Shruti Punjabi, PhD

Urban planner and applied social scientist with over six years of experience at the science-policy interface, skilled in guiding multi-agency and cross-sector teams to transform complex evidence into actionable narratives and implementable work plans. Expertise in multi-method data collection and analysis complements a proven track record of fostering partnerships with residents, civic groups, municipal officials, and international collaborators to achieve impactful outcomes. Committed to leveraging evidence-based strategies that enhance decision-making processes and promote sustainable urban development. Driven to create innovative solutions that address community needs and advance urban resilience.

• Association for the Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP)
• International Network for the Science of Team Science

• Environmental Planning
• Collaborative Governance
• Science of Team Science
• Transdisciplinary Research
• Knowledge Co-Production
• Community Planning
• Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

• Virginia Tech Graduate Assistantship - Merit scholarship - supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs (2021 - 2025)
• Association of Public Data Users (APDU) Data Viz Award (2021)
• Fund for the City of New York (FCNY) Community Planning Fellowship (2019-2020)
• NYU Wasserman Center Internship Grant (2020)
• NYU Wagner Merit Scholarship (2019 - 2020)
• Best Thesis Award, Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, India (2017)

• Virginia Tech students participate in annual U.N. climate change conference. Virginia Tech News (2024)
• Essays on environmental policy reform, land equity, and climate-aligned taxation. Resource Justice Blog Series, Progress & Poverty Institute (2024)
• A data-driven approach to addressing equity issues in Montgomery County. The Third Place: Montgomery County Planning Department blog (2021)
• B.Plan student DRP research paper presented at the International Conference (ISA RC10). CEPT University News (2017)

Alumni in Action: Shruti Punjabi., NYU Wagner, (2020)

• Lead, Executive Committee on the Occoquan System (ECOS), Manassas, VA (2023 - 2025) - Conducted 25 key-person interviews with utilities, regulators, NGOs, and industry partners to examine collaborative experience and integrative capacity.
• Co-facilitator, AI in Hazard Mitigation & Emergency Preparedness Workshop, Arlington, VA (2024) - Co-facilitated a participatory workshop with 50+ DMV area emergency managers to co-design AI-supported hazard mitigation tools and gather stakeholder feedback on equity-centered emergency planning workflows.
• Lead, Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP) Case Study, Makueni, Muranga & Kiambu Counties, Kenya (2020) - Led field interviews and community forums with municipal boards, 15+ county officials, and residents to assess governance and public participation under urban devolution.
• Research Support, Ethnographic Research Support for large-scale urban displacement project, Ahmedabad, India (2017) - Supported community engagement through 40+ interviews, field documentation, and ethnographic observation with displaced communities during major redevelopment.
• Lead, Participatory Urban Governance Thesis Research, Mumbai, India (2016) - Engaged 25+ residents, civic groups, and municipal officials through interviews and surveys to examine citizen participation and neighborhood-level governance under the Advanced Locality Management (ALM) program.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• Punjabi, S., Misra, S., Rippy, M. A., Grant, S. B., Galappaththi, E., Lim, T., & Birkland, T. A. (2025). A conceptual framework for knowledge integration in cross-disciplinary collaborations. Environmental Science & Policy, 172, 104197.
• Basu, M & Punjabi, S. (2020). Participation in solid waste management: Lessons from the Advanced Locality Management (ALM) programme of Mumbai. Journal of Urban Management, (9)1, Pages 93-103, ISSN 2226-5856.

Manuscripts currently under review

• Punjabi, S., Misra, S., Rippy, M. A., Grant, S. B. Collaborative Communities, Brokers, and Integrators in a Convergence Research Team: A Social Network Analysis. Under Review (submitted Aug 2025) at Minerva.
• Punjabi, S., Misra, S., Rippy, M. A., Grant, S. B. Boundary Orchestration and Knowledge Integration in Convergence Research. Under Review (submitted Nov 2025) at Environmental Science and Policy.

Non-refereed Publications and Reports to Sponsors

• Punjabi, S., Temsamani. A., Thongpim. B., Allibekov. D. (2020). Making Urban Institutions work: A Comparative Case Study of Makueni, Muranga, and Kiambu counties of Kenya. The World Bank: East Africa Regional Unit.
• Punjabi, S. (2020). Storage and Service Delivery of Residential Waste in Developing Neighborhoods: Case Studies. Manhattan Community Board 4, New York City.

• Punjabi, S. (2025). The Road to Sustainability: Public Transport & Global Climate Commitments. [Invited Guest Lecture] for SPIA/HNFE 2314: Active Transport for Health, Virginia Tech.
• Punjabi, S. (2023). The role of universities at COP and implications for evidence-based policymaking and climate justice [Guest panelist]. Panel session at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP28, Expo City Dubai, UAE.
• Punjabi, S. (2020). Developing a Sanitation Plan for Upcoming Residential Developments [Professional Presentation]. Presented to the Manhattan Community Board 4 Land Use Committee, New York City Department of Transportation, and New York City Department of Sanitation, New York, NY.
• Punjabi, S. (2020). New York’s Public Spaces [Invited Guest Lecture]. Delivered as Guest Faculty for the Winter School program Understanding World Cities, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India (Virtual).