Professor Vivek Shandas is a Professor of Geography and Director of the Sustaining Urban Places Research Lab at Portland State University. His teaching and research examine the intersection of exposure to climate-induced events (e.g., wildfire smoke, extreme heat, pluvial flooding, etc.), governance processes, and place-based planning solutions. He has published over 100 scientific journal articles, five books, and his work has been highlighted by The New York Times, Scientific American, Guardian, National Geographic, and dozens of other national and international media outlets. In 2023 he was appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture to serve on National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, and has also served as a co-author on the National Climate Assessment, and publications from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. During his spare time, he revels in the mountains and waters of the Pacific Northwest, and pines for wood-fired pizza and picnic tables.