Bio
Jiayang is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of landscape architecture and climate resilience. Her research examines how the design of everyday landscapes can better deliver environmental and ecological functions while creating meaningful and enjoyable experiences for people.
Drawing on perspectives from landscape architecture, environmental psychology, and everyday aesthetics, she investigates how people perceive and experience ecological design, with a particular focus on nature-based solutions that integrate natural systems into infrastructure and public spaces. Her work explores everyday landscape aesthetic experience and its role in shaping public acceptance, stewardship, and support for nature-based solutions. Through this work, she seeks to inform the design of nature-based solutions that are not only ecologically effective but also aesthetically pleasant and socially valued.
Her research has been supported by Florida Sea Grant and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and has been published in leading journals including Landscape and Urban Planning, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Ecology & Society, Frontiers in Water, and Frontiers in Marine Science. She regularly shares her work through invited lectures and national and international conferences.
Jiayang holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Landscape Architecture from Tongji University, a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Michigan. Before entering academia, she practiced landscape architecture at SmithGroup and AECOM.
Current Lab Members
Yiyi Liu (Doctoral Student)
Yiyi Liu is a Ph.D. student in Landscape Architecture. Her research focuses on urban park accessibility, availability, and quality, with an emphasis on integrating ecological ecosystem services into park planning and evaluation. She is particularly interested in how urban parks can act se nature-based solutions. Her current work examines living shorelines in coastal urban parks through mixed methods, including spatial analysis, mobility data, and public perception research, to support more resilient, inclusive, and ecologically informed landscape planning and design. Yiyi earned her Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Michigan and her bachelor’s degree in Geographical Information Science from Shanghai Normal University.
William Loving (BSSBE/BAS, '28)
William is a second-year student pursuing degrees in Sustainability and Statistics at the University of Florida. He is passionate about renewable energy, data analytics in the natural world, and resilient infrastructure in the face of climate change, all while contributing to the social and cultural considerations of sustainability. William is working with Dr. Jiayang Li to evaluate public perceptions of green stormwater infrastructure in Florida.
Past Lab Members
Ella Pishko (BLA, '26)
Ella was a member of the lab during 2024-2026, working on research projects around green stormwater infrastructure and coastal resilience in Florida. Her values center on the relationship between ecological conservation and the human experience, particularly through nature-based design and large scale master planning. Ella graduated with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida in Spring 2026.
Desi Roch-Hernandez (BLA, '26)
Desi was a member of the lab during 2024-2025, working on research projects around coastal resilience in Florida. They explore the dynamics of urban development, social systems, and extinct/existing ecologies through a design approach rooted in cultural and environmental sensitivity, seeking to cultivate new forms of stewardship for land and water. Desi graduated with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida in Spring 2026.
Hayden Germanis (BLA, '26)
Hayden was a member of the lab during 2025-2026, working on research projects around green stormwater infrastructure. He is particularly interested in stormwater management and other resilient design methods that protect communities from extreme storms and flooding. Hayden graduated with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida in Spring 2026.
Andrea Otalora (MLA, ‘27)
Andrea was a member of the lab during 2024-2025, working on research projects around living shorelines. With a background in environmental studies, she hopes to work on incorporating nature-based solutions in cities. Andrea is currently pursuing a Master’s in Landscape Architecture at the University of Florida.
Andres Molina (MLA, ‘25)
Andy was a member of the lab during 2023-2024, working on research projects around living shorelines. He was born in Miami, Florida and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas. His interests lie in residential and hospitality focused landscape design.
Ziyi Guo (Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Urban and Regional Planning)
Ziyi was a member of the lab during 2022-2023, working on research projects around flood-resilient nature-based solutions in urban parks. Her current research primarily focuses on data-driven studies aimed at enhancing the understanding of urban social infrastructure resilience. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Urban and Regional Planning after earning her Bachelor’s degree with a major in urban management.