Research Clusters.

As an interdisciplinary scholar, the core foci of my research merge green infrastructure (GI) performance, green infrastructure planning and environmental justice and equity. I explore relationships across all three research areas using mixed methodologies while centering Black, Indigenous and people of color.

Green Infrastructure Performance.

My research projects often come from urban stormwater management and green infrastructure practices. Various ecosystem services are often attributed to green infrastructure and green space more broadly, with discussions of maximizing their potential often at the forefront of city planning. I examine the validity of the connections and test their relationships.

 

Urban Planning.

GI performance and design is integral to urban planning, particularly as cities expand their use of GI for more than just stormwater. My work lays the foundation for asking broader questions that focus on how the segregation of urban ecology manifests in urban planning, and whether GI can address that gap without perpetuating environmental inequities.

Environmental Justice & Equity.

As GI has become a panacea for cities working to reach sustainability and resilience goals, failing to integrate landscape histories of racism and segregation into approaches for how we manage and allocate green space and GI will only perpetuate the environmental and social inequities we see today. I am interested in understanding how racial disinvestment and the racialization of space influence climate adaption planning, physical and cultural patterns of environmental amenities and better ways to apply an environmental justice lens across my work.

The Research Group

  • Dr. Hoover stands with her arms crossed in front of her body, wearing a brown mockneck sweater, a green beaded necklace, and a big smiile.

    Dr. Hoover (she/her)

    Principle Investigator

    Hometown: St. Paul, MN

    Research Interests: green infrastructure, environmental justice, urban ecological-social systems, Black ecologies, urban surface and storm water

    Meet Dr. Hoover
  • Pegah wears a neon green jacket. She has brown hair with blonde highlights

    Pegah Madadi (she/her)

    PhD Student in Geography

    Hometown: Arak, Iran

    Research Interests: Green infrastructure, Stormwater management, GIS-based maps, Human-nature relationships

    Meet Pegah
  • Justice Kotani is dressed in a navy suit and white shirt, smiling against a plain light gray background. He has short hair and dark skin.

    Justice Kotani (he/him)

    PhD Geography Student

    Hometown: Bolgatanga, Ghana

    Research Interests: Urban planning, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), Green infrastructure, Gentrification and Sustainability

    Meet Justice
  • Headshot of Kibri Everett smiling outdoors with trees and a body of water blurred in the background.

    Kibri Everett (she/her)

    PhD Geography Student

    Hometown: Rock Hill, SC

    Research Interests: Environmental Justice, GIS, Data Center Impacts, Black Geographies

    Meet Kibri
  • A black and white cat with green eyes lying on a wooden surface against a green background.

    Luca Matthews (all pronouns)

    MS Earth Systems Student

    Hometown: Rocky Mount, NC

    Research Interests: Water Quality, Agriculture, Environmental Justice, GIS

    Meet Luca

Past Members

  • A tabby kitten with brown and black stripes lying on a white fabric surface near a window.

    Dr. Danielle Koonce

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    PhD, University Maryland College Park 2024

  • Close-up of a gray and white cat with yellow eyes, looking through a metallic barrier.

    Dr. Riah Lange

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    PhD, Florida State University 2024

  • Tuyen smiles, wearing a white t-shirt, glasses and holding a calico cat.

    Tuyen Truong

    UNC Charlotte MA Geography ‘25, BS ‘23

  • Fatima smiles, wearing a purple hijab and abaya while holding several baby chicks outdoors.

    Fatima Ghaleb

    UNC Charlotte MS Earth Systems ‘25

  • Close-up of a cat's face with green eyes and tabby fur against a bright blue background.

    Riley Peterson

    St. Olaf BA ‘27

  • Close-up of a gray and white cat with wide open yellow eyes, partially hiding behind metallic bars.

    Caroline Stacks

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    UNC Charlotte BA ‘25

  • Arni Pancras

    Undergraduate Research Assisstant

    NC State ‘29

  • Close-up of a tabby cat's face with green eyes, showing detailed fur patterns and whiskers.

    Sarah Mantenga

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    UNC Charlotte BS ‘27

  • Grace wearing a beige top and with red hair, smiles in front of a poster for the spring 2025 OUR conference.

    Grace Kissel

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    UNC Charlotte BA ‘25

  • Headshot of Cat smiling, wearing a light-colored top and necklace, with locs framing her face.

    Cat Jones

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    UNC Charlotte BA Biology ‘25

  • Close-up of a tabby cat's face with green eyes, showing fur patterns and whiskers.

    Karen Regalado

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    UNC Charlotte BA Geography ‘25

  • Closeup of Dezzie wears glasses and a gray dress shirt, they are smiling at a science research poster presentation for the 2025 summer OUR conference.

    Dezzie Niemann

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Oberlin BS ‘26, UNC Charlotte REU ‘24

  • Chandler stands smiling in front of her research poster. She is wearing a white blouse, and blue blazer.

    Chandler Horton

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    UNC Charlotte BS Engineering, and Environmental Science '23

  • Headshot of Petua wearing hoop earrings and a light-colored top, smiling gently. Her hair is in braids and pulled into a ponytail.

    Petua Mukimba

    Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Columbia University '25, UNC Charlotte REU ‘22