience planning and public engagement programs that can help local residents better understand their surrounding environment which will ultimately facilitate their ability to provide relevant public officials with actionable feedback. I have previously worked with Theo on a coastal design project in which we investigated the urban planning opportunities and challenges associated with managed retreat proposals, and I am excited to partner with him again on heat resilience projects in both Roanoke and the New River Valley. My personal interests include continuing to engage in the three sports I played throughout high school: golf, soccer, and basketball – which I officiate at the high school level throughout the Roanoke Valley. I also enjoy playing daily fantasy sports which provides an opportunity for me to apply a data analytics lens to professional leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and PGA in an effort to identify underlying trends and generate optimal lineups.

My name is Nick, I majored in Smart and Sustainable Cities with a minor in Landscape Architecture. I graduated from Virginia Tech in December 2020 and now work as a Project Designer for Dominion Energy on their Electric Distribution Systems team at the Midlothian, VA office. As I go further into my design career, I hope to continue working on improving energy systems at community scale and learning more about how construction, design, and planning work together to implement successful infrastructure. I work with Theo on conceptual modeling and policy analysis for BECCS or bioenergy, carbon capture and storage systems. In the Fall of 2020, I conducted an independent study with Theo in which I sought to learn more about community energy systems and how planners, designers, and communities can work together to develop meaningful and ethical infrastructure. I plan on continuing this research in the future. I have played soccer for my entire life and also enjoy playing tennis and volleyball. I paint and draw frequently and love exploring new methods of creating art. Lately I’ve been using my iPad and Apple Pencil to create digital pieces.