Aster Penney
Aster Penney is the Partnerships Assistant at the Future Cities Institute, working to expand the FCI’s vast network of collaborators, identify funding opportunities, and assist drafting proposals. He brings a diverse range of expertise in research, writing, and data analysis from their educational background in Health Sciences. He has previously worked in research, communications, and advocacy, and volunteers regularly on campus. Aster is excited to expand their knowledge and work alongside the passionate team at the Future Cities Institute!
Ben Kroeker
Ben Kroeker is a Partnerships Assistant at the Future Cities Institute. His work involves supporting and managing grant proposals and reports, highlighting FCI project outcomes and impacts. He maintains partner databases and supports internal documentation and record-keeping. Majoring in Environment, Resources and Sustainability, Ben brings a comprehensive understanding of environmental policy and sustainability, further informed by his completion of a certificate in Renewable Energy Techniques and ongoing studies in Environmental Policy, Politics, and Governance.
Len Dizdar
Len Dizdar is a Research Assistant and Software Developer at the Future Cities Institute, where he and his team are creating a tool for city planners and developers that promotes data-driven decision making in municipal growth management. With a pre-existing passion for walkability and sustainable transportation, he is delighted to be working with diverse organizations spanning the field. He is eager to apply his background in Data Science to solving complex problems in modelling, simulation, and data visualization, all while broadening his horizons with the FCI.
Leah Versluis
Leah Versluis is a Partnerships Assistant at the Future Cities Institute, where she works on a variety of research projects, including researching Welcoming Cities. A 4th year Environment, Resources, and Sustainability student with a minor in Urban Studies, Leah is passionate about ensuring the sustainability of future urban spaces. With previous co-op experiences in environmental planning and urban microclimate research, she is excited to apply her skills and creativity to this role, while continuing her learning with the FCI.
Praveena Chenthooran
Praveena Chenthooran is a Student Developer Intern at the Future Cities Institute, where she contributes to the development of AI-driven tools that support community and economic development initiatives. She works on building scalable, production-ready artificial intelligence systems that move beyond experimentation and into real-world application. As a first-year Systems Design Engineering student, she has a strong foundation in systems thinking, software development, and applied machine learning. Her technical interests include end-to-end AI pipeline development, data engineering workflows, model deployment, and retrieval-augmented systems. She is eager to apply these skills to interdisciplinary projects that create meaningful, data-informed impact and is excited to continue growing within the collaborative environment at the Future Cities Institute.
Jimmy Phan
Jimmy Phan is a Research Assistant at the Future Cities Institute, where he leads the development of a municipality-wide development charges dashboard and specializes in transforming FCI’s proprietary datasets into actionable insights. With a background in Computer Engineering and extensive co-op experience in machine learning and data analytics, Jimmy is excited to leverage an engineering mindset to drive data-informed decision-making and is dedicated to collaborating across interdisciplinary teams to create a measurable impact on communities.
Isabella Da Rosa
Isabella Da Rosa is a Research Assistant at the Future Cities Institute, where she is contributing to the BUILD NOW project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. As a fourth-year Planning Student specializing in Land Development, Isabella is passionate about creating complete, vibrant, and sustainable communities. She has previous co-op experiences in policy and land use planning, as well as in the non-profit sector. She is excited to apply these skills while expanding her learning and making meaningful impact with the FCI.
Emily Cheng
Emily Cheng is a Research Assistant at the Future Cities Institute. Her work focuses on developing a digital framework based on BIM and IFC data to support more efficient municipal permit review processes. Working with the project team, she is helping investigate opportunities to automate zoning compliance checks, improve inspection workflows, and accelerate housing approvals. Majoring in Architecture, Emily is interested in the intersection of architecture, technology, and city-building, and how digital tools can improve the planning and delivery of housing and community infrastructure.
Katie Yu
Katie Yu is a Student Developer at the Future Cities Institute, where she works on improving AI-powered economic development tools for Nunavut communities. Through this work, Katie aims to turn community insights into accessible and user friendly features, as well as documentation to support the long-term use of these tools. As a second-year chemical engineering student, Katie brings various experiences in data analysis, writing, and project management. Having grown up in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Katie is excited to gain experience in software development and machine learning while supporting economic growth in the North.
Norah Miriam
Norah Miriam is a Research Assistant and Coder at the Future Cities Institute, where she contributes to the development of the Growth Management Tool, helping support data-driven municipal planning and housing development. As a Computer Science student at the University of Waterloo, she brings experience in software development and data analysis. She is interested in the intersection of technology, urban planning, and public policy, and is excited to contribute to projects that support more sustainable and informed city-building decisions.