Current Students

Jiaying Dong, LinkedIn Profile

Concentration: Built Environment + Health

I have obtained my bachelor's and master's degrees in landscape architecture, and I am currently a PhD candidate in the Planning, Design, and the Built Environment program at Clemson University. My research primarily centers around the relationship between the built environment and public health. Specifically, I am investigating the impact of green spaces on the physical and mental well-being of human. I am particularly interested in understanding how the distribution of green spaces can affect individuals from diverse social backgrounds unequally. In addition, I am exploring the role of green space landscapes in regulating microclimates, particularly in the context of climate change.

Rieta Drinkwine, LinkedIn Profile

Concentration: Regional and Community Development and Design

Rieta Drinkwine earned a bachelor’s in Classics from University of Kansas (2009), a master’s in Library Science from Indiana University (2011), and a master’s in City and Regional Planning from Clemson (2022). Prior to entering the PDBE program, Rieta worked as a librarian, most recently as the Library Director for the Union County Library System in SC, which was recognized as a finalist for the National Medal in Museum and Library Service under her leadership. Her research interest is in the libraries as thirdspaces for public participation in community development, with a focus on rural, low capacity and marginalized communities.

Sara Eslamzadeh, LinkedIn Profile

Concentration: Children's development, Nature & Play, Participatory Design, Children's participation and learning, Playful Learning Landscape, and Nature-based Playscapes.

Sara Eslamzadeh is a Ph.D. student in Planning Design and Built Environment at Clemson University. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture from Iran. Before attending the Ph.D. program, she worked on architecture and landscape architecture design projects. She founded her firm designing residential, commercial, cultural, and landscape projects and partnered with urban municipalities to design urban projects. Sara has taught architecture and interior design courses in Iran for eight years. Her research interest includes Children's development, Nature & Play, Participatory Design, Children's participation and learning, Playful Learning Landscape, and Nature-based Playscapes.

Monica Gripko, LinkedIn Profile

Concentration: Architecture + Health

Monica Gripko is a doctoral student in Clemson University’s Planning, Design, and the Built Environment program with a concentration in architecture and health. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture degree, with a minor in Sociology and a concentration in Inclusive Design, from SUNY University at Buffalo and worked as an architectural designer and project manager before joining the Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing as a Graduate Research Assistant. Her research explores how physical environments shape interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

Jie Kong, Instagram

Concentration: Regional/Community Development + Design

Jie Kong received a B.E. in Landscape Architecture from Soochow University and a M.S. in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia GSAPP. Her current research interests focus on urban design strategies and investigating the relations and interactions between urban socio-natural environments and human behavior.

Saeideh (Saida) Sobhaninia, LinkedIn Profile

Concentration: Built Environment + Health, Regional/Community Design + Development, Restoration, Sustainability + Land Ecology

Saida is a Ph.D. Candidate in Planning, Design, and the Built Environment at Clemson University. Her area of focus is community resilience and its relationship with the disaster recovery pace in underserved communities in Puerto Rico. Her research primarily revolves around community resilience, disaster recovery, environmental justice, and placemaking.

She is currently working as an associate planner at Greenville County's Long Range Planning Department. Saeideh works on urban planning and design projects for neighborhoods, area plans, and corridor plans. She is also the project manager for the floodplain restoration program, where she works on designing public spaces and developing landscape, streetscape, and urban design proposals using her background in urban planning and design.

She was also a graduate teaching and research assistant at Clemson University in different departments, such as City and Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture. She has taught previously at Shahab Danesh University and Qom Technical College as a lecturer for five and three years, respectively. She taught Architectural Design and Urban Design studios in the undergraduate curriculum there.

Saida pursued her master's degree focused on Urban Design at Shahid Beheshti University, where she worked on placemaking in new development areas. She also got her Bachelors in Architecture.

Devi Soman, LinkedIn Profile

Concentration: Architecture + Health

Devi Soman is a doctoral student in the Architecture Department, focusing on Architecture+ Health, and a Graduate Assistant to Dr. Anjali Joseph at the Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing. She secured a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Architecture from Mumbai University in 2010 and 2012, respectively, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital and Healthcare Management from Symbiosis International University in 2013. She has worked as an architect in India since 2010. Her personal and professional experience led to her intrigue in Healthcare Design. Her work through her academic and professional life focuses on different aspects of healthcare design, most recently being diagnostic centers in public healthcare facilities in India. She acquired the EDAC certification in 2020, and her interest in culturally sensitive and inclusive healthcare design for vulnerable populations and maternal healthcare settings continues to propel her journey within the academic realm.

Arielle Spencer, Website

Concentration: Architectural Design, Technology, and Construction Processes

Arielle received her BA in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley (2017) with concentrations in Psychology and Neuroscience and a certificate in Human Centered Design. In 2019, she earned her MFA in Themed Entertainment Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before joining PDBE, Arielle interned as a designer at Disney Live Entertainment in Florida. Arielle's research focuses on accessibility through universal design for narrative-themed environments, with an emphasis on cognitive and sensory accessibility. Her interdisciplinary work includes Architecture, Psychology, Design, Tourism, and Disability Studies. In her free time, Arielle is passionate about Jane Austen, baking, Lego, and her two cats.

Russell Stall

Concentration: Regional and Community Development and Design

Russell Stall is a Ph.D. student with a concentration In City and Regional Planning and Mixed Method Research. He earned a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Clemson University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Emory University and a B.A. in Psychology from Washington and Lee University and is an AICP Certification Candidate. He is currently serving as an At-Large Councilmember on Greenville City Council. Russell founded and directed Greenville Forward, a nonprofit organization responsible for facilitating and shepherding Vision 2025, Greenville’s long-term vision plan. Prior to forming Greenville Forward, Russell founded and managed ResearchWorks, a market research consultancy focused on public policy constituency research. Russell’s current research explores the evolving role of planners and planning departments in implementing and evaluating the master planning process.