CCED Staff: Current & Past
Lab Director: Dr. Aaron Thompson
CCED Director, Dr. Aaron Thompson
Dr. Aaron Thompson is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Purdue University whose work emphasizes the power of place-based planning to support community land use, recreation, and conservation decision making. Integral to his teaching and research is an applied landscape planning approach that incorporates social-ecological science into the design process to create landscape transformations capable of balancing the needs of human and natural systems. He teaches courses focused on ecological planning and open space design, the professional practice of landscape architecture, and a capstone course focused on applying student research and design methodologies to respond to sustainable development challenges.
Fun fact: Aaron is an avid science fiction reader. His favorite author is Patrick Rothfuss and has been waiting patiently for over 12 years for the final installment of the Kingkiller Chronicle, “The Doors of Stone,” to come out.
Current Staff
Shivika Aggrawal, Ph.D. Student (2023-present)
Shivika is a Lynn Doctorate fellow with a transdisciplinary background, holding academic degrees in both civil engineering and sociology. She works at the intersection of Engineering, Environment, and Social Sciences, focusing specifically on issues related to natural resources within agricultural landscapes. Shivika’s current research focuses on designing serious games to facilitate participatory scenario-planning in Midwest agricultural riskscapes affected by climate change. She has an interest in understanding about social dilemmas, environmental uncertainty, design of soft infrastructure, and knowledge-policy interaction. These diverse interests allow her to make a distinct impact on the world of environmental design.
Fun fact: Shivika has a passion for teas and has tried every floral and fruit tea from Mango Mango!
Ishraq Awashra, Ph.D. Student (2023-present)
Ishraq is a PhD student in Horticulture. She was trained as an architect and a social science researcher. Her previous research included studying the traditional Mediterranean agricultural landscapes and how agriculture and design response to each other’s and to different context-specific aspects. She has a unique interest in the intersection of agriculture and design, and is especially devoted to creating design solutions for better future for every entity within the spaces she studies. She believes that understanding and utilizing traditional land-based practices as well as “modern scientific” knowledge can lead us to better landscape design solutions. Within the center, Ishraq works with rural design and future farm research and design.
Grace Lentz, National Park Service – Project Lead, GIS Specialist, Conservation Designer
Grace is a master’s student in Landscape Systems and Design with a background in landscape architecture. She has worked for the CCED since 2022 providing GIS analysis, mapping, and design assistance to the National Park Service on a variety of projects, including the Rock Island Trail State Park, Douglas Woods Nature Preserve, and the Missouri River Center. Grace has a passion for environmental and conservation design and wishes to study how environmental design and planning can best positively impact individuals and communities. Currently, she is collaborating with the Indiana DNR on the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Plan for Northwestern Indiana.
Rachael Herring, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2023-present)
Rachael is a senior Landscape Architecture student at Purdue University. Growing up on a farm in northwest Ohio, she developed a love of drawing and the outdoors by spending time sketching and exploring in the woods and river around the family grain farm.
Throughout high school, Rachael worked at a local greenhouse and landscape design company. She followed that passion to Purdue, where she studies Landscape Architecture with a minor in Horticulture. Currently, Rachael is serving as the President of Purdue’s student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Community has always been important to Rachael, as an alumnus in 4H, FFA, and Girl Scouts, so she seeks to improve the environment and surrounding community in every project. In her free time, she can be found sketching, trying new recipes, and discovering all the best spots around campus.
For the CCED, Rachael works on the Lake Michigan Shoreline Survey, which has allowed her to gain experience working with community stakeholders and delve into the intricate history of a specific site for an extended period of time. For this project she also aids in creating graphics to communicate findings with various entities.
Fun fact: Rachael enjoyed the In the English Landscape study abroad immensely, specifically the Stourhead and Hestercomb gardens.
Gabby Nivar, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2023-present)
Gabby is a senior studying Landscape Architecture with a special interest in regional large scale planning and community planning with an emphasis on community engagement. For the CCED, Gabby works on the Lake Michigan Shoreline project, mainly on the history of the site and with current community partners discussing the aesthetic portions of the project. She also works with the graphic design components, aiding in communication of the project’s objectives and findings.Fun fact: Gabby has been to eight countries, her favorite of which was Spain.
Colby Smock, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2022-present)
Colby is a current senior in the College of Agriculture where he studies Agribusiness with a minor in Natural Resources and Environmental Science. Colby has been working here with the CCED on the Lake Michigan Shoreline Survey. In this role he has had the opportunity to assist in designing and developing a survey to gather feedback from homeowners along the Indiana Shoreline. This has allowed him the unique opportunity to interact with community members and work alongside them to make community based decisions.Fun fact: Colby still has his geranium from his sophomore year botany lab.
Emily Slade, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2023-present)
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Past Staff
Megan Hedges, National Park Service – Landscape Architecture Fellow
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- Megan is a Cultural Landscape Architect for the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park based in Three Rivers, California.
Faith Welty, National Parks Service – Landscape Architecture Fellow
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- Faith is an Outdoor Recreation Planner for the National Trails Office based out of Santa Fe, NM where their team administers nine national historic trails and one historic highway that, combined, stretch for 25,000 miles across 24 states. Graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Landscape Architecture, she has been able to apply her skills within the Design and Development team to enhance national historic trail sites and segments for public use and enjoyment. Through work with nonprofits, private landowners, local governments, federal and state agencies, she has gotten the opportunity to travel and meet with people to cultivate better visitor experiences along the trails.
Margo Ahearn, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2019-20) – Current: Junior Associate at Nievera Williams Design Inc.
Jacob Battista, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2021-22) – Current: Landscape Designer at DWG
Kami Cai, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2021-22) – Current: Cornell University, Graduate Research Assistant
Zac Cody, Conservation Design Specialist (2021-23), CCED; National Park Service – Geodesign Intern
Celeste Englert, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020-21) – Current: Natural Resources Professional
Abby Fisher, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2021-22) – Current: Landscape Designer at Dix Hite + Partners
Ellen Joseph, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2020-21) – Current: Landscape Designer at Urban Design Partners
Jitian Liao, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2021-22) – Current: Carnegie Mellon University, Graduate Research Assistant
Pat Oelschlager, Graduate Research Assistant (2020-2023) – Current: Thurston Conservation District (Tumwater, Washington), Conservation Program Specialist
Kyle Robison, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2022-23) – Current: Landscape Architecture Professional
Andrew Waskin, National Park Service – Geodesign Intern (2022-23) – Current: (Atlanta, Georgia), Landscape Architecture Intern
Zheyi (Mac) Xi, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2020-21) – Current: Pratt Institute, Graduate Assistant
Daniel Zuercher, Undergraduate Design Assistant (2018-19) – Current: Landscape Designer at BFS Landscape Architects