Our Mission
CSU is a New York-based, not-for-profit organization 501(c)(3) formed to promote a better understanding of the role of sustainable urbanization and resilient design. We connect global thought leaders concerned with urbanization to exchange ideas in high-level meetings and public forums, disseminate information online and in print, and expand opportunities for youth to participate in global urbanization processes. We believe that a cross-sectoral approach can improve the quality of life for all and focus on replicable ideas, best practices, and speculative proposals.
Board Members
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Rick BellBoard MemberFredric (Rick) Bell is Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University where he also serves as Acting Director of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space. He has also taught at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. Rick is a registered architect in New York and New Jersey and previously served as Executive Director of Design and Construction Excellence at the New York City Department of Design and Construction. At DDC he was also Chief Architect and Assistant Commissioner of Architecture and Engineering. On leave from DDC, Rick served as Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects where he helped establish and animate the Center for Architecture on LaGuardia Place. After architectural studies at Yale and Columbia, he worked in offices in New York, France, and Switzerland. He has been an invited member of many juries at architecture schools in the US and for many architectural design competitions. A frequent lecturer at AIA, UIA, and other design conferences, he was on the advisory board of the inaugural NYC Architecture Biennial in 2020. Apart from his role as a CSU Board Member and 2023 CSU Past President, Rick serves on the Creative Exchange Lab and is part of the Zoning Board of the Summit Environmental Commission and has served on the planning board for over a decade. He is a member of the AIA, the Architectural League, the Urban Design Forum, and nycoba|NOMA. A Fellow of the AIA, Rick is also a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, conferred by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.
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Lance Jay BrownFounderLance Jay Brown is a past President and founding Board Member of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (UN NGO). Born in Brooklyn, Brown previously taught at Princeton, was educated at the Cooper Union and Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) and former Chair and Director of the Spitzer School of Architecture, City University. He was 2014 President of the AIA New York Chapter, holds the title of Distinguished Professor for Life Emeritus from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), and received the coveted AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. He co-founded the AIA Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee. He was a UN-HABITAT III Policy Unit 8 member and 2016 Quito presenter. Prof. Brown was a two-term Board Member of the Beverly Willis Architectural Foundation and a founding Advisory Board Member of both the NYC Architecture Biennial and International Nighttime Design Initiative. He holds an M.Arch and M.UD from Harvard and was a Paris Fulbright Fellow. Publications include: Beyond Zuccotti Park: Freedom of Assembly and the Occupation of Public Space; The Legacy Project: New Housing New York; Urban Design for an Urban Century, co-authored ed I and II. He presented at the UN World Habitat Forums 5,7.9, and 10 and consults, teaches, and lectures nationally and internationally. In 2024 he was elected co-Chair of the United Nations Habitat Professionals Forum (HPF) and was re-elected for a second term in 2026.
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Aliye P. ÇelikChair of BoardAliye Pekin Çelik, PhD, is a co-founder and a past President , co-president, vice president of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization. Prior to founding the CSU, Ms. Çelik was instrumental in establishing innovative participatory mechanisms to build alliances addressing some of the world’s most pressing concerns in developing countries as the Chief of Economic, Social and Inter-organizational Cooperation Branch, UNDESA. As the Head of New York office of UN-HABITAT, she directed preparations for the HABITAT II Conference in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996. She served UN-HABITAT Nairobi and New York, working on building technologies, sustainable urbanization, energy, and gender issues. As a principal researcher in the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, Building Research Institute, and the Ministry of Construction and Resettlement and adviser to the State Planning Department, she worked on energy conservation and affordable housing. She was the representative of UCLG to the UN92012-2018). She has degrees in architecture from Middle East Technical University, Princeton University, and a PhD from Istanbul Technical University. Çelik was a Fulbright Scholar and received numerous awards from OECD (1972), Princeton University (1979), AIANY (2009, 1997, 1970),Soroptimist International NYC (2005), where she served as President from 2008 to 2010. ICCC (2023). She was named Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain magazine (2025) and included to Bloomsbury Global Encyclopedia Women in Architecture,1960-2020 (2025).
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Ludivine CornilleBoard MemberLudivine Cornille is a French Registered Architect (DPLG), Urban Designer and Scenographer. She had most recently been developing global initiatives for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Previously she was the focal point for local and territorial governments at UN-Habitat New York Office. In such capacity, she advocated for the SDG 11 and the localization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previously she had been working for the Urban Finance Branch of UN-Habitat in Nairobi and for the National Institute of Housing in Mexico City. In 2001 she established her own firm in Paris and has worked throughout her career with several Architecture and Design offices on projects in more than 10 countries. She holds a Master in Architecture with a specialization in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development, a postgraduate degree in Participative Construction in Latin American Cities from the National School of Architecture Paris-La Villette, and a dual certificate (BA Arts) in Theatre and Cinema Scenography, and Interior Architecture and Design. She was honored with the Besnard de Quelen architecture award from the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts of France (CNAM) for her Master thesis and project about the urban development of the Mexican Caribbean coastline.
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Nicholas HamiltonBoard MemberNicholas Hamilton is the immediate past President of CSU. He is Public Policy Lead with Good City Company, where he works closely with public sector clients on complex housing, land use, and policy initiatives. Drawing upon experience in housing and architecture, recent projects include leading the development of long-range housing plans and drafting form-based codes. He recently co-taught "Housing and the Global City" at Hunter College CUNY with fellow CSU Board Member Festival Godwin Boateng. Nicholas Hamilton is an urbanist experienced in launching and leading a diverse set of urban equity and sustainability initiatives, from a national network to revitalize America’s legacy cities to founding the NYC-Metro Urban Sustainability Meetup. Through his previous work with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and as Director of Urban Policy at Columbia University’s The American Assembly he established multiple collaborative community revitalization initiatives including the Legacy Cities Partnership and Middle Neighborhoods Initiative. He holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University SIPA and Bachelors from the University of California, Berkeley CED, where he studied Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Design in Developing Countries.
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Beyhan KarahanBoard MemberBeyhan Karahan, AIA LEED AP is a practicing architect and educator She is registered to practice architecture in New York, 1984, Connecticut, 2002, And in New Jersey, 2002. She has been the managing partner of KPP Architecture PLCC since 2019. She is also the principal of Beyhan Karahan & Associates Architects since 1997. Prior to forming her own firm, she was a founding partner of Karahan/Schwarting Architecture Company New York, NY. She received a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University, NYC, 1977, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, SUNY University, University of Stony Brook, NY, and Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 1974.
Her professional affiliations include:
-New York State Council on the Arts-Panelist Arch. Planning and Design Program
-U.S. Green Building Council
-American Institute of Architects, Society of Architectural Historians
-Society of Turkish Architects, Engineers and Scientists
-New York Institute of Technology, Professor of Architecture
-Intern Development Program (IDP) Coordinator for NYIT.
She was nominated for Lucy G. Moses Award for restoration of 1873 cast Iron Building in SoHo 2013, received AIA New York State Award of Excellence in 2008 for 325 West Broadway Condominium SoHo, NYC, AIA New York Chapter Housing Design Award for two new buildings in Little Italy, NYC 2005, Preservation League of New York State Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation for The Gunther Building Restoration 2002, nominated for the Lucille G. Moses Award for The restoration of 1926 Neo-Tudor Landmark Building 2002, received Art Commission of the City of New York, Special Recognition Award for the design of Prototypical EMS Stations in NYC, 1998. In addition, she received New York State Council on the Arts- Design Grant for the publication of the TriBeCa Study, 1989, New York State Council on the Arts- Grant for the Study of Open Space in TriBeCa, 1986. AIA Student Award for Excellence in Arch. Education 1977, Columbia University GSAPP, J.F. Kennedy Award/Scholarship for excellence in Science Education, Middle East Technical University - 1965, Ankara, Turkey.
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Şulan KolatanVP, Youth & UNŞulan Kolatan is the principal and a co-founder of KOL/MAC Architecture + Design. Her transdisciplinary research, for which she received a 2021-22 National Science Foundation Award, focuses on enhancing socio-ecological coastline resilience through the application of advanced digital design and green materials. Ms. Kolatan is a Professor of Architecture at Pratt Institute School of Architecture, Graduate Architecture and Urban Design (GAUD). Ms. Kolatan holds a Dipl.-Ing. Arch. degree from the Rheinisch -Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, and a Master of Science degree in Architecture and Building Design from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture (GSAPP). She has taught at many prominent schools of architecture as a visiting professor or visiting Chair, including Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, TU Darmstadt, and SCI-Arc. Her work is in the permanent collections of many international institutions, most notably, the MoMA New York (USA); the Canadian Centre for Architecture Montreal (Canada); and the Centre Georges Pompidou Paris (France). She has received numerous awards and honors, including the 40under40 award, representation in the US National Pavilion at the International Architecture Biennale Venice (2004), and nominations to two European environmental awards: INDEX (Denmark, 2009) and Zumtobel Group Award for Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment (Austria, 2008). She has served as a distinguished jury member for the Mayor’s Office on competitions such as the Camlica Digital Broadcasting Tower Istanbul and continues to be involved in international projects.
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Yasemin KologluPresidentYasemin Kologlu is the current CSU President and a recognized leader in sustainable design and Architecture. She is a Principal at Skidmore Owings and Merrill, plays a central role in transforming the building industry's response to the climate crisis––most notably through her work, such as Urban Sequoia, proposal for a carbon-sequestering built environment. She is the founder and leader of SOM's Global Climate Action Group, which led the firm to achieve net zero carbon operations in 2022. She co-chairs American Institute of Architects NY's Committee on the Environment, is a co-founder and steering committee member of MEP2040, serves on the Carbon Leadership Forum NY Steering Committee, and regularly contributes to shaping carbon and sustainability policies with governments and professional organizations. |
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Theodore LiebmanBoard MemberTheodore Liebman, FAIA, is a Principal at Perkins Eastman and a leading expert in the planning and design of large-scale urban housing and mixed-use projects. Over the past 50 years, Liebman focused on issues of housing, lifestyle, and culture in the urban environment. He was Chief of Architecture at the New York State Urban Development Corporation (1971-75) and Chief of Architecture for Roosevelt Island (1973-75). From 1975-77, he was architectural/urban design advisor to the Harvard Institute for International Development in Tehran, Iran. He was a founding partner of The Liebman Melting Partnership (TLMP), focusing on affordable housing and neighborhood development until 2007. Liebman served as 1984 President of the AIA NY Chapter, received the Andrew J. Thomas Pioneer in Housing Award (1988), and gave the Ratensky Lecture ( 2005), honoring individuals who made significant lifetime contributions for advancement of housing and community design. He is Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Urban Design/ Architecture Studies program; lectured extensively and served on architectural juries in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. He received a B.Arch. Pratt Institute, M.Arch. Harvard University GSD, the Rome Prize Fellowship in Architecture; and the Wheelwright Travelling Fellowship in Architecture from Harvard. Liebman attended Habitat I & II and represented CSU at Habitat III
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Chitra Mamidela, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, CPHD, LFASecretaryChitra is a Project Manager with NYSERDA's Neighborhood Transformation team, where she advances initiatives supporting sustainable, resilient, and community-centered development across New York State. A licensed architect, she brings experience spanning architecture, high-performance buildings, regenerative design, and program management, with a career dedicated to advancing innovation in the built environment through design, policy, and implementation. She also teaches architecture at CUNY City Tech, where she mentors the next generation of design professionals. Beyond her professional work, Chitra is President of the CCNY Architecture Alumni Group and serves as Secretary and Vice President of Green Cities for the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization. Through her leadership, she works to strengthen connections across practice, academia, government, and nonprofit organizations to advance regenerative, equitable, and climate-resilient communities.
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Liz NebioloVP, CommunicationsLiz Nebiolo is a brand and creative leader with 19+ years of experience driving integrated marketing, design, and communications across global agencies and consultancy environments. Expertise in building and evolving brands, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering high-impact creative across AEC, real estate, fashion, pharma, and nonprofit sectors. |
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Naomi ParekhVP, Membership & GovernanceNaomi Parekh (she/her) served in the United Nations system for 9 years where she focused on the political prioritization of the Sustainable Development Goals. During her career at the UN, Naomi managed protocol and curated communications campaigns for high-level meetings around the world and several events during the United Nations General Assembly and High-level Political Forum. She also served as an advisor to the President of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. Naomi has been on the board of CSU since 2022. Prior to working for the UN, Naomi served as Senior Director, Membership at the Fulbright Association where she often spoke with members of the United States Congress regarding and increase in federal funding for international education and exchange programs. She was a Fulbright fellow in Jamaica and holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Development and International Policy Management and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology.
Naomi volunteered for over 30 years raising funds to support abandoned children around the world. Naomi received an Emerging Leader award in 2024 for her work as volunteer board president of the Bennington (VT) County Coalition for the Homeless. In her spare time, Naomi enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband and son, downhill and cross county skiing, and practicing copperplate calligraphy.
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Gernot RietherBoard MemberGernot Riether is the Director of the School of Architecture and Associate Professor at the College of Architecture and Design at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). He serves on the Board of Directors at ACADIA, Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture. Riether previously taught at Kennesaw State University, Ball State University, ENSA Paris La Villette, Georgia Tech, NYIT and Barnard College at Columbia University and is lecturing internationally. In his research he and his students are testing new novel computer controlled fabrication and manufacturing methods. Projects from his Digital Design Build Studio won architecture competitions, were presented at international venues such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, were featured in books on digital design and fabrication and were published in prominent publications such as Architectural Record and DETAIL. Riether’s research studio has been funded by the AIA, the Austrian government, non-profit organizations such as MainX24, material fabricators, the construction industry and universities. His forthcoming book, Urban Machines, co-authored with Associate Professor Marcella Del Signore, explores the relationship between public urban spaces and information technology. Riether received a DI from the University of Innsbruck, Austria and a MS from Columbia University.
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Anna RubboBoard MemberPrior to joining the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) in the Climate School, Columbia University, Anna Rubbo, LFAIA, taught Architecture at the University of Sydney. A member of the UN Millennium Project Task Force (2002-04) on Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers, she went on to lead the Global Studio (2005-12), an action research project with a social justice agenda to promote a ‘people as partners’ model for urban professionals. In 2012 she headed up People Building Better Cities, an exhibition shown in 18 cities and 10 countries to encourage debate on inclusive urbanization. Her recent project, the Local Project Challenge, profiles 111 SDGs oriented projects from the professions, education, and civil society. A member of the UIA23 Scientific Committee, and co-chair of ‘Design for Resilient Communities’ she is also an advisor to U-T Dublin on their new sustainability curricula. Publications cover design education, women in development, the SDGs and the design professions, and pioneering architect Marion Mahony Griffin. A co-founder of the journal Architectural Theory Review, she has been a regular presenter at the World Urban Forum since 2006. Recognition includes: Vassilis Sgoutas Prize mention for humanitarian work in education (2014); Australian Architectural Education Award (2011); 2009 Skandalaris Award for Entrepreneurship in Design; Marion Mahony Griffin Prize (2006).
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Emmanuelle Chammah-Slossberg, M. Arch., LEED APExecutive Vice PresidentEmmanuelle brings 30+ years of visionary real estate marketing expertise, blending 3D design and strategic thinking with pragmatic execution through a global and multicultural lens. As founder of Connect 10 Strategy, she harnesses ten essential dimensions of connection—from concept to completion—driven by the concept of ENTELECHY: the state of something existing at its full potential. Speaking five languages, she has successfully identified growth strategies and used marketing, branding, architecture, tech and sustainable practices to lead Tech Startups, Crain's Top 10 Architectural practices, global nonprofits, top Real Estate companies like the Durst Organization and SHVO, with flagship projects such as One World Trade Center, Mandarin Oriental Residences and Rosewood Residences. A visionary leader dedicated to transforming the built environment and creating community and value, Emmanuelle co-founded the ULI Americas MarCom Forum and ULI NY MarCom Council, and has had leadership roles on the ULI NY Management Committee as the Chair of Membership as well as, co-chairing of the WLI (Women’s) Membership Subcommittee, and the Programming and Awards for Excellence Committees. She serves on the board of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization, championing global sustainable best practices through this organization’s affiliation with UN Habitat.
She holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Wesleyan University, where she learned to always ask, "Why not?"
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Silvia Vercher PonsBoard MemberSilvia Vercher Pons is an architect, urban designer, educator, and researcher working at the intersection of practice, academia, and institutions. As a Senior Associate at Perkins Eastman, she leads large-scale urban and cultural projects, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a design framework that integrates context, culture, and sustainability. She teaches at Pratt Institute, where she weaves the SDGs into her urban history course, bridging theory with design practice. Her research and advocacy on the future of cities have been featured at international forums such as Habitat III (Quito), WUF9 (Kuala Lumpur), and the UN Business Dialogue (Nairobi). Silvia serves as a Board Member of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization and is a fellow at Columbia’s Climate School Center for Sustainable Urban Development and the Urban Design Forum. Across her roles, she champions sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities through design, research, and global collaboration.
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H. Oner YurtsevenTreasurerH. Oner Yurtseven, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He served as Director, Department Chair, Associate Dean and Dean at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI before retiring in 2011. His areas of expertise are engineering and technology education, engineering accreditation, international engineering education, robotics, and renewable photovoltaic energy. He served as consultant for a number of United Nations Development Program projects; and held academic and administrative positions at The Middle East Technical University, Indiana University, and Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). For two years, he was Provost of the Indiana University- Tenaga Nasional Berhad Cooperative Program, which initiated US model engineering programs in Malaysia. He currently serves as a board member for Electricore and engineering program evaluator for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). He received BS in Electrical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University, Turkey, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the John Hopkins University in Baltimore where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He also worked as a member of the technical staff for the Computer Science Corporation at NASA Goddard Space Center, Maryland.
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Staff
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Mishelle BritoSenior Program ManagerMishelle Brito is a nonprofit strategist and program manager with over a decade of experience in development, communications, and cross-sector program coordination. As Senior Program Manager at the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (CSU), she leads the coordination of CSU's major events and conferences, public forums, and UN-affiliated initiatives focused on sustainable urban development and resilient cities. Mishelle has worked across the United States and United Kingdom building strategic partnerships, managing multi-stakeholder initiatives, and supporting mission-driven organizations through fundraising, operations, and community engagement. She holds an MA in Culture, Policy & Management from City, University of London. |
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Pankti DalalSenior FellowPankti Dalal earned her Master's degree in Public Administration-Development Practice at Columbia University in 2021. Pankti is working as Manager, Community & Implementation on the What Works Cities (WWC) initiative at Results for America. Previously, Pankti worked at the Praja Foundation in Mumbai, where she collaborated with Mayors of over twelve city governments to push for a more accountable and transparent urban governance. As a part of her coursework, she has also interned with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), New York Office. At the UN, she assisted with policy research and program management to promote its mandate of achieving “a better quality of life for all, in an urbanizing world. As a master’s student, she continues to engage with research on urban development issues.
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Paul StoutSenior FellowPaul is currently pursuing his Masters of Landscape Architecture at Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York. Previously, he worked in real estate development specializing in car-free and walkable neighborhoods. He is passionate about improving quality of life in cities through both policy and design. After graduation, he's looking forward to contributing to making cities healthier, happier, and more sustainable places. |
Emeritus
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James McCullarFounder, Emeritus Past PresidentJames McCullar, FAIA, has served as President and Vice President of CSU. He is the founding principal of James McCullar Architecture. Since its formation, the studio has engaged in the design of new housing and adaptive reuse of urban sites that have contributed to the revitalization of their communities. As 2008 President of AIA New York, he organized the response to Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC2030 in collaboration with UN GAID for the first UN Forum on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age, which led to formation of CSU. From 2003 to 2006 in response to the Mayor’s housing initiatives, he led a forum that showcased housing design at the Center for Architecture. His work has been recognized through election to the AIA College of Fellows for significant contributions to urban housing and community design, the Andrew J. Thomas Pioneer in Housing Award, and a national AIA Honor Award for Urban Design. He has taught at Kansas State University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Fontainebleau, France. He received a BA and BArch from Rice University, a Fulbright Fellowship for Urban Design in Paris, and a MArch from Columbia University where his thesis was on the New York region.
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Urs P. GauchatFounder, Emeritus Board MemberUrs P. Gauchat, Hon. AIA, is Dean Emeritus of the College of Architecture and Design (1991-2016) and Professor of Architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology. As Dean, Professor Gauchat transformed the school into an internationally recognized leader in two areas: Digital Media in Design and the Design of Communities. Prof. Gauchat is committed to linking the considerable resources of universities to the needs of communities worldwide. His prior appointments included: Professorship at Harvard Graduate School of Design (1971-1985), Visiting Professor ETH Zurich, president of the Boston Architectural Center (1972-1976) and president of Gauchat Architects (1973-1998). He has served as a consultant to private and private sectors focusing on planning and design issues. Professor Gauchat holds degrees from the University of Sydney (B.Arch.) and Harvard University (M.Arch.). He has been a Board member of numerous organizations and nonprofit entities. Prof. Gauchat sees his role primarily as an agent of change and an instigator. He believes that inspired planning and design plays a critical role in shaping communities and allocating resources; and strategies for successful sustainable urbanization must be flexible, able to change and adapt to evolving contexts. Good Design can make the difference between spending money and spending money wisely; it is a prerequisite to a better future.
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Advisory Board
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H.E. Talal Abu GhazalehAdvisory Board ChairTalal Abu Ghazaleh is the chairman and founder of the Jordan-based international organization, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org). He has been called the godfather of Arab accounting and been credited with promoting the importance of Intellectual Property in the Arab region. Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh designed and produced TAGI TOP – a top of the line laptop with the portability of a netbook. His Knowledge Society is one of the foremost initiatives by HE Senator Talal Abu-Ghazaleh that empowers young Arabs under the TAG-Org’s corporate responsibility. He has published multiple dictionaries: Abu-Ghazaleh ICT Directory (2008), The Abu-Ghazaleh Accountancy & Business Dictionary (2001), The Abu-Ghazaleh IP Dictionary (2000), and The Abu-Ghazaleh English-Arabic Dictionary of Accounting (1975). Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh has received many honors, including: Social responsibility awards launched by CSR Regional Network for his work in social initiatives (Kingdom of Bahrain, 2014), Man of the Year Award from Palestine International Institute (Amman, 2012), Honorary Award from the Arab Federation for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (Jordan, 2009), The International Lifetime Achievement Award (Dubai, 2008), IP Hall of Fame Inductee in the IP Hall of Fame Academy (Chicago, USA, 2007), Honorary Doctor of humane Letters (Canisius College, New York, 1988), Decoration of the Republic of Tunisia (1985), Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur (France, 1985), etc. Besides being the chair of the Honorary Council Members of the Consortium of Sustainable Development, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh has been chair of Global Alliance for ICT and Development (2009-2010), Vice Chairman Board of Directors of UN Global Compact (2007-2008), Vice Chair of the UN Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (2001-2004), and many others.
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Michael AdlersteinIn 2007, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Mr. Adlerstein, FAIA as the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for the $2 billion renovation of the UN Headquarters in New York, the Capital Master Plan. The major goals of the project were to improve sustainability, enhance blast security, and to incorporate state of the art technology into the preservation of the iconic historic compound. From advanced planning through construction, his core UN team, assisted by consultants and advisors, renovated all the facilities while the UN never lost a day of work. To achieve this, over 10,000 staff including dozens of high-level officials, a major data centre, the General Assembly Hall and 18 other major conference rooms were moved out of the compound to swing space and then back, in several phases. The project was completed in 2015, on schedule and within 4% of its original budget. Previously, Mr. Adlerstein served as the Chief Historical Architect for the National Park Service. During his National Park Service career, he was the Project Director for the restoration of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and managed many complex partnership projects, including Gettysburg, Valley Forge, Acadia and Jamestown. He participated with the US State Department on many international preservation consultancies including the Taj Mahal in India. He currently teaches Sustainable Retrofits at Columbia University.
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Carmi BeeCarmi Bee, FAIA, has been deeply involved in planning and architectural research, beginning with his early work at Princeton and continuing as a consultant to several major firms. He has been with RKTB since 1981. Mr. Bee has been committed to investigating the problem of urban building in all forms. He has produced innovative designs for a wide range of building types, including new, renovated and restored residential buildings, retail spaces, offices, educational and performance facilities. In 2001 he designed a ground-breaking infill prototype for affordable housing which is aimed at filling vacant lots scattered throughout the city’s residential neighborhoods. Known as “Smart Housing,” this concept has been successfully applied to a number of projects in New York City and can serve as a model in other cities, as well. These include the Msgr. Anthony J. Barretta Apartments, Madison Putnam Housing, Maynard Co-Ops and Prospect Gardens. Other notable projects include additions to P.S. 29Q and P.S. 70Q, the new PS/IS 338X, School for the Physical City, South Orange Performing Arts Center, FDNY Engine Company 201, the infill addition to New York Methodist Hospital, the Norma Kamali Building, Turtle Bay Residences, River Rose Residences in Battery Park City (with Charles Moore), The Memphis Residences and City Center Theater.
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Emily BillheimerEmily Billheimer Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador Emily is a senior sustainability manager on the Energy & Sustainability team at SOCOTEC. Her background includes 20 years of experience in the architecture and design industry with a focus on health and wellness in the built environment. She partners with clients to pursue LEED, WELL, and Fitwel certifications and corresponding deep energy reductions and resiliency planning. A recent winner of the WELL Adoption Award, Emily is also on the WELL Advisory Board for the Movement Concept. Emily previously served as Co-Chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment in Washington, DC (COTEdc) and is now actively involved in the AIA NYC COTE Committee. |
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Vincent BoudreauVincent Boudreau was appointed President of The City College of New York by the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York on December 4, 2017. Vincent has served as Interim President of CCNY since November 2016. Prior to that appointment, Vincent was inaugural dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at CCNY since 2013. He was previously director of the Colin Powell Center for Leadership and Service from 2002 through 2013.” at CCNY, and is a professor of political science at City College and a member of the City University of New York graduate faculty. A specialist in the politics of social movements, particularly in Southeast Asia, his latest book is Resisting Dictatorship: Repression and Protest in Southeast Asia (Cambridge University Press) He also conducts research about government transitions to democracy, collective violence, and the relationship between civil society, social movements, and democratization processes in Indonesia and the Philippines. He is the academic adviser to the International Development Program at the City University of Hong Kong. At City College, Dr. Boudreau has served as the director of the M.A. Program in International Relations, the chair of the Department of Political Science, the director of the International Studies Program, and the deputy dean of the Division of Social Science. In addition to his academic work, he has undertaken projects with ActionAid Asia, Jubilee South Asia, and The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, and has consulted for Oxfam Asia, Action of Economic Reform (Philippines), and Freedom House. Dr. Boudreau received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991.
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Frances BronetFrances Bronet is president of Pratt Institute in New York City. An educator and leader at the forefront of interdisciplinary learning, Bronet previously served as senior vice president and provost at Illinois Institute of Technology; acting provost and dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts of the University of Oregon; and architecture professor, associate dean, and acting dean at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her extensively funded work on multidisciplinary design curricula—from architecture and engineering to dance and fine arts, coupled with her own action-based installations with internationally acclaimed artists—have been highly recognized. Bronet holds architecture and engineering professional degrees from McGill University; she received her graduate degree from Columbia University. She was licensed by the Quebec Ordre des Architectes, and has practiced in multiple award-winning offices in New York and Canada, including her own in Montreal.
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Patrizio M. CiviliPatrizio M. Civili is currently Special Advisor to the Director General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) after serving as IDLO’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York from 2007 to 2020. From 1998 to 2007 he was Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Interagency Affairs in the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, acting simultaneously as Secretary of the Chief Executives’ Board (CEB) which comprises, under the chairmanship of the UN Secretary-General, the Executive Heads of all Specialized Agencies and UN Programs and Funds. Mr. Civili joined the UN Secretariat in New York in 1969. Serving under 5 successive UN Secretaries-General, he held a number of senior positions concerned with economic cooperation, policy coordination, and institutional affairs in Port of Spain for ECLAC, and in New York and Geneva including: in the Office of the Director-General for Development and International Economic Cooperation; as Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; management Director and senior member in the cabinet of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD; and Director in the Executive Offices of Secretaries-General Boutros Boutros Ghali and Kofi Annan. Mr. Civili holds a degree of doctor in Political Science from the University of Rome, with specialization in Comparative Constitutional Law, and an MA in Comparative Government from the University of Washington in Seattle. He has also attended Gonzaga University in Spokane Wash. And Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) in Bologna. In 2014, Mr. Civili was awarded the title of ‘Commendatore’ of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
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Rick CookRick Cook is the Founding Partner and Design Director of COOKFOX Architects. Over the past 41 years as a New York architect, he has devoted his career to crafting environmentally responsive, high-performance buildings. For 14 years, Rick led the firm Richard Cook & Associates, where he cultivated a broad portfolio ranging from master planning to various commercial and residential projects. Of special note, the firm was recognized for the Caroline, one of the largest new buildings ever completed in a New York historic district. In 2003, Rick and Bob Fox founded COOKFOX Architects based on a transformative vision: beautiful design guided by high standards of sustainability, as well as a commitment to excellence enriched by the collaborative process. He has led the design of high-performance projects such as One Bryant Park—the first LEED Platinum commercial skyscraper in the U.S.—and 150 Charles Street, a Chelsea multi-family residence.
Rick is committed to repairing the urban fabric via adaptive reuse and a sensitivity to site-based authenticity. He led the award-winning redevelopment of the South Street Seaport Historic District, which preserved and repurposed eleven nineteenth-century warehouses for residential use. Additionally, his restoration and expansion work in New York’s west side includes two projects that adapt railway infrastructure into next-generation, biophilic workplaces: St. John’s Terminal and Terminal Warehouse. Other recent projects include City Point in downtown Brooklyn, One South First on the Brooklyn waterfront, and Liberty Landing in Chelsea, which converts a 1930s Art Deco building, the site of a former correctional facility, into affordable and supportive housing.
In the summer of 2006, Rick and Bob joined Bill Browning and Chris Garvin to form Terrapin Bright Green, a strategic consulting firm that crafts high-performance environmental strategies for large-scale developments, corporations, and governments. This partnership allows sustainability to be championed and effectively implemented in projects not strictly limited to architectural design. Rick’s work has been showcased in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, as well as featured on PBS, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. He lectures frequently on sustainable design and urbanism, and he has delivered talks for the United Nations and The Economist.
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Willis S. DeLaCour Jr.Willis S. DeLaCour Jr. is a partner of DeLaCour, Ferrara & Church Architects His architectural degrees include Columbia University, Master of Architecture, 1970, Pratt Institute, Bachelor of Architecture, 1969, Fulbright Fellowship, Turkey, 1968 Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, Bachelor of Architecture, 1968, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, Bachelor of Arts, 1965. Mr. DeLaCour has practiced as a principal in architectural firms. His firm has overseen the design and completion of a series of multi-family housing developments in Manhattan, the Bronx. He was the Co-Chairman 2003-2011 - Housing Committee and Former Chairman - Historic Buildings Committee - 1981-1985, He received many awards including American Institute of Architects - New York Chapter AWARDS 2003 Vice Presidential Citation to The Affordable Housing Task Force.
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Serpil GuranDr. Serpil Guran is the Director of Rutgers EcoComplex “Clean Energy Innovation Center”. She also manages the new EcoIgnite: Clean Technology Proof of Concept Center and Accelerator” program. Her responsibilities include management of the EcoComplex operations, programs, business incubator and facilities, as well as providing vision and leadership in establishing the EcoComplex as a center for the commercialization of environmental and clean energy technologies. She also teaches at Rutgers University’s Plant Biology Program and Department of Resource Economics. Dr. Guran is trained on thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis and gasification) of biomass and waste materials for production of fuels and chemicals. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in Fuel and Energy Engineering program at The University of Leeds /United Kingdom. She specializes in research, development and assessment of sustainable biofuel and waste recycling technologies, and life cycle analysis of clean energy systems and alternative fuel production systems. Currently, she is working on Food-Energy-Water Nexus and Waste synergy by promoting integration of waste materials into Circular Carbon Economy in achieving Environmental Sustainability including Climate Change mitigation, Economic Sustainability and Social Justice.
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J. Robert Hillier FAIA, LHDJ. Robert Hillier (Bob) is one of the leading and most highly-respected architects in the United States. He is perhaps best known for having built one of the largest and most successful architecture firms in the world. Mr. Hillier is distinguished for his design, for his business acumen, and for his contributions to the field of architecture as a practitioner and educator. Hillier enjoyed exhilarating career growing the firm to 500 people and executing nearly 4,000 projects in 27 U.S. States and 34 Foreign Countries. The quality of the firm’s work has been honored by over 350 design awards.
In 2008, Hillier Architecture, then one of the largest firms in the country, merged with a foreign firm to create the 3rd largest architectural firm worldwide. Studio Hillier, the firm’s current iteration, was formed in 2012. In 2019, NJIT’s College of Architecture and Design was renamed the J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier College of Architecture and Design.
Bob has been on the core faculty of Princeton University’s School of Architecture since 1992 where he teaches two graduate seminars. He has served on the AIA National Fellowship Jury and as Chair of the Selection Committee for the Dean of Princeton’s School of Architecture.
He is the recipient of over 350 of individual honors and awards including, an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from New Jersey Institute of Technology and an Honorary MBA from Bryant University. Other honors include the Legacy Award from the Urban Land Institute, the AIA’s Michael Graves Lifetime Achievement Award, and The President’s Medal from New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is also a Trustee Emeritus at McCarther Theater. He has given over 200 lectures and participated in dozens of design juries. He and the firm have been widely published in national and international journals, newspapers, and magazines.
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Sarbuland KhanSarbuland Khan is the former Executive Coordinator of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development. Prior to this assignment Mr. Khan was the Director for the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Mr. Khan directed the preparation of the Ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council on ICT for development and has been responsible for its follow-up and the establishment of the United Nations Information and Communication Technology Task Force. Among his twenty-four years of professional experience within the United Nations, he has held positions as the Branch Chief for the Policy Coordination and Interagency Affairs, Chief for the Office of the Under-Secretary-General of the Department for International Economic and Social Affairs, and Special Assistant to Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Decolonization. From 1979 to 1981, he served as delegate of Pakistan to the General Assembly of Economic and Social Council Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Khan was the Director for the Economic Coordination in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, and served in embassies in Morocco, Brussels and The Hague. From 1967 to 1969, Mr. Khan was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics in Punjab University of Lahore and staff Economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics in 1966-67. Mr. Khan has a Masters degree in economics, a post-graduate diploma in International Economic Relations from the Institute for Social Studies, The Hague. He has authored a number of publications and various articles in economics for books, journals, newspapers and magazines.
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Maxinne Rhea LeightonMaxinne Rhea Leighton has held numerous leadership roles as a senior-level strategist in design firms for the past twenty years, most recently at the consulting engineering firm Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B). A co-editor of The Future of Cities: An Integrated Approach to Urban Cities, she was part of the writing and editorial team for the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Post-Sandy Initiative Policy Report as well as the SCAPE/Landscape Architecture Living Breakwaters team during the design competition for HUD’s Rebuild by Design. Ms. Leighton serves on the New York AIA’s Design for Risk and Reconstruction (DfRR) Committee, the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization and has facilitated numerous panels on infrastructure at the United Nations and the AIA. She is author of An Ellis Island Christmas, a book for children about immigration (Viking Penguin), co-author of Grand Central: Gateway to A Million Lives (W.W. Norton) and Educating for Social Justice: A Dangerous Game: Matilda Joslyn Gage Center (Journal of Museum Studies). With a Master of Arts in Urban Studies from New York University, Maxinne Rhea Leighton is a doctoral candidate (PhD in Leadership and Change) focusing on sustainable urbanization within climate-vulnerable cities.
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H. E. Michal MlynárAmbassador Dr. Michal Mlynár has been the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations in New York since August 2017. In 2015-2017, he was Director General for International Organizations, Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Prior to that (2012-2015), he was posted as Slovakia's Ambassador in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2004-2009, he served in New York as Deputy Permanent Representative. He has been a member of Slovakia's Foreign Service since 2000. He is a linguist and former high school teacher.
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Don C.I. OkpalaDon Okpala, PhD was formerly Director of the Monitoring and Research Division of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in Nairobi, Kenya. Before Dr. Okpala was a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (N.I.S.E.R.) Ibadan, Nigeria. He served as consultant to the World Bank and was coordinator of the World Bank’s Nigerian Urban Priorities Study (1982-1983). He was awarded the Fulbright Senior Research Scholar Fellowship in 1983. Okpala coordinated the preparation of urban development structure plans for three towns/cities for the Anambra State Government, Nigeria. Okpala is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (FNITP). He is also a Member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, as well as a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management Consultants. He holds a B.A. Hons Degree in Geography from the University of Ibadan, and a Masters Degree in Regional Planning from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Okpala has researched, written and published extensively on issues of urban and regional planning, land management, housing and housing finance as well as on related socio-economic development issues.
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Andrew Whalley, OBEAndrew Whalley has been an instrumental part of Grimshaw since its early days. He has been a Partner in Charge of projects in diverse sectors, including education, performing arts, transportation, and the workplace. Throughout his career, Andrew has had a passionate interest in Sustainability. Andrew was appointed Deputy Chairman in 2011 and succeeded Sir Nicholas Grimshaw as Chairman in June 2019. The Chairman’s Office manages the practice’s core design ethos and long-term strategies. |
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Chris WilliamsAs CEO of Safe Water Network, Chris oversees the global operation from New York, drawing upon extensive experience in the development sector, having spent many years based in Africa. Prior to joining Safe Water Network, Chris served as the Executive Director of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council as well as in other senior positions at UN-Habitat in financing, political affairs, policy advocacy, and applied research. Prior to joining the United Nations, Chris worked in cities in East Africa and the United States promoting community economic development. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the Graduate Faculty of Social and Political Science at the New School for Social Research, an M.A. in Public Policy Studies from the Harris School at the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in Economics from Tufts University.
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Erich WinklerErich Winkler is an Information Technology Professional with extensive experience in implementing innovative information technology and business intelligence solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of large global companies around the world, both in highly developed and in newly emerging markets. Erich is particularly interested in the opportunities created by information technologies to improve the sustainability of our planet and thereby creating better living conditions for everyone. Erich has a degree in Business Administration from the School of Business Administration in Zurich (KVZ). He also served on the Board of the NY chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM), and has been a guest lecturer on Information Technology and Leadership Development at several Business Schools in the New York Metropolitan area.
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Tom WrightTom Wright is the President of Regional Plan Association, a non-profit urban planning think-tank focused on improving the prosperity, infrastructure, sustainability and quality of life of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region. He has steered many of the organization's key initiatives, including the Draft Vision Plan for the City of Newark (2006) and A Region at Risk: The Third Regional Plan for the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Metropolitan Area (1996). Mr. Wright oversees the day-to-day operations of RPA and coordinates activities with the Board of Directors. Prior to becoming president on Jan. 1, 2015, he was RPA's executive director. Previously, he was deputy executive director of the New Jersey Office of State Planning, where he coordinated production of the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (2001). From 1991 to 1993, he was coordinator of the award-winning Mayors' Institute on City Design, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Mr. Wright lectures widely on growth management and regional planning. He is a visiting lecturer in public policy at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He has taught at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; and the New Jersey Institute of Technology School of Architecture. Mr. Wright is a member of NYC's Sustainability Advisory Board, which helped prepare PlaNYC 2030, and of New York City's Waterfront Advisory Committee. He is also a part of the Board of Directors for the Eno Center for Transportation and the Forum + Institute for Urban Design, and furthermore serves on the Advisory Committee for the J. Max Bond Center on Design for the Just City at the City College of New York. Mr. Wright received a Bachelor of Arts in history and a certificate in American Studies from Princeton University, and a Master of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University.
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