Guests
Lucille Alonso, PhD in geography, urban planning, and urban climatology, has 8 years of experience in modeling Urban Climate Islands (UCI), thermal comfort, and heat vulnerability. She joined Acterra in 2022 and developed a digital twin of Tokyo's thermal comfort. She integrates citizen perspectives into operational and research projects, notably in Lyon, and enhances the capacities of decision-makers in developing countries. Her work is validated by the scientific community and she specializes in modeling current and future climate hazards and implementing decision support tools for climate resilience.
Ping Chun Chen
In 2023, he earned his Master of Science in Architecture from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, focusing on human thermal comfort modeling and pedestrian comfort in urban areas. He specializes in quantifying disaster risks and devising urban planning strategies. His research has influenced projects by the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, particularly in simulating heat disaster distribution changes in Taiwan. Additionally, he founded a startup, Human-Organized Technology (H.O.T.), aiming to develop algorithms for comfortable pedestrian paths, enhancing city walking experiences.
Jeremy Scott Hoffman, Ph.D. is the Director of Climate Justice and Impact at Groundwork USA and an adjunct professor in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Department of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability at the University of Richmond
Florent Renard, an associate professor in Geography and Spatial Planning at the University of Lyon and a researcher at the UMR CNRS Environment City Society, Labex Intelligence des Mondes Urbains (IMU), and the Field Observatory for Water Management (OTHU), primarily focuses on urban heat islands, microclimates, and thermal comfort. His research extends to the local impacts of climate change, including temperature, rainfall, territorial vulnerabilities, and natural risk management. Additionally, he explores aspects of health geography, such as emergency stroke management and socio-economic determinants of pathologies.
Vivek Shandas is a Professor of Geography at Portland State University (Oregon, USA), and the Founder and Advisor to CAPA Strategies, a global consulting firm that supports communities and cities prepare for a warming planet.
Tzu-Ping LIN is a top professor in the Architecture Department at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan. He runs the Building and Climate Lab there, focusing on urban climate, human biometeorology, and saving energy in buildings.
Dr. Alvin C. G. Varquez is an expert in global urban climate studies in Tokyo Institute of Technology. His main works include regional-to-global urban climate & climate change investigations, urban hydro-meteorology, and GIS databse constructions.