UDC CAUSES research seminar. College of agriculture, urban sustainability and environmental sciences College of agriculture, urban sustainability and environmental sciences Farmer's Market Banner Spring 2024 Intergenerational Chess Program Specialty Crop Block Grant Program 2024 final

Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience

 

Staff

Dr. Kamran Zendehdel

Acting Director of Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience 

Dr. Kamran Zendehdel is the acting Director of the Center for Sustainable Development Resilience (CSDR) in the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He obtained his Ph.D. in Environmental Decision Making from Ghent University in Belgium. Kamran research focuses on the intersection of environmental and social aspects of urban resilience, environmental justice, and development studies. He leads several urban stormwater management grants and collaborates with several city agencies and non-profits in Washington DC to implement urban sustainability projects. Kamran teaches Environmental Sustainability courses at UDC and published widely on the impacts of urban sustainability programs on communities. Prior to joining UDC, he worked as an Environmental Scientist at Tetra Tech Inc. in Fairfax, Virginia, where he coordinated the Chesapeake Bay nonpoint source pollution prevention project. Prior to his Ph.D., he worked for more than 7 years as a Natural Resources Conservation Expert in Forest Service.

Karmran Zendehdel

Dr. Elizabeth Gearin

Project Specialist in Environmental Planning

Dr. Elizabeth Gearin is a policy and planning expert capable of effectively linking professional and academic planning disciplines. She is currently serving in a range of professional capacities, including as a policy and planning consultant; and as Chair of the Arlington County Planning Commission.

Prior to her current work, Dr. Gearin served as an NSF-funded graduate researcher at the University of Southern California. Before graduate school she served in a range of professional planning capacities, including as Housing Coordinator for the City of Livermore, California; as a Community Development Planner for the Contra Costa County California Redevelopment Agency; and as a Community Organizer in Chicago, Illinois for the Southwest Parish and Neighborhood Federation.

Dr. Gearin received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan, a Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) degree from the California Polytechnic State University-San Louis Obispo, and a doctorate (PhD) in Public Policy and City and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California (USC). Her dissertation focused on assessing the child-friendliness of three iconic suburbs in the Washington D.C. metro area. Dr. Gearin is a member in good standing of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), holds a graduate certificate in Sustainable Cities from the University of Southern California, and a professional certificate in Housing Development Finance from the National Development Council. She has taught at USC and in the Wilder School at the Virginia Commonwealth University as well as The College of Professional Studies at George Washington University. She is certified as both a Master Naturalist and an Audubon at Home Ambassador by Virginia Cooperative Extension. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Dr. Gearin spent her middle and high school years living in Taipei, Taiwan; Manila, Philippines; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Bangkok, Thailand. She lives with her family in Arlington, Virginia.

Harris Trobman

Project Specialist in Green Infrastructure

Harris Trobman is a Project Specialist for Green Infrastructure in the Center for Sustainable Development + Resilience. As a trainer for the National Green Infrastructure Training program through DC Water and Sewer Authority, Trobman is responsible for teaching, conducting research, and program extension work related to green infrastructure and urban sustainability in the District. Trobman specializes in the restoration of urban systems, with a concentration on diverse and complex systems. Trobman also has an affinity for socially responsive design, community engagement, landscape architecture, urban design, and horticulture. In particular, his interests focus on food and water. Trobman’s work investigates the adoption and impacts of green infrastructure and urban food systems to help to meet the unprecedented 21st-century human health and natural resource challenges. Trobtman was named one of only three prestigious National Olmsted Scholar Finalists by the Landscape Architecture Foundation and he and his teammates placed first in the 2014 EPA Rain-works Demonstration Project. Trobman earned a Master’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design from Delaware Valley University.

Danyal Eisenbrandt

Staff Assistant CSDR

Danyal Eisenbrandt is the current Staff Assistant to the Acting Director of the Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience at the University of the District of Columbia. Danyal provides administrative support directly to the acting Director by promptly fulfilling his duties until completion. These duties include travel arrangements, meeting logistics, correspondence, data and office records management, event planning, special projects, etc., as required by the Acting Director. Danyal joined the UDC staff on August 3, 2020. Prior to continuing his career with UDC Danyal worked as an ESL instructor and Youth in Development Specialist with the Peace Corps in Northern/Northeastern Thailand. He served an extended 39 months with PC specifically developing and facilitating water safety, and bike safety programming with the community. He has 4 years of experience with youth leadership/capacity building, resource development, event programming, and community organizing. Danyal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Psychology and Society, Ethics, and Human Behavior from the University of Washington Bothell. Danyal enjoys living a minimalist lifestyle, all manners of movement and exercise, and reading.