Starting in August 2026, I will be an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS), and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. Before joining CU Boulder I was an Associate Professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University. Across both institutions I've led the Planning for Urban Resilience Lab and focused on collaborative, interdisciplinary, and policy-relevant research, teaching, and service. 

My research, at the intersection of urban geography and planning, tackles the challenge of how to make cities around the world more resilient to climate change and other hazards in ways that are sustainable and just. I currently focus on three interrelated topics: 

• 1. Urban resilience planning and governance in a changing climate (with a focus on heat and flood hazards)

  2. Urban green infrastructure

  3. Conceptualizations of urban resilience

I've published over 50 articles in academic journals including Nature, Landscape and Urban Planning, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Journal of the American Planning Association, Climatic Change, Environmental Research Letters, and Urban Forestry & Urban Greening (See the full list in Google Scholar). My work is also frequently referenced in national and international media and used by policymakers and local government practitioners.

Some of my federally-funded projects have included National Science Foundation (NSF) grants on flood resilience, Department of Energy-funded work on urban climate resilience, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded projects on extreme heat resilience including co-leading the Center for Heat Resilient Communities, a Center of Excellence established in 2024 by the U.S. National Integrated Heat Health Information System, and an NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Innovator early career fellowhip on green infrastructure planning. I spent my sabbatical in 2024 in Munich, Germany with support from a Humboldt Fellowship.

I received my Ph.D. from the School of Natural Resources and Environment (now the School for Environment and Sustainability) at the University of Michigan. I also have a master’s in international development studies from the University of Amsterdam and a bachelor’s in political science and history from the University of Florida.