EDUCATION

Ph.D. in City & Regional Planning (12/2012)
University of California, Berkeley

Master of City Planning (M.C.P.—Urban Design) (12/2002)
University of California, Berkeley
Master of Architecture (M. Arch—Social and Cultural Factors in Design) (12/2002)
University of California, Berkeley

Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch with highest honors) (03/1998)
Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, India

SELECTED WORK EXPERIENCE

• Assistant Professor, Dept. of City and Regional Planning, University of Colorado Denver (01/2019 - )
• Assistant Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Alberta (07/2014 - 12/2018)
• Research Data Analyst, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, UC Berkeley (06/2013 – 12/2013)
• Lecturer, Transportation Studio, Dept. of City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley (01/2013 – 05/2013)
• Research Assistant, Institute of Urban and Regional Development  / Global Metropolitan Studies, UC Berkeley  (07/2007 – 12/2011)
• Business Development Manager, Shirgaokar & Associates, Architects & Planners, Baroda, India (07/2005 – 06/2007)
• ​Associate Development Engineer / Research Specialist, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley, CA (07/2003 – 06/2005)

SERVICE

Service to University

​University of Colorado, Denver
2020-21           Departmental Search Committee (Environmental Planning position); EVOLVE Seed Grant Selection Committee;
                          DURP representative for the State Authorization Professional Licensure
2019-21           Faculty Representative on Board for the American Planning Association, Colorado
2019-21           DURP Admission Committee
2019                Ph.D. Program Task Force

University of Alberta
2017-18           Undergraduate URP advisor; MSc URP program admissions
2016-17           MSc URP program admissions; URP program website; URP studio management
2015-16           Space planning committee
2014-15           Undergraduate URP admissions committee

Service to Scholarly Community (Peer reviewing activity)

Journals: Applied Geography; Bridging Transportation Researchers; Canadian Geographer; Case Studies on Transport Policy; Cities; GeoForum; Geography Compass; International Journal of Sustainable Transportation; Journal of Planning Education and Research; Journal of the American Planning Association; Journal of Transport Geography; Journal of Transportation and Land Use (/WCTR); Journal of Urban Planning and Development; Land Use Policy; Sustainability; Sustainable Cities and Society; Technology Forecasting and Social Change; Transport Policy; Transport Reviews; Transportation; Transportation in Developing Economies; Transportation Research Record (/TRB); Transportation Research: Part A Policy and Practice; Transportation Research: Part D Transport and Environment; Travel Behavior and Society; Urban Planning; Urban Research and Practice; Urban Studies

Granting Agencies: Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC) UTC Region 8; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada;  STRIDE (Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development and Education Center); XJTLU Research Development Fund​

Invited Talks and Organized Events
  1. Panelist for “Lives, Numbers, and Transformations: GIS Empowering all Peoples” organized by the Facility for Advanced Spatial Technology, University of Colorado Denver, May 3, 2021
  2. Panelist for “Feminist Spaces: How to Plan & Design Denver for Women” organized by the APAS-WTS Colorado student chapter, Denver, November 12, 2020
  3. Roundtable discussion “Preparing Students to Become GIS Practitioners in a Fast-paced Field” at the GIS in the Rockies Conference, September 17, 2019
  4. Invited talk “Investigating Equity in Transportation Planning: Lessons from Talking to Older Adults + Modeling Gender-specific Differences” at the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Colorado Denver, May 3, 2018
  5. Invited talk on “Winter city cycling: What works and how can it be made better?” at the Geography and Planning Students’ Society (GAAPS) annual symposium Urban Week, Edmonton, March 22, 2018
  6. Talk on research methods “Contrasting methods for investigating policy questions: When to use qualitative and quantitative approaches?” at the Graduate Students’ society of Earth Atmospheric Sciences (ATLAS) weekly symposium, Edmonton, January 19, 2018
  7. Invited talk on qualitative research methods for graduate transportation engineering students “How different are Indian women and men on time budgets and safety? Implications for transportation research” at the Center for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, November 30, 2017
  8. Session organizer “Examining the contours of racial equity and planning: Where might planning practice intersect movements such as Black Lives Matter (#blm)?” at the 57th Annual Conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Denver, October 14, 2017
  9. Invited panelist on area of expertise (Transportation Planning and Policy) “International planning education: Refresh your syllabus” at the 57th Annual Conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Denver, October 14, 2017
  10. Invited talk on the use of cartography in social science research for non-geographers “Using geospatial techniques for urban planning and policy analysis” at the Research Innovation Space in Education, University of Alberta, March 17, 2017 (available at https://bluejeans.com/playback/s/iiOj3emOy8ronl1IhCqOCapzBkgV9npR0OMA45V2QBMNpHFuP7QX2Oa2aN7x43Jr, accessed October 1, 2019)
  11. Invited talk on research methods for graduate transportation engineering students “Contrasting methods for investigating consumer demand for transportation policy: When to use qualitative and quantitative approaches?” at the Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, University of Alberta, Institute of Transportation Engineers (Student Chapter), February 2, 2017
  12. Chaired organized session “Transport, mobility, and political economies of sustainability” at the American Association of Geographers’ Annual Meeting, San Francisco, March 31, 2016

Media Engagement​
  1. Annually conducted Geographic Information Systems poster session on municipal planning issues, based on GIS course each Winter term, hosted by City of Edmonton and attended by City employees and industry partners. This event was attended by various senior municipal policymakers including the mayor and city councillors. Attendance grew from 40 in 2014 to over 125 in 2018. In 2018, the projects were covered by various media outlets. (http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmontons-top-10-neighbourhoods-might-be-unexpected-gems-u-of-a-students, accessed June 20, 2021; http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/edmonton-am/segment/15538019, accessed October 1, 2019)
  2. “Tailored education could increase use of city’s bike lanes”, interviewed for folio article on applied research conducted by faculty, November 24, 2017 (available at https://www.folio.ca/tailored-education-could-increase-use-of-citys-bike-lanes/, accessed June 20, 2021)
  3. “How to engage Edmontonians this civic election”, invited to talk about transit policy in Edmonton at a non-profit interVivos aiming at informing citizens through non-partisan views of various civic issues. Interviewed by Global News for television, September 19, 2017 (available at https://globalnews.ca/news/3754626/how-to-engage-edmontonians-this-civic-election/, accessed June 20, 2021)
  4. “Money garnered by speed tickets worth the cost”, expert interview in Edmonton Examiner on a proposal to increase speeds on freeways, May 23, 2017 (available at http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/2017/05/23/money-garnered-by-speed-tickets-worth-the-cost, accessed April 20, 2018)
  5. “MaaS Effect - The private vehicle is looking costly, wasteful, dirty and plain old passé as more people take advantage of the “mobility-as-a-service” ecosystem. Is it time to welcome our new transportation overlords?”, expert interview for Alberta School of Business, March 14, 2017 (available at https://www.ualberta.ca/business/alumni/ualberta-business-magazine/2017-spring/features/maas-effect, accessed January 8, 2019)
  6. “Better bike infrastructure would make Edmonton safer for pedestrians and cyclists: pedestrians”, expert interview in Metro News on research conducted in Edmonton regarding bicycling in winter, December 9, 2016 (available at https://ssl.eas.ualberta.ca/sitecore/download/file/papers/paper_244.pdf, accessed June 20, 2021)
  7. “If we build it, will they bike?”, interview in University of Alberta News on applied research conducted by faculty, October 13, 2016 (available at https://ssl.eas.ualberta.ca/sitecore/download/file/papers/paper_229.pdf, accessed June 20, 2021)
  8. “The case for investing billions in Edmonton bus rapid transit”, expert interview in Edmonton Journal on capital intensive investments, April 26, 2016 (available at http://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/david-staples-the-case-for-investing-billions-in-edmonton-bus-rapid-transit, accessed June 20, 2021)
  9. “Intermodal transit hub needed for passengers, too”, opinion in Edmonton Journal on a major transit planning issue in Edmonton, November 3, 2014 (available at http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/opinion-intermodal-transit-hub-needed-for-passengers-too, accessed June 20, 2021)

HONORS: SCHOLARLY AND ACADEMIC

2017                            Emerging Scholar Award: Regional Development & Planning Specialty Group, American Association of Geographers, Boston, MA
1998                            Shrimati Hansaben Mehta Gold Medal in Architecture, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda
1998                            Professor M B Dave Gold Medal in Architecture, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda
1998                            Rupal K. Engineer Memorial Gold Medal, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda
1997                            Shrimati Hari Ichhaben Kamdar merit medal/certificate, Institution of Engineers, India

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

2014-21           Certified Member, American Planning Association, AICP
2017-22           Research Associate, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University, CA
2016-22           Member, World Society of Transportation and Land Use Research (WSTLUR)
​2016-19           Affiliate Member, Transportation Research Board
2017-20           Member: TRB Subcommittee on Mainstreaming Global Research and Multi-faceted Data Collection on Gender Issues in Transportation
2015-18           Member, American Association of Geographers