Columbia University
Master of Science in Urban Planning
Highlighted Courses: Environmental Data Analysis | Land Use | Planning Law | Economics | Urban Informatics | ESG Analysis | Water Resources and Climate | Resilient Cities and Landscapes | Just Transitions
University of Mumbai
Bachelor of Architecture
Diploma, Capacity Building Programme in Built Heritage Studies and Conservation
Highlighted Courses: Landscape Planning | Housing Design and Policy | Energy Efficient Buildings | Urban Conservation
KEY SKILLS
Technical skills: Proficient in designing research, including participatory action research; conducting quantitative and qualitative research (Qualtrics); data analytics using quantitative tools (R, Stata, Python, Excel); geospatial analysis (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, QGIS); data visualization dashboards (Tableau, RShiny); Architectural Design (AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino, VRay, Lumion); Graphic Design (Adobe Suite).
Thematic Areas: Resiliency Planning, Groundwater Restoration, Watershed Management, WASH Sector Development, Community and Economic Development, Nature Based Solutions, Disaster Management, Climate Adaptation.
Project Management and Leadership: Excellent organizational skills, end-to-end project management skills, with experience of leading up to 10 professionals across cultural contexts; Excellent communication and inter-personal communication skills; Extensive experience using communication tools including Dyads, Miro.
Output development: Proficient in creating comprehensive plans, policy briefs, toolkits, reports, presentations, graphics, blogs, and videos customized to the needs and preferences of the audience.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Unbuilt Narratives
Co-Founder | May’23 - present
Spearheading an interdisciplinary collective that uses storytelling and geospatial analysis of land features to explore climate resilience, urban ecologies and community adaptation across global contexts.
World Monument Fund and Ghana Monuments and Museums Board
Graduate Consultant | Sept’23 - Sept’24
skills: international collaboration; on-ground engagement; synthesizing multiple topics into one comprehensive report
Co-authored a study on “Constructive Cultures and Social Justice: Histories and Futures of Earthen Architecture in Kumasi, Ghana“ (under review for publication by WMF) with architects, engineers and historians in Kumasi and NYC. Developed a community-engagement plan for boosting tourism to benefit locals, conducting 17 interviews on the ground. Strategized for improved governance by collaborating with private, government, religious and international stakeholders.
Municipality of Niteroi, Brazil
Graduate Consultant | Sept’23 - Jan’24
skills: project management; cross-cultural collaboration; data analysis
Analyzed UX and policy gaps as a data analyst and client liaison for a project with the Municipality of Niteroi, providing benchmarking recommendations for their service portal aimed at 500k residents. Facilitated bi-weekly meetings with the Niteroi team and developed a 6-pronged engagement strategy. Delivered 19 actionable recommendations, considering funding, regulations, oversight, and team capacity.
Earth Institute, Columbia University
Teaching Assistant
skills: time management; delivering lectures; facilitating group discussions
Assisted Prof. Paul Gallay with ‘The NYC Watershed-From Community Displacement to Collaboration and Climate Adaptation’. Led side sessions on governance and water management in India for students, led communications with a group of 30+ students, developed question prompts and provided detailed written feedback and graded final essays.
Honolulu Department of Transportation
skills: data analysis, spatial mapping, data cleaning
Analyzed challenges and opportunities of multi-modal transportation in Honolulu. Delivered impact analysis for the $8 bn Skyrail project through a critical lens of travel patterns and accessibility by overlaying multiple datasets.
World Resource Institute, India
Research Fellow | May’21 - Feb’22
skills: community engagement, developing narratives
Recipient of a $10 K grant under WRI‘s WASH ACCESS Program; co-authored 3 booklets and a short film on the evolving relationship between the artisanal indigenous fishing community (Kolis) of Dharavi-Koliwada and the Mithi river. Conducted multiple on-ground interviews and facilitated discussions with local leaders and subject matter experts.
Academy of Architecture, Mumbai
Visiting Teaching Associate | June‘21 - Nov‘21
Conducted a 12-session elective class on ‘Mumbai Waters- A Critical Atlas’ along with Prof. Theirry Kandjee, ULB Brussels, for final year students that looked at waters of the city through lenses of morphology, habitats and social practices.
Academy of Architecture, Mumbai
Teaching Assistant | June‘19 - Sept‘19
Conducted orientation in a team for freshmen architecture students that introduced ways of looking at design and hands-on material exploration.
Manasaram Architects, Bangalore
Intern Nov‘18 - May‘19
Documented bamboo construction techniques and guidelines, designed and executed bamboo products, including a 50-foot truss for structural testing, an expandable yurt, and helped enhance bamboo treatment processes for improved durability and flexibility.
SELECTED PROJECTS AND VOLUNTEERING
Aquifer Under Siege, Kansas
Spatial and data analytical project that attempted to map the nexus of agriculture and the groundwater conflict in Kansas by analyzing crop data, specifically corn, over 20 years, the number of water wells, the vulnerability of the Ogallala Aquifer and the increasing economic and irrigation demands for corn.
Unjust Waters of Mumbai
An exploration of lived experiences and evaluation of the role of administrative structures in the landscape of hydraulic infrastructure in the city. Specifically looked into 23 families living in a ‘slum’ in Mumbai and how they navigate access to water.
Exploring Mobility of Care in NYC
A spatial analysis project that looked into where women in the city with the most disadvantages are located and transportation accessibility in the city based on a socioeconomic index we designed | presented at the University of Mexico, NYC Open Data Week’23
Happiness as a brief for Architecture
Undergrad design dissertation that looked into built environment factors that affect quality of life and created a manifesto for building happier spaces for living | presented at the annual university’s 'Confluence' exhibition
Other Involvement: ‘Dialogue Across Differences’ Conversation Facilitator (Columbia University Life); Student Council Member, Senior Editor (Undergrad College Magazine ‘Niche’); Volunteer (Teach for India); Volunteer (Lokarpan)