PhD Students

Bernadett Csaszar

PhD Student

Bernadett is a qualified Architectural Engineer, she started her Ph.D. in September 2022 under the supervision of Dr Oliver Kinnane. Her PhD studies focus on creating a more sustainable built environment, with a particular focus on the forensic analysis of municipal buildings in operation and construction. Other interests include building retrofits, life cycle assessments (LCA), renewable energy sources as well as analyses of thermal comfort and energy consumption in buildings.

Charlie Cregan

PhD Student at UCD in Corporate Sustainability

Charlie began his PhD research in 2021, under the supervision of Professor Peter Clinch (primary supervisor) and Adjunct Associate Professor Andrew Kelly (co-supervisor). His research is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. It focuses on corporate sustainability, particularly the measurement and reporting of corporate emissions performance, and associated public policy. Charlie holds a Bachelor of Business & Law degree and a MSc. in Economics, both from University College Dublin.

Dennis Mathew

PhD Student achieving Positive Energy Buildings and Neighbourhoods in synergy with a range of systems in the built environment

Dennis started his PhD research at UCD in September 2022, under the supervision of Dr Oliver Kinnane and Dr Páraic Carroll. He is funded by the Science Foundation Ireland through the Next Generation Energy System (NexSys) program. He holds an MSc in Architecture Urbanism and Climate Action from UCD and a BArch degree from Government Engineering College Thrissur. Additionally, he is a registered Architect with the Council of Architecture, New Delhi, and an Accredited Professional with the IGBC.

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Mina Sadeghzadeh

PhD Student

Mina, a PhD Walsh Scholar at Teagasc and BiOrbic works under the supervision of Prof. Eoin O’Neill (UCD) and Prof. Maeve Henchion (Teagasc). She has an educational background in Agricultural Economics (BSc), Agricultural Management (MSc), and Urban Agriculture and Green Cities (MSc II). Thus, Mina’s expertise lies in socio-economics research. Prior to joining UCD, she contributed to the land systems transition models in the Mediterranean Basin at INRAE and UniLaSalle, France.

Miriam Victoria Fernandez Lins

PhD Student at UCD on the EU-Project PROBONO

Miriam has an Architecture background and holds an MSc in Urbanism, having 7 years of experience as a lecturer in Brazil. Her research explores the experiences of students of Built Environment Schools in participatory processes and behaviour change interventions for the Climate Transition. She would be more than happy to be contacted to discuss these and related topics.

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Nima Nejadrezaei

Teagasc Walsh Scholar

Nima is a Teagasc Walsh Scholar who began his PhD research at UCD in Sep 2020. He is under the supervision of Prof. Eoin O'Neill (UCD) and Prof. Maeve Henchion (Teagasc). His research focuses on cultivating the consumption of bio-based products-investigating consumer beliefs, values, and behaviour toward bioplastics in Ireland. Based on his educational background and work experiences he has a background in socio-economics research with an emphasis on consumer behaviour and innovation acceptance.

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Palmira Ndeshihala de Almeida

PhD Student exploring sustainability transformations towards a regional bioeconomy,

Palmira is a PhD candidate at the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, UCD. She is exploring sustainability transformations towards a regional bioeconomy, with a particular focus on the role of regional and land use planning, under the supervision of Professor Enda Murphy and Professor Mark Scott. Palmira holds a MSc in City and Regional Planning and a BSc in Environmental & Geographical Sciences, and Archaeology, both from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Stephen Wall

Irish Research Council/ Environmental Protection Agency Postgraduate Scholar

Stephen, under the supervision of Dr Philip Crowe, is researching the impact of climate action on Irish towns, and the role of the New European Bauhaus in creatively imagining a post-carbon future as a desirable outcome for town communities. Stephen previously worked as an architect, educator, and illustrator, and sits on the working group of UCD’s Centre for Irish Towns. He was awarded the UCD Young Urbanist Prize and won the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Housing Unlocked competition in 2022.

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Xiaolin Lao

PhD Student Vulnerable communities in China and their bounce - forward resilience

Xiaolin is pursuing her Ph.D. under Dr. Aura Istrate and Prof. Francesco Pilla, explores community resilience, vulnerable communities, and climate governance in the Anthropocene. Delving beyond the mere biophysical into complex socio-ecological systems, Xiaolin is committed to unearthing local knowledge and community-based initiatives. Her research investigates how to address pre-existing vulnerabilities towards urban heat risk collecting insights from vulnerable communities in Xi'an, China.

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Zhihui Ren

PhD Student

Zhihui is a PhD candidate under the supervision of Professor Francesco Pilla. Her project is aimed to conduct coupling simulations to investigate the effects of trees on microclimate and residential energy consumption and to propose climate adaptation strategies that reduce building energy demands. Zhihui comes from an urban planning and design background, having completed a bachelor's and master's degree in landscape architecture.

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Michael Samaras

PhD Student

Michael is an EPA scholar who kicked off his Ph.D. research at UCD in January 2023, under the supervision of Professor Peter Clinch (Principal Supervisor) and Adjunct Associate Professor Andrew Kelly (Co-Supervisor). Prior to his doctoral studies, he completed a MSc in Applied Economics from UCD School of Economics, and a B.A. in Economics from the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. His research is committed to advancing our understanding of how transaction costs influence the effectiveness and efficiency of climate policies in AFOLU sector, aiming at contributing valuable insights that can inform policy design and implementation strategies in these critical sectors.

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