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Ian Gillis studied architecture at the University of Innsbruck, and the University of Texas at Arlington, where he received his master’s degree. He previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design, and Bachelor of Fine Arts – specializing in photography, media arts, and art history – from the University of Oklahoma. Ian has been teaching as a Research Associate and Doctoral Candidate at the University of Innsbruck, Institüt für Gestaltung1 and Institute of Urban Design, since 2015. The main focus of Ian’s work is the organization of agricultural territories, as related to the sociocultural and environmental aspects, at the meeting point of urban and rural altered environments.

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Dr. Yannick Back

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Dr. Back is a postdoctoral researcher in the field of environmental engineering. He follows a multidisciplinary approach, analysing both the impacts of climate change on cities and adaptation measures to cope with more frequent and extreme precipitation events, heatwaves and droughts. Dr. Back carries out fundamental research in the field of land-atmosphere interactions to better understand changes in the energy and water balances at the surface, which in turn affect water availability, vegetation health, heat fluxes and microclimatic conditions. Based on the fundamental research, he is looking at ways to improve local adaptation measures and citywide strategies.

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Mehdi Farahbakhsh is an architect, educator, and researcher in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. He earned his Ph.D. in architecture from Texas A&M University, and his academic journey has been marked by a commitment to architectural practice since 2010. Dr. Farahbakhsh is an interdisciplinary researcher focusing on robo$c-assisted additive manufacturing and human-robot collaboration. His work reflects a deep engagement with the evolving intersection of architecture and technology. His contributions to the field are documented through publica$ons in prestigious journals such as Automation in Construction, and he has presented his findings at prominent conferences like CAAD Futures and ACADIA. At the core of Dr. Farahbakhsh’s research and pedagogy is a focus on how technological advancements can enhance social justice through architectural design and construction innovations. He seeks to understand and improve the ways in which these tools can be integrated into practice, ultimately aiming to enrich both the field of architecture and the quality of human-environment interactions.

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Vasileios Chanis is an architect and doctoral assistant at Laboratory LAPIS of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Parallel to his doctorate, he works as a teaching assistant in the design studio of Professor Nicola Braghieri focusing on the territory of the Swiss Alps. In the recent past, he has been the recipient of scholarships from the Marie-Curie Actions of the EU, the Afenduli Foundation, the Swiss Government and the Leventis Foundation. He holds a Diploma in Architectural Engineering from the University of Patras (2016) and a Master of Science in Architecture from the Delft University of Technology (2018).

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Dr. Michelle Hummel is an Assistant Professor of Water Resources in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses broadly on understanding how coupled human-natural systems respond to climate-driven disturbances in coastal regions. She develops advanced modeling tools to quantify the physical drivers of flood hazards, the resulting impacts on coastal populations and infrastructure systems, and the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation strategies meant to enhance resilience to future events. Dr. Hummel’s work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US Coastal Research Program, and the Texas Department of Transportation. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

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Dr. Mohsen Hajibabaei is a Postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He received his PhD in 2023 in the field of environmental engineering, specializing in urban water infrastructures, from the University of Innsbruck. Dr. Hajibabaei’s research activities align with the following research thrusts: (1) urban water modeling, (2) complex network analysis, and (3) sustainability assessment. Dr. Hajibabaei has published over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles in leading environmental and infrastructural journals such as Water Research, Sustainable Cities and Society, Hydrological Sciences Journal, Urban Water Journal, and Complex & Intelligent Systems.