Leadership and Staff

Christina has a Bachelor's degree in Business, Management and Economics with a concentration in Human Resources, as well as an advanced certificate in Human Resource Management. She has worked for the university for over 14 years and comes to RENEW with a great amount of experience.  

Susan Spierre Clark is a RENEW Policy & Planning Specialist and Research Assistant Professor who focuses on decision-making for improving the sustainability and resilience of critical infrastructure systems to climate change. Her research aligns with the Climate Change and Urban Sustainability focus areas, emphasizing the social processes that are required for designing, operating, and managing resilient infrastructure systems which allow for disaster aversion through adaptive responses.

Dr. Zia has over 20 years of work experience in environmental modeling and data analysis. Areas of expertise include (1) data mining, (2) geographic information systems (GIS), remote/proximal sensing, and geostatistics (3) linear/non-linear model, mixed effect model, multivariate statistics and machine learning and (4) database management.

Dr. Michael A. Shelly is an experienced environmental economist (with over 25 years experience) who has analyzed a wide variety of projects on five continents.  

“I became an urban planner because as a native Buffalonian, I know that the environment one grows up in shapes who they are. I want to help shape the built environment and play an active role in Buffalo’s renaissance.”

“Buffalo is my hometown and it has been unbelievable witnessing all of the recent development; I am looking forward to assisting with the City’s energy and transportation modernization.”

"I am excited to be working back in my hometown on green infrastructure projects that enhance the overall quality of life in the city. The Buffalo Sewer Authority is the driving force behind many innovative and sustainable practices which are helping to make Buffalo a model for other rust belt cities who are faced with similar challenges."

“I became an engineer to help people transform how they live. It’s a privilege and honor to be part of an organization that lives and act by this motto.”