People

Keunhyun Park, Ph.D. (He/Him)

Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management

Dr. Keunhyun (Keun) Park holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in urban planning and design from the University of Utah. Before joining UBC, he was an assistant professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University. 

With an interdisciplinary background in urban planning and design and landscape architecture, Keun conducts behavioural research in urban nature through spatial data analytics and digital technologies. His work focuses on understanding how to design healthy, just, and resilient cities through urban nature. He spends much of his leisure time with his family, enjoying running, hiking, camping, and playing board games and video games.

CV (updated Oct. 2025) | Google Scholar | keun.park@ubc.ca |

Asim Khanal (He/Him)

Ph.D. Candidate in Forestry

Asim Khanal is an urban planner and researcher interested in understanding how diverse user groups experience urban blue-green spaces. He intends to push the theoretical interpretation and practical implementation of ‘access’ by integrating the dimensions of vision and touch. In his doctoral dissertation, he also uses third-party big data to estimate spatiotemporal use dynamics of urban blue-green spaces or public spaces along shorelines.

Asim completed his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India and an M.Sc. in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure from the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, which was opened in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has worked as an Urban Planner, a freelance consultant, and a volunteer for federal, provincial, and local governments in multiple countries, including Nepal, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

In his leisure time, he likes camping, swimming in freshwater lakes, and composing music. He has also written a handful of newspaper articles and blogs on Medium and used to run a political satire page.

Google Scholar | akhanal7@ubc.ca | |

Mingze Chen (He/Him)

Ph.D. Candidate in Forestry

Mingze is a Ph.D. student at UBC. He completed a master’s degree in urban design at University College London, UK. He has also worked as a researcher at UCL and as a landscape architect in Shanghai for the past three years. His research focuses on data-driven landscape and urban analytics, computational design and data visualization, and environment-human interaction in natural areas. Mingze enjoys working with academics and urban enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. 

Outside work, Mingze is an avid fan of travelling, poems, exhibitions, symphony concerts, and photography. 

Personal Website | Google Scholar | Research Gate | mingzec@student.ubc.ca | |

Yiyang Wang (She/Her)

Ph.D. Student in Forestry | Master of Science in Forestry (2022-2024)

Yiyang Wang is a PhD student in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. She has a background in urban forestry and completed her master’s studies in the UNDER Lab. Yiyang is passionate about urban planning and environmental justice. Her research focuses on promoting equitable access to urban public spaces through mixed-method approaches that connect communities to urban nature via diverse travel modes, holistic planning, and inclusive urban design. In 2023, Yiyang worked as a UBC Sustainability Scholar for Metro Vancouver, and in 2025 she served as a Knowledge Exchange Coordinator with UBC Campus and Community Planning on SEEDS’ initiatives. Beyond her academic work, Yiyang is also an accomplished landscape and portrait photographer.

Google Scholar | yiyang.wang@ubc.ca |

Sasha Rodriguez (She/Her)

Master of Science in Forestry

Sasha Rodriguez has a background in urban forestry and transportation, with a strong focus on making cities more inclusive—especially for older adults. She’s led a number of initiatives to improve transportation accessibility, helping seniors stay connected to their communities while pushing for broader systemic change. Her work is driven by a deep interest in how access to nature supports both physical and mental well-being, and the need for inclusive, integrated urban spaces.

For her master’s, Sasha is exploring transportation accessibility through an innovative photovoice methodology, examining the barriers and facilitators that affect older adults’ access to urban parks.

In her free time, Sasha loves being outdoors—whether at the beach or in the forest—making pottery, or walking her dog.

sarod@student.ubc.ca |

Avery Chan (He/Him)

Work Learn Project Assistant (2024-2026)

Avery is a second-year Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) student, having previously completed a BSc in Environmental Sciences at UBC. Coming from a background in local government and ecological research, he is broadly interested in planning for more sustainable cities through community-engaged land use planning and green space management. In his free time, Avery enjoys hiking, playing board games, and trying to find the best food court in the city.

Hengyin Liao (She/Her)

Work Learn Project Assistant (2025-2026)

Hengyin is currently enrolled in the Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management. And she completed a BSc in Natural Resources Conservation (science and management perspective) at UBC and a BSc in Ecology at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University. Her academic and professional interests center on spatial analysis, GIS-based urban sustainability, and the intersection of human–nature interactions and environmental design. In her free time, Hengyin enjoys hiking, playing piano, and listening to traditional Chinese storytelling (pingshu).