Co-Investigator & Jordan Academic Lead

Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, The Hashemite University 
Yamen is an architect and urban planner. His research interests revolve around issues related to place making, design of good cities, housing quality, social sustainability, quality of life and displacement. In addition to his academic profession, Yamen had worked on the design and consultation of several architecture, urban design and planning projects on both the local and regional scales.
 

Afghanistan Country Team

National Area Coordinator, Samuel Hall
As an area coordinator, Najia leads Samuel Hall operations in Afghanistan. She received her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the American University of Afghanistan in 2020 and her background is in research, communication and administration.  Najia specifically has been involved on a number of Afghanistan-based research and evaluation projects on migration, youth, women and children, and climate change. 

Survey Design Lead

Data Standards & Analytics Lead, Samuel Hall
At Samuel Hall, Stefanie applies her background in statistics to the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data collected by field teams under her supervision, across Asia and Africa. Stefanie works to advance standards in data collection and analysis in challenging settings, including forced displacement settings, in order to shed light on sensitive topics such as displacement-related vulnerabilities, traumatic experiences, and attitudes/opinions.
 

Co-Investigator & WP2 Lead

Professor, Urban Planning & International Development, Cardiff University 
Alison is a Professor at the School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University and Course Director for the MSc in International Planning and Development. She is a chartered town planner with extensive professional experience in the developed and developing world, in both consultancy and academic research.
 

Gender and self-reliance specialist

Vice President, Programs, WRC
Dale has 30 years of humanitarian experience which ranges from direct service delivery in Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans, to research and global policy. He has conducted researched in urban displaced contexts around the world focused primarily on refugee protection and refugee livelihoods. He led the development of the first ever Livelihoods Field Manual for Humanitarian Practitioners, and is a recognized expert and advisor on gender, gender equality, and the prevention of gender-based violence. Dale has worked and consulted with numerous NGOs as well as UNHCR and UNDP and currently serves as Vice President, Programs for the Women’s Refugee Commission where he oversees the organization’s 40 research and advocacy programs and projects.
 

Researcher 

Researcher, International Institute for Environment & Development 
Deena has conducted ethnographic and participatory research with refugee and migrant populations across Europe and the Middle East, and worked on interdisciplinary projects building partnerships with civil society to work towards more inclusive urban spaces.
 

Co-Investigator & Ethiopia Academic Lead

Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies, Dilla University
Engida is an Urban Geographer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Dilla University, Ethiopia. He was also Urban Studies International Fellow (2018); a fellow at the Academy for African Urban Diversity (2017) (a joint project of University of Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town and Max Plank Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity) and AfricaLics PhD Academy (2017).
 

Principal Investigator & WP1 Lead

Principal Researcher, HSG, International Institute for Environment & Development
Lucy leads the institute’s research and policy engagement on urban crises, focusing on the intersections of urbanisation, urban poverty and humanitarian crises, in particular forced displacement into and within urban areas.

Researcher 

Research Associate, Cardiff University 
Patricia is a Research Associate in the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University. Her research focuses on forced migration, integration, and housing rights in urban contexts. A Doctor of Human Rights by the University of Deusto, she has a background in political science, humanitarian, and peace studies and has worked as conflict analyst, lecturer, and consultant for several academic and aid institutions. 
 

Ethiopia Country team 

Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, Addis Ababa University 
Tegegne is a Professor of Urban and Regional Development and Planning at the Addis Ababa University. He obtained his PhD from the Ohio State University. He has many years of experience in teaching and research and has published extensively. He also has provided extensive consultancy services to both international and national organizations. He is a founding member of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences.
 

Gender and self-reliance specialist

Refugee Point & WRC Initiative Lead, WRC
Kellie has over 15 years’ experience designing and managing large scale health, education, and livelihoods programs for the displaced, and was the initiator and architect of IRC’s urban refugee initiative. Kellie’s work with urban refugees led to her current interest in self-reliance, including co-creating the Well-Being and Adjustment Index and co-founding the Refugee Self-Reliance Initiative where she is currently a Senior Advisor to the Initiative.
 

Co-Investigator

Reader, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University
Peter has a long-standing interest in urban livelihoods and the informal economy. In all of Peter’s research he has sought to understand the experiences of people in poverty from their own perspectives and he is increasingly engaged in advanced quantitative methods relating to administrative data-linkage. Peter is also recognised as a leading expert in the field of housing and homelessness.

Co-Investigator & WP 3 Co-Lead

Founder, Director & Migration Pillar Lead, Samuel Hall
Nassim specialises in return migration and over the past ten years her crosscutting skills have led her to interview refugees, migrants, and returnees across the world . As well as her role at Samuel Hall, Nassim is also a Research Associate at the African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University, USA
 

Kenya Country Team 

Director, Slum Dwellers International, Kenya
Jack is a slum upgrading practioner, designing planning and policy solutions that prioritize the urban poor and working to ensure the voices of youth are prioritized in African city development. He has experience in enumerations, slum profiling, and participatory urban planning.

Co-Investigator & Kenya Academic Lead

Lecturer and Dean, School of Development & Strategic Studies, Maseno University
Michael teaches courses in Political Science and International Relations at Maseno University and is also a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the African Leadership Center (ALC), Kings College London. His research interests are conflict, migration, security, and leadership. He has previous experience working in the humanitarian sector for 20 years in the East and Horn of Africa region.
 

Kenya Country Team

Regional Operations Officer, Samuel Hall
Jared supports Samuel Hall in research and project management, developing research methodologies, improving research tools, and coordination of research operations in Africa.
 

Researcher, HSG, International Institute for Environment & Development

Boel works on urban displacement and forced migration, often in the context of international development and humanitarian support, with research interests focused on gender, refugee wellbeing and self-reliance.

Specialist

Head of Practice, Mayors Migration Council

As the Head of Practice at the Mayors Migration Council, Samer oversees the MMC’s suite of technical assistance programming that supports city leaders in designing and implementing local policies, plans, and projects that address the needs of refugees and migrants.

Coordinator 

Senior Coordinator, HSG, International Institute for Environment & Development

Jessica is responsible for the project management and coordination of the PDUW project, in addition to working on business development and fundraising for the Human Settlements Group. She has a background in programme management at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as experience in partnership building, stakeholder engagement and communications. She holds an MSc in Education for Sustainability

Ethiopia Country Team 

Project officer, Samuel Hall
Eleonore works as a researcher at Samuel Hall, based in Addis Ababa, and has been involved in a number of migration and displacement-focused research projects in Ethiopia. Previously, she has worked for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Co-President of a French association supporting female refugees victims of sexual violence. She is currently pursuing her PhD in École des hautes études en sciences sociales.
 

Co-Investigator & WP 3 Co-Lead

Senior Researcher, HSG, International Institute for Environment & Development
Anna is anthropologist who specialises in inclusive urbanisation and basic service provision in the global South. Over the last ten years she has supported the work of urban civil society organisations such as SDI and ACHR and undertaken extensive participatory research in East Africa, the Andes and Lebanon.

Kenya Country Team

Currently a Research Uptake Officer, working with the Kenya Project team. A former Manager at Slum Dwellers International (SDI)-Kenya for more than 9 years and supported the Urban Poor to co-produce slum upgrading solutions. Also experienced in working with youth on visual techniques of documentation. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Development Economics and is a Chartered Certified Accountant, with experience in both public and private sectors. At SDI Kenya, she worked on the Protracted Displacement in an Urban World (PDUW) project, since its inception in 2020.