Priyanka deSouza will be joining the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at the University of Colorado Denver this Fall as an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning. deSouza is highly regarded globally for her expertise in the Smart City, Environmental Planning, and Public Health, especially her important work on improving air quality for vulnerable populations.

deSouza holds a PhD in Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her prior degrees include a Bachelor and Master of Technology (with a minor in Physics) in Energy Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, as well as an MSc in Environmental Change and Management and an MBA from the University of Oxford where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She previously served as consultant to UN Environment in which was responsible for deploying Nairobi’s first long-term low-cost air quality monitoring network.

deSouza’s research has focused on developing new methods to monitor air pollution in cities using low-cost sensors and satellite data. She has studied the impact of planning practices on air pollution and has quantified the health impacts of pollution on vulnerable populations. She is a research fellow at MIT’s Senseable City Lab where she serves as the lead air quality analyst working in partnership with the clients that include Phillips, the City of Cambridge and New York. She also serves as a consultant for the World Health Organization.

“We are very excited that Professor deSouza is bringing her knowledge, skills, and global experience to CAP and our local Denver community,” said Nan Ellin, Dean and Professor of CU CAP. “Her groundbreaking scholarship and advocacy exemplify our motto: Real People + Real Projects = Real Difference, and she will contribute greatly to our mission of igniting evolution that enriches places for people and the planet.”

Priyanka deSouza’s work has been published in multiple articles and chapters, and she co-produces a podcast with MIT’s CoLab about decolonizing air pollution science.

For more information about Priyanka deSouza and her work, visit her website.