As Project and Research Associate, Thais works on a variety of projects and programs with the PPS team. A strong advocate for communities, she works with people and institutions to develop comprehensive and approachable solutions to urban challenges. Current programs in which Thais is involved include the Bass Center for Innovation and Placemaking, a partnership with the Brookings Institution, and PPS’s Transportation Initiative.

Having studied political anthropology and urban design, Thais has a particular interest in how urban design can build emotionally resilient communities and what resilience means in varying contexts. Before PPS, Thais worked at the Trust for Public Land. She has also lived and worked in Istanbul, Minneapolis, and Kansas City in education and community development.