urban

Growing in a rural area at one of the third-world countries, I enjoyed exploring untouched natural areas as a kid, Where the human intervention was minimum. Raising my kids in one of the most populous cities in the US, I have always thought about the effect of human intervention on the environment. Rambling along the path, but dedicated, I cultivated my interests and passions to serve a global cause, where all the countries of the world, already developed or developing, should stand together in the face of the alarming climate changes, for us and for the coming generations.

Since I was a kid, I have always considered the most critical human intervention on the environment is the urbanization, which led me to enroll architectural engineering program at the Jordan University of Science and Technology to consummate the science of environmental planning and green architecture, since urban is a part of the program. My first urban planning experience was in the downtown area of Irbid city, and I still remember how enthralled I was to be involved in a productive group work experience. We explored the site by going to the streets, interviewing people, exploring their relationship with the places, and visiting historical and traditional buildings that had been neglected by planners and authorities. This experience motivated me to be involved in urban planning as I touched on how much urban planning can affect peoples' lives. Taking other courses in urban planning, behavior, environmental design, housing, and planning theories built a solid base for my comprehension, providing me with a basis for understanding planning concepts and issues. I demonstrated valuable skills during the five-year program; I became patient, self-reliant, determined, and hardworking. After graduation, my internship at Kufranjh Municipality gave me a wealth of experience in working with the local community, trying to understand citizens' needs and expectations. Moreover, practicing urban planning in a small community introduced me to real planning challenges with the shortage of resources. Moving to the U.S., living with a different level of planning and a higher quality of urban life persuaded me to pursue my graduate studies to expand my knowledge and widen my perspectives.

Using GIS as a tool in mapping and data collection became fundamental in urban planning. Given that I didn't have a chance to comprehend this science in Jordan enough, I decided to pursue my further education in geography with a GIS concentration at Chicago State University. During graduate school, which was a turning point in my life, I became passionate about GIS and map-making. To employ this passion in my research, in addition to intensive GIS courses, I took a class in urban and regional planning, where I became involved in different planning issues, sustainable urban planning, and regional planning, and I engaged in a group project to assess planning issues in a local community. Graduate school strengthened my analytical, research, and presentation skills. I maintained a 4.0 GPA, was honored three times, and presented on multiple occasions on campus. During my senior year, I employed my interest in environmental planning issues and my knowledge of remote sensing technology to evaluating Urban Heat Island (UHI) in Chicago. This research project was very challenging; I spent a tremendous amount of time reading literature in order to conduct a successful extraction of land surface temperature values from Landsat images. The results of the research were valuable, and I had the chance to present them at the AAG conference in Chicago. The day I accomplished my research goals, I proved to myself how far I could go with my passion for research and how much I could push myself to become what I want to be.
After graduation, I continued working on the research; I published a paper, in the preparation of a manuscript, both about UHI analysis and collaborating with my colleague in a research about the urban sprawl analysis in northeastern Illinois. Going back to Jordan for a short time, and my involvement in the community volunteer work, trying to rais the awareness of the environmental issues proved to me that more can be done in the US. Thus, when I came back to the US, I participated in preparing City of Park forest ongoing Climate Action Plan, which enriches my experience in environmental planning research. My involvement in research, interest in environmental planning with the growing environmental issues, my experience in GIS technology, and my recent involvement in sustainability planning raised my interest in pursuing my Ph.D. education. My goal is gaining the knowledge that I need to take a position in standing for humans and the environment, by conducting sufficient research and teaching a new generation of planners who would change the lives of people through planning.
The Ph.D. in urban planning program at UIC will give me the opportunity to reinforce my urban planning knowledge and experience, and scrutinize the environmental and human aspects of planning, to consolidate my research interest in an absolute and useful path. This goal can't be reached in a better place than one of most diverse college campuses in the USA; the diversity of races, cultures, beliefs, and identities will enrich my experience. Hopefully, I would have the opportunity to prove that I am a good fit for the program.