John Hasse, Ph.D. AICP

Professor / Community and Environmental Planning Program Director
Ph.D. from Rutgers U.
hasse@rowan.edu
856.256.4812
Robinson Hall 315G
website

Dr. Hasse is a Professor in the Dept. of Geography, Planning & Sustainability and the founder/director of the Geospatial Research Laboratory, the department's hub for funded projects and community outreach activities. Since 2009 the "GeoLab" has conducted over $2M in externally funded projects. Dr. Hasse's research focuses on land development patterns and associated land resource impacts, smart growth planning evaluation and the nexus of land use, transportation and sustainability. Dr. Hasse has been involved in community development activities in the state, visualization of the impacts of sprawl and has testified as an expert witness. Since joining the department in 2001 Dr. Hasse has taught and developed many of the department's courses in planning, GIS and introductory geography. Dr. Hasse's most recent teaching interest involves integrating the concepts of Big History as a unifying theme across the department's Gen Ed courses. 

Megan Bucknum

Senior Lecturer / Research Associate
M.U.E.P. from the U. of Virginia
bucknum@rowan.edu
856.256.4811
Discovery Hall 124
Curriculum Vitae

Megan Bucknum applies her background in urban and environmental planning to the fields of food systems and participatory planning. Leveraging knowledge gained from holding positions across the food supply chain, she conducts research about regionally-based food distribution models that address sustainability and food security. Additionally, she integrates her experience facilitating public meetings, conducting interviews and designing participatory research projects into the curriculum of her courses and in support of faculty research projects. Motivated by the power of narrative, her research and class projects use interviews and oral histories to explore barriers and opportunities along our food supply chains and to understand how people connect to the built and natural environment This method allows people to be both involved and informed by her projects. She currently teaches Introduction to Planning and Environmental Design, Urban Geography and Food Systems Planning.

Qian He, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington
he@rowan.edu
Discovery Hall 124
Website: https://qianheplanning.wordpress.com/
856.256.4500 x53977

Dr. Qian He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability at Rowan University. Her research focuses on the risks and resilience of vulnerable communities at the intersection of the urban built environment, public policy, and climate change. Her research and teaching advocate for equitable planning, adaptation, and response to climate change, including impacts of Sea Level Rise, hurricanes, and Presidential Declared Disasters (PDDs). Trained as a planner, her recent projects use spatial econometric modeling and urban informatics techniques to examine how planning decisions (land use regulation and transportation access) and public policies (federal disaster aid programs and place-based policies) can affect the well-being of historically disadvantaged communities on critical issues including public health disparity, housing affordability, and community safety.

Prior to joining Rowan, Dr. Qian He was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington. She previously taught as an instructor for planning practitioners at Planetizen with her expertise in infrastructure justice and community resilience.

Kevin Keenan, Ph.D. AICP

Associate Professor
Ph.D. from Clark U.
keenankp@rowan.edu
856.256.4231
Discovery Hall 223
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Keenan is an associate professor and the chairperson of the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability in the School of Earth and Environment. Dr. Keenan earned his doctorate in urban geography from Clark University in 2009, a master’s degree in geography from Hunter College in 2005, and a master’s degree in public policy from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2000. His undergraduate degree, awarded in 1999, is also from Stony Brook. Dr. Keenan studied Political Science, Philosophy, and History, graduated summa cum laude, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Keenan achieved certification as a planner from the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2014, and he has maintained this certification. Dr. Keenan is also trained in diversity and inclusion. Dr. Keenan has published widely on the topics of environmental risk and hazards, and he has applied those theories to the study of novel threats including terrorism and cyber vulnerability. Keenan’s work appears in several journals of note, including Environment and Planning A, Urban Affairs Review, and Urban Geography. Most recently, Dr. Keenan has studied the application of theories of terrorism to the study of the Mother Emanuel Church shooting that occurred in Charleston, SC in 2015 and the articulation of race and racism in the U.S. south. In addition, Dr. Keenan has published research on how students learn research methods in geography, as well as how gender affects the interpretation of risk. Formerly, Dr. Keenan was an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC and a core faculty member in the Public Administration Program. Dr. Keenan also maintains a teaching affiliation in Hunter College’s Department of Urban Policy and Planning.

 Mahbubur Meenar, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Ph.D. from Temple U.
meenar@rowan.edu
856.256.5812
Discovery Hall 126
Curriculum Vitae
Research lab web site:  
https://www.planviz.org

Dr. Mahbubur Meenar is an Associate Professor of Planning in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability and the director of Community Planning + Visualization Lab at Rowan University. Dr. Meenar has a multi-disciplinary background in architecture (B.Arch.), urban planning (M.U.P), and geography and urban studies (Ph.D.). He examines the connection between human and spatial dimensions (e.g., natural and built environments) in developing plans for sustainable and resilient communities, focusing on the nexus of land, water, and food. His specific research interests include (i) community food systems, environment, and security; (ii) blue, green, and grey infrastructure; (iii) sustainable development, design, and policy; and (iv) digital tools, technologies, and societies. Dr. Meenar has served as the principal investigator on research grants funded by the US EPA, NASA, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other agencies. His work has been published in leading journals. Dr. Meenar currently teaches Environmental and Sustainability Planning, Geovisualization, Planning Studio, and Community Planning & Site Design.

Louis L. Thomas, Ph.D.

Dr. Lou Thomas is passionate about creating an equitable, sustainable, and all-age-friendly city. His research focuses on family-oriented and multi-generational high-density as one tool in our toolbox for addressing climate change, inequality, and social isolation. His work has been published in JAPA, Planning Magazine, PLATFORM, Planning Perspectives, and he was a guest on UCLA’s Housing Voice podcast. A dedicated educator, he has previously taught in planning programs at Hunter College, the University of Maryland College Park, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and the University of the District of Columbia's Urban Sustainability and Environmental Science program. He was also an Associate Professor of American History & Urban Studies at Bard Early College DC and a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Urbanism Lab at the University of Chicago. He earned his PhD from MIT's Dept. of Urban Studies & Planning in 2019, and his MCP from UMD in 2012. He currently teaches Introduction to City Planning; Land Use & Conservation; Community Planning, Engagement & Site Design; and Environmental / Sustainable Planning.