Past Team — Landscape Ecology, Perception, and Design Lab

Landscape Ecology, Perception, and Design Lab

Current team/Past team

PAST RESEARCH STUDENTS

Asst. Prof. Jiayang Li, University of Florida, PhD (2022), received her BE in Landscape Architecture from Tongji University in Shanghai, China, and her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan. Jiayang is interested in exploring how green infrastructure can improve the quality of urban spaces and promote the well-being of urban residents in a fast-changing climate and society.

Asst. Prof. John Graham, Lake Superior State University, PhD (2016), is an applied ecologist originally from central Wisconsin. With degrees in forest ecology, biology, and French from the University of Wisconsin -- Stevens Point, he previously worked as a consulting forester and in renewable energy. His undergraduate and Master's research explored eastern deciduous fire ecology and wilderness community succession following wildfire and wind disturbances. John’s work examines the effects of alternative, perennial, agricultural practices – agroforestry and biofuel production – on functional landscape connectivity for native pollinators and amphibians.

Asst Prof. Irem Daloglu, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey), PhD (2013), is interested in studying coupled human and natural systems with the use of models. Her research focuses on understanding the impacts of policies on freshwater and agricultural ecosystems. Her teaching interests include agricultural and water quality policy and modeling.

Email: irem.daloglu@boun.edu.tr

Assoc. Prof. Meltem Erdem Kaya, PhD (2012), is the Department Head of Landscape Architecture at Istanbul Technical University (Taskisla Campus 34437, Istanbul, Turkey). She worked as a visiting scholar in the Landscape Ecology, Perception, and Design Lab between 2010 and 2011. She received her Ph.D. from Istanbul Technical University with the thesis entitled “An Evaluation Matrix Proposal for Identification, Preservation and Development of Landscape Characteristics of Rural Settlements.” Her research interests focus on contemporary approaches and environmental systems in landscape design, and rural landscape planning and design.

Email: erdemme@itu.edu.tr Website: http://faculty.itu.edu.tr/erdemme/

Assoc. Prof. Zhifang Wang, MLA, PhD (2008), College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Peking University. She is interested in sustainable design, rural development, and ecological aesthetics. She works to advance the applications of ecological research in planning and design while highlighting public acceptance and public education about environmentally beneficial landscape.

Email:zhifangw@pku.edu.cn Website: http://www.cala.pku.edu.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=45&id=144

Sandra Kosek-Sills, MLA (2000), PhD (2004), Environmental specialist, Ohio Lake Erie Commission. Sandra administers Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, coordinates the Ohio Balanced Growth Program, and coordinates local watershed planning projects.

Current Position: Coastal and Estuarian Land Conservation Program Coordinator, Ohio DNR Office of Coastal Management

Prof. Robert C. Corry, Guelph University, MLA (1994), PhD (2002), Rob is a Professor of Landscape Architecture, and Director of the Centre for Land & Water Stewardship, University of Guelph. Teaching interests: Landscape ecological design, spatial analysis, research methods, advanced topics in landscape architecture. Research interests: Landscape metrics, agricultural landscape change, perennialization, alternative futures for rural lands.

Website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~rcorry/RCorry/

Yanling Mo, MLA (2021), received her BE in landscape architecture from architecture school of Fuzhou University. Yanling is interested in sustainability and resilience of the built environment in both urban and rural areas, with a focus on exploring adaptive methods of ecological design.

Chuyi Yin, MLA & MS in Conservation Ecology (2020), received her BA in Environmental Art & Design from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where she developed environmental design skills inspired by art and nature. She would like to bridge Environmental Science, Art, and Design in her practice on research-based urban ecological design and sustainability. She is currently a landscape designer at Sasaki Associates in Boston, MA.

Alexis K. Heinz, MLA and MS in Conservation Ecology (2019), received her B.S. in Plant Science from Cornell University in 2008. In 2020, Alexis founded Anagram Ecology, LLC to compose residential landscape architecture planting plans, present internationally about ecology and ecological restoration, conduct ecology and community research, and advise student(s) about sustainability and problem-solving. She is currently reviewing literature and attenuating her research interests, she plans on starting her PhD in 2023.

Derell Griffin, MLA (2019), received his BS in Horticulture with a concentration in Landscape Design, Construction & Management from Michigan State University. As a native of Detroit, he is interested in green development of highly urban areas, not only in the U.S but also in developing countries. Derell became interested in this field while learning more about social and environmental services and the effects both have on the quality of life on people, and believes everyone should have access to environments that promotes ones mental and physical well-being.

Roberto Astudillo, MLA (2019), received his BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, he joined Chicago’s rich tech startup community as a research analyst focusing on energy efficiency technology. His current interests include urban ecological design and climate resiliency in vulnerable cities. He is currently a landscape designer with SWA Group in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rachel C. Leonard, University of Michigan, MLA and MURP (2018), Before entering graduate school, Rachel worked as a programmer for the Center for Educational Outreach at the University of Michigan and served as a Health Extension Agent for the Peace Corps in rural Tanzania. Rachel is interested in community participation and global and comparative issues in the planning and design of healthy, vibrant, socially-just communities.

Lanfei Liu, MLA (2017), She earned her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the Beijing Forestry University with a focus on Chinese Classical Garden History and Eight Sight of Old Beijing. Before entering the MLA program at the University of Michigan, Lanfei worked for AECOM's Beijing office on design development and construction documents for residential and commercial landscape projects. With broad interest in interdisciplinary study, she is enthusiastic about applying statistical methods, programming, and business insights to the process of landscape design and planning. Currently, Lanfei directs the practical extension of the International Studies Symposium in Beijing.

Sanaz Chamanara, MLA (2017), Sanaz received her Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) and Master's degree in Landscape Architecture from Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. She received the 2016 LAF Honor Scholarship in Memory of Joe Lalli from the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF). Currently she is a PhD candidate at the Urban Sustainability Research Group (Center for Sustainable Systems) at the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Dhara Mittal, MLA (2017), Dhara received her Bachelor's in Architecture at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Gujarat, India. She followed her passion for the natural vignettes in her city through her work with saa synergies, an ecological design firm in her city. Dhara is interested in the interactions between landscapes and culture. Currently she works on natural systems related projects in India, including the national river interlinking project. Through her work she intends to bridge the gap between community involvement and decision making related to natural systems.

Alex de Sosa Kinzer, MLA (2017), is from Sugar Land, Texas. Alex received her B.S. in Environmental Studies at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Before coming to the University of Michigan, Alex spent two years in Kenya working for a conservation organization focused on community-based conservation efforts. She also has experience as an agricultural consultant working on projects related to her hidden passion—insects! Alex is now Africa Area Co-director of Eden Restoration Projects, where she works to bring the needs of communities and ecosystems together through sustainable design.

Qiuling Chen, MLA (2016), She is committed to design with science and support social, environmental, and economical sustainability. Currently, she is a project designer with Land Planning and Design Associates in Washington D.C.

Bradford Kasberg, MLA (2016), previously received his BA in Geography and Anthropology from Miami University. Prior to completing his Master’s degree he conducted research on environmental health impacts for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. His MLA thesis analyzed stormwater runoff capture of various theoretical GI systems in the City of Detroit. He currently is Wetland Restoration Manager at Audubon Great Lakes in Chicago, IL.

Amy Motzny, MLA (2015), is Watershed Manager at the Gowanus Canal Conservatory in New York City

Rachel Stehouwer Visscher, MLA/MUP (2014), completed a dual Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Planning in 2014. She received the EPA STAR Fellowship for her research in the lab, studying exurban homeowner preferences and behaviors that had implications for ecological design and carbon storage. Rachel currently works as a landscape designer at an ecological consulting firm, H.T. Harvey and Associates, in Los Gatos, California.

Lin Lin, MLA (2013), is currently a landscape designer with Thuilot Associates, Berkeley, CA.

Daniel Power, MLA (2012), After working with the Greening of Detroit, Daniel Power (AICP) is now Planning Director for the City of Walker, MI, where he manages development and community planning, including an updated city master plan.

Lauren Marshall, MLA (2010), is National Program Manager for Urban and Community Forestry in the U.S.D. A. Forest Service in Washington, D.C.. Her work has addressed collaborative landscape restoration and developing green infrastructure across scales.

Ayehlet Cooper, MLA (2009), is a landscape designer with Shlomo Aronson Architects in Jerusalem, and Curator of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. While working in Professor Nassauer's lab during her MLA studies, Ayehlet contributed to research on interactions between homeowner behavior, Zone of Care, and carbon sequestration potentials in exurban residential lots.

Marcus Jones, MS and MUP (2009), helped establish the Detroit Training Center, a vocational school in the City of Detroit. Currently, Marcus is active in Detroit in real estate development as President of MJ Realty Service.

Rebekah VanWieren, MS (2007), MLA (2009), is associate instructor of Landscape Architecture at Montana State University, Great Falls, Montana.

Flint Futures Master's Project Group, 2007: Rebekah VanWieren (MLA), Jennifer Dowdell (MLA), Emily Marshall (MLA), David Laclergue (MLA). Flint futures: Alternative futures for redevelopment of Chevy in the Hole, Flint, Michigan.

Jennifer Dowdell, MLA (2007), is a landscape ecology planner and designer at Biohabitats, a design and consulting firm focused on regenerative design, conservation planning and ecological restoration headquartered in Baltimore, MD. Her work spans projects ranging from university master plans to brownfield opportunities and urban ecology in redevelopment. She frequently contributes to the online newsletter, Leaf Litter, writing pieces about design, ecology and resilience. Through her work at Biohabitats Jennifer has also been part of the teaching faculty at the Omega Center for the Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, NY and a guest-lectureer at Columbia University on sustainable and holistic design approaches in landscape architecture and planning.

Diane Hellekson, MLA (2000), University of Minnesota, worked on natural resources planning and ecological stormwater design until 2005, when she joined the transportation design practice at HNTB Corporation, Minneapolis. She led the redesign of the HNTB Website there. Currently, she is a Content Strategy Manager & Community of Practice Co-Lead and Vice President at U.S. Bank.