Members

Emma recently graduated from Arizona State University having studied sustainable city design and community development. She is passionate about enhancing the vibrancy, efficiency, and resilience of communities. Emma has experience working with the North Dakota Clean Cities Coalition as an Intern to support the execution of local projects focused on promoting clean vehicle technologies, as well as with the City of Phoenix Office of Sustainability as a Climate Outreach Specialist to promote inclusive climate change education opportunities.

Hrushikesh Shrikrushna Mulavekar is a dedicated computer science professional who recently completed a Master of Science in Computer Science at Arizona State University. With a robust background in programming languages such as Python, Java, and SQL, Hrushikesh brings a wealth of knowledge to the Community Capital Lab. His expertise spans various domains including web development, cloud computing, and machine learning, utilizing technologies like AWS, Flask, and Django to create dynamic and scalable solutions. His previous role at Cognizant Technology India Pvt. Ltd. involved significant data engineering and project management work, equipping him with valuable industry experience. Hrushikesh is a full-time coder and part-time musician, committed to contributing to the lab's mission of driving innovative research and community-focused solutions.

Kadison recently completed her dual Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability and Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Media Studies with a minor in Political Science.  She is a passionate environmental justice advocate with a strong commitment to promoting equitable solutions for communities impacted by disproportionate environmental issues. Kadison is experienced in research, community engagement, policy development and implementation, and advocacy. 

Shikhar recently completed his Master's in Computer Science and Augmented Intelligence at ASU. He specializes in full-stack development, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, and automation.  Shikhar is  generally language-agnostic, often described as a "poly-code-glot," capable of seamlessly picking up any technology quickly, and enjoys building products that positively impact society.

Ran Wu completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree in City Planning at Southwest Minzu University in Chengdu, Sichuan, and a Master’s in Urban Design at Arizona State University.  After her Master’s she worked as a city planner in Chongqing City Planning and Urban Design Institute where she focused on designing public spaces in cities.  Ran completed her Masters in Sustainable Communities in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University.  Her focus in the Community Capital Lab is on developing an eTOD (equitable Transit-Oriented Development) tool with the City of Phoenix for use on the South Central Corridor Light Rail Extension.  

Nerrissa Jane Pinto completed her Master of Advanced Study in Geographical Information System from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, ASU. With two years of professional experience as a GIS Analyst along with a Masters’ degree in Geology she is passionate about analyzing data and implementing solutions for geo-spatial problems. 

Tyler is a Masters graduate of sustainable business at Arizona State University and Leuphana University in Germany.  In his international research and work experience, Tyler has been able to identify and implement solutions for global citizens and businesses. 

Abhijeet Dixit recently earned his M.S. in Computer Science from Arizona State University. He specializes in modern web-app development, cloud-native architecture, and the emerging practice of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Proficient in JavaScript/TypeScript, React, Angular, Node.js, Python, and SQL, Abhijeet builds responsive front ends, designs microservice back ends, and deploys scalable solutions on AWS using serverless and containerized patterns with automated CI/CD. His time at Deloitte sharpened his ability to translate complex requirements into reliable, production-ready systems, reinforcing his commitment to creating technology that is both resilient and user-focused.

Richard is a graduate student at Arizona State University School of Sustainability & School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning pursuing a Master of Sustainability Solutions & Master of Urban and Environmental Planning. Richard attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio where they earned their Bachelor of Science: Ecology and the Human Environment minoring in the Spanish Language. They are focused on creating societal change for resilience in the Anthropocene through influencing food production and community development to help foster local to global justice.  Richard’s masters project is on urban aquaponics for sustainable community development. 

Mozhgan Ansari

Mozhgan Ansari is a Ph.D. student in Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University, specializing in sustainable community development. With a background in architecture and urban design, her work focuses on participatory planning and tactical urbanism. Mozhgan is skilled in spatial analysis and various urban planning tools, and she has actively engaged in civic initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive urban development.

Mahdi Nejadrafie

Mahdi Nejadrafie is an urban planning and sustainability researcher with expertise in GIS, spatial decision-support systems, and community-centered digital tools. His work focuses on applying spatial analysis, data, and participatory approaches to complex sustainability challenges. Mahdi is particularly interested in translating research and sustainability frameworks into practical tools that strengthen collaborative decision-making and contribute to resilient and equitable communities.

Deborah Sheryl Veluvali

Deborah Sheryl Veluvali is a Data Science & ML Analyst at Arizona State University's Community Capital Lab (CCL), where she works on civic tech and community scale analytics under Professor Mark Roseland. She has completed her M.S. in Data Science, Analytics and Engineering at ASU, and brings prior industry experience across data science and machine learning roles. Her work spans building scalable ETL pipelines, geospatial data storytelling, and interactive dashboards, with applied interests in civic technology and community wellbeing analytics.

Andrea Noziglia

Andrea Noziglia previously graduated from Arizona State University with a M.S. in Conservation Science, studying sustainable seafood choices via the ecology, economics, and ethics of environmental sciences. Her work has drawn connections between the realms of regenerative agriculture, community-scale food systems, circular resource / waste management, organics recycling, and sustainable hospitality. She is a certified Compost Operator, and is driven by research-based community development solutions as well as project management and pedagogy.

Aidenne Saunders

Aidenne Saunders is currently a Senior working towards their Undergraduate degrees in Urban Planning and Sustainability, as well as a first year Master's student in Urban & Environmental Planning at Arizona State University. Throughout their studies and research, they've become passionate about preservation planning and community-oriented development. They are skilled with software such as ArcGIS, AutoCAD, & SketchUp, and brings those skills to their work with Community Capital Lab. Additionally, they are currently working on their thesis with Barrett, the Honors College.

Jenny Marquez

Jenny Marquez recently completed her Master of Sustainability Solutions degree at Arizona State University. Jenny is passionate about building more sustainable and accessible cities. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an M.A. in Management and Leadership from Webster University. A former U.S. Army officer, she brings a systems-thinking approach and strong leadership to her current role as a project manager for a renewable energy startup.  Jenny’s experiences living across the U.S. inform her commitment to inclusive, community-centered urban development.