What We DO

Focus Group Discussion with Communities

1 April, 2026

Our research cluster, "Social Lives of Infrastructures," organized community-based focus groups to co-develop research methods and questionnaires for the next phase. These sessions centered local knowledge and ensured that the study’s design reflects community priorities, experiences, and concerns.

Public Talk - "Urban Infrastructure"

7 October, 2025

This public talk on urban infrastructure invited audiences to see the city not as a neutral backdrop, but as a living system shaping everyday life. It examined how uneven access to transportation, housing, water, energy, and digital connectivity produces “infrastructure deserts” that structure lived realities.

Drawing on community-engaged research, the talk highlighted how residents navigate these inequalities and emphasized that infrastructure is not only technical, but deeply social and political. By centering lived experiences, it opened a broader conversation on resilience, accountability, and more just urban futures.

GIS@SMU Kickoff

18 September, 2025

Our interdisciplinary research cluster, GIS@SMU, convened its kickoff as a participatory gathering, bringing together faculty, students, and community members. The meeting explored how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used not only for spatial analysis, but also for participatory mapping and community-driven knowledge production. Centering lived experiences, the discussion engaged critically with questions of space, place, and everyday life, fostering collaborative approaches to understanding and addressing spatial inequalities.

Geospatial Thinking for a Changing World

17 April, 2025

In today’s interconnected world, spatial thinking is essential for navigating complexity. GIS@SMU hosted a public talk with geographer Joseph Kerski, who led a discussion and live demonstration on the power of geospatial technologies, highlighting their applications in everyday lives, social science, and qualitative research across diverse disciplines.

Ethnographic Workshop

4-9 April, 2024

I designed and facilitated a workshop titled “Ethnographic Methods in Education Research” for the Department of Teaching and Learning at SMU. The workshop introduced participants to key ethnographic approaches, highlighting how observation, interviewing, and participatory methods can be applied to educational contexts.