Soraya Barar received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Human Centered Design & Engineering, and a minor in Digital Art and Experimental Media. Growing up in Los Angeles, she witnessed the impacts of uneven development, which motivated her to expand her studies of design to a larger urban scale. Soraya is currently interested in the intersection of food and housing justice, public space, and mutual aid. Her academic work centers on reimagining the kitchen as a prefigurative public space, exploring how public infrastructure can be redesigned to foster mutual aid, cooperative practices, and community-led investment. Soraya works as a cook, is passionate about pickled vegetables, and loves “bad” graphic design.
Avery Crower is born and raised in San Diego, California. She received her BS in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2023 and is currently pursuing her MS in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons School of Design in NYC.
Avery’s academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of urban planning, technology, and sustainability, where she examines how cities can evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. Her work extends to critical issues such as digital equity, surveillance capitalism, and the evolving dynamics of human interaction with public spaces in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Aqdas Fatima holds a BSc in Biological and Social Anthropology from the University of Kent, UK, where she graduated in 2020. Among other projects, she researched for Karachi Urban Lab from 2021-2023 on the UKRI-funded “Cool Infrastructures” project, looking at how cities in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Africa adapt to heat exposure, particularly in regions that are largely off-grid. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of environmental justice and equity, critical care practices, and repair and maintenance in urban spaces. She is especially interested in tying her background in ethnographic and visual work with design practices that are geared towards just and accessible urban ecologies. In her spare time, she enjoys photography and is learning to play the Rubab.
Isabelle (Izzy) holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Georgetown University and is currently pursuing an MSc in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons School of Design, with a focus on environmental justice and bringing nature back into the urban cultural and arts landscape. After graduating in 2020, Isabelle worked as the Studio Manager for National Geographic photojournalist Gerd Ludwig in Los Angeles. She then returned to her home city of London, England to work at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a Programme Coordinator, where she facilitated workshops in Rwanda and South Africa to bring together circular economy practitioners from across the African continent.
Lauren is from the Wasatch Front, Lauren graduated with a BA in Urban Studies and minors in sociology and education from Vassar College in 2022. Her senior thesis focused on the influence of religious institutions on regional design, focusing on themes from disability studies and accessible design. Before starting the Design and Urban Ecologies MS at Parsons School of Design, she completed a fellowship and served as an AmeriCorps member in Poughkeepsie, New York, working at the local school district in the community schools department. This work solidified her interests centering the values of equity, justice, and community building within cities and urban places, especially within the realms of public space, education, and in accessible design.
Rhay Lloyd recieved their Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, concentrating in Poverty Studies and Africana Studies, at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Their academic focus centers on Black families as a prefigurative model for community building, focusing their research on the ideas of Black urbanism, Black familial patterns, and Afro- futurism. Rhay enjoys blending art, storytelling, and academia to explore these ideas, and incorporating different forms of visual media to accompany their work. Passionate about zines and teaching, they are often found in BIPOC + queer third spaces, fostering connection and creativity in their community.
Leah graduated with a degree in Architecture from Chennai, India, where she developed a deep interest in the intersections of urbanism, design, and social justice. For her, design is more than just a creative outlet—it’s a tool for addressing complex societal issues and fostering community empowerment. This perspective has been shaped by her roots in both India and the UAE, where she developed a strong appreciation for the diverse structures that shape cities.
Leah’s experiences across different cultural landscapes inspire her to think about how urban design can create more inclusive, equitable spaces. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city, reading and baking.
Socheata is a designer who is passionate in humanitarian architecture, sustainable neighborhoods and inclusive urbanism. She holds a BA in Architectural Studies at Limkokwing University Cambodia in 2020. She is a former Cambodian Youth Ambassador of Goodwill at the 43rd Ship of Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) and an academic fellow at Young Southeast Asian Leader Initiatives (YSEALI) at University of Connecticut. During her previous three years experience working at architecture firms such as Hok Kang Architects, Native Landscape Asia and Future architecture, she has obtained various work portfolios, ranging from office interior design, community building, urban parks design. Throughout those experiences, she aims to expand her career to an urban designer. Under Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship, she is pursuing Master’s in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons School of Design.
Natalie received her undergraduate degree from the University of
Arizona in Psychology with minors in Sociology and French. Having
grown up in both the D.C. area and Kansas City before living in Tucson
for college, the exposure to several very different urban environments
fueled an interest in the design of urban spaces as well as the myriad
of forces that shape them. Her academic interests have always centered
around the use of storytelling as a tool for change and justice, and
her current studies seek to apply this in the realm of women’s
incarceration. While at Parsons, Natalie is having fun learning design
skills she’s always had an interest in but never had the opportunity
to formally pursue.
Delaney is thrilled to finally live East of the Mississippi. She is originally from Seattle and completed her undergraduate schooling in New Orleans. During her studies, she developed a deep interest in creative resistance and community resilience unique to New Orleans. Delaney spent the years since graduating in Bozeman, Montana where she worked in positions addressing homelessness and legal reform. She is eager to embrace the DUE program and the New York City-scape to explore her ever-evolving research interests which presently include social infrastructure, collective ownership, heterotopias, and defiance. Outside of her studies, Delaney enjoys cooking large pots of soup and spending time outside.
Shivani Dave is an architect, writer and illustrator interested in exploring the intersection of architecture and social sciences. Through her academic experience at the School of Environment and Architecture, Mumbai, where she received her Bachelor’s in Architecture, she discovered that her interests lie in applying the fundamentals of architectural research and writing within urban contexts to develop phenomenological ideas about life in cities. After a postgraduate diploma from the London School of Journalism, she went on to create engaging, significant pieces of media at Question of Cities, an online journal at the intersection of urbanisation, ecology and equity. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies at the Parsons School of Design, New York.
Arooj Fatima is an architect from Lahore, Pakistan, deeply invested in addressing issues of waste management and climate justice through innovative urban design. A graduate of the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, she has worked on diverse projects that reimagine urban spaces to prioritize environmental sustainability and social equity. Her projects focus on transforming waste treatment areas into public spaces that engage the community while promoting awareness of sustainable practices. Pursuing a Master’s in Design and Urban Ecologies at The New School, Parsons, she is dedicated to learning global best practices in designing socially and environmentally just urban spaces. She aims to integrate interdisciplinary approaches into her work, exploring how urban mobility, public transportation, and equitable city planning can transform marginalized communities. Her commitment to urban interests includes creating accessible and inclusive environments, and developing sustainable solutions for Pakistan’s cities. In her spare time, she enjoys portrait sketching, knitting, and making pearl bags.
Zola Haber (they/she) is a native New Yorker who has worked with the New York Horticultural Society and the Appalachian Mountain Club promoting conservation and a love of nature. They graduated from Oberlin College with a double major in Studio Art and Environmental Studies. They love most crafts and their bike.
Molly (Hanzi) Meng graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Industrial Design and worked in creative agencies from 2019 to 2022, gaining extensive experience in design research, creative strategy, and product development. Her continuous travels and relocations between Beijing, Seattle, Shanghai, and New York have fueled her passion for exploring the resilience of urban fabric and public spaces, which she believes are key to creating everyday utopias that bring vitality to urban life. Her academic interests center around the intersection of resident resilience and soft infrastructure, focusing on how her industrial design expertise can contribute to creating more livable and inspiring urban environments. Whenever she’s not working, you’ll likely find her dancing to authentic jazz wherever she goes.
Ruth holds a BS in Public Health from Kent State University and is currently pursuing an MS in Design and Urban Ecologies at Parsons School of Design. With a background in emergency management, Ruth has dedicated much of their career to supporting vulnerable communities. Over time, this work sparked a desire to tackle global warming impacts and environmental racism in a more creative, personal way. Eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals, Ruth is excited to be part of this program, exploring innovative solutions for a sustainable future. When not working or studying, you can catch Ruth rollerblading through the streets of NYC, always in search of new inspiration.