People

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

Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management

Dr. Keunhyun (Keun) Park completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture at Seoul National University and a Ph.D. degree in urban planning and design at 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 the use of spatial data analytics and digital technologies. Ultimately, his research aims to understand how to design healthy, just, and resilient cities through urban nature. He spends much of his leisure time with his family, enjoying hiking, camping, playing board and video games, and tennis.

Website | CV (updated September 2023) | Google Scholar | keun.park@ubc.ca | |

Everly Jazi (She/Her)

Ph.D. Candidate in Forestry

Everly holds an M.S. in Environmental Social Science and a B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in the intersection between disparities in use and access to natural spaces and disparities in health, particularly mental health. She has developed a framework and novel method for use in experimental and quasi-experimental research designs, and continues to learn alongside experts in the nature and health realm as part of various professional organizations. She is the founder and convener of the International Association of People-Environment Studies (IAPS) Early Career Researchers Network. 

ejazi@student.ubc.ca

Asim Khanal (He/Him)

Ph.D. Student in Forestry

Asim completed his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India and a 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). His Masters’ thesis explored the housing landscape of Dubai and identified distinct urban typologies and also pointed out the rental affordability issues especially for the middle class. Currently, his proposed research aims to define the concept of park vitality and analyze the factors that lead to vibrancy or underutilization of urban parks. 

In my leisure time, I like to go on hiking trips, swim in natural bodies of water, play guitar or paint/sketch. Occasionally, I also write blogs on Medium and publish political satire on other social media platforms. 

Google Scholar | akhanal7@ubc.ca | |

Mingze Chen (He/Him)

Ph.D. Student in Forestry

Mingze is a Ph.D. student at UBC. He completed master’s degree in urban design at University College London, UK. He used to work 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, parametric design and data visualization, and Environment-human interaction in urban green space. Mingze enjoys working with academics and urban enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. 

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

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

Yiyang Wang (She/Her)

Master of Science in Forestry Student

Yiyang is a recent graduate of the UBC Urban Forestry program with a minor in Landscape and Recreation Planning. She is deeply passionate about urban planning, spatial analysis, and environmental justice. Yiyang is currently pursuing a master’s degree studying Transit-to-Parks, with the aim of providing a sustainable and equitable strategy for urban planning. 

In addition to her academic pursuits, Yiyang is an accomplished landscape and portrait photographer. She enjoys travelling, going to concerts and movies, and maintaining an active lifestyle through gymming and yoga. 

Google Scholar | yiyang.wang@ubc.ca |

Tony Xiutong Jiang (He/Him)

Bachelor of Urban Forestry student; Work Learn Research Assistant

Tony is a third-year Bachelor of Urban Forestry student at UBC minoring in Landscape and Recreation Planning. With a great interest in urban green equity and designing, Tony is assisting research in the Urban Nature Design Research Lab this summer, especially the Transit-to-Parks project. He is thrilled to take part in research that will benefit urban dwellers in Metro Vancouver to access urban parks and make the region more sustainable and equitable.

In his free time, Tony enjoys hiking, painting, running, volunteering, and being part of student governments.

Sophia Collins (She/Her)

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences student; Work Learn Research Assistant

Sophia is a fifth-year UBC student majoring in Environmental Sciences and minoring in Indigenous Studies. She is passionate about environmental justice and green space access, and is planning to pursue a career in equitable and decolonial environmental urban planning following graduation. She is excited for the opportunty to further her knowledge of this field and help make Vancouver parks more accessible through working with the Urban Nature Design Research Lab.

Outside of her academic pursuits, Sophia enjoys spending time outside, sports, live music, and creative writing.

Elissa Leduc (She/Her)

Bachelor of Urban Forestry student; Work Learn Research Assistant

Elissa is in her second year at UBC pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Urban Forestry with a minor in Landscape and Recreation Planning. Elissa is working as a Project Assistant for Natural Space and Health Equity and is excited to be working at the UNDER Lab. She is very passionate about creating greenspaces that positively influence communities mental and physical health.

In her free time, Elissa loves reading, taking her dog (Lulu) for walks and going to movies & café hopping with friends.

eleduc03@student.ubc.ca

Skyler Li (She/Her)

Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management student; Work Learn Research Assistant

Hi everyone, I’m Skyler. I’m originally from China and I completed Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at The University of Queensland in Australia. I am passionate about machine learning and GIS. And I look forward to working on the urban forest research at UNDER lab.

Kai Hei Mau (He/Him)

Master of Community and Regional Planning student; Work Learn Research Assistant

Ken is currently a second-year student in the Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) Program at UBC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). His planning interests are in urban transportation networks, equity and GIS. Equipped with the knowledge of transport planning theories and the practical skills gained from internships, Ken is experienced in geospatial research and communications.

In his leisure time, he enjoys hiking, orienteering, and playing mahjong.