PLACEMAKER | SCHOLAR | SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

Krista is currently pursuing her PhD in Architecture at Penn State University. Her interests, which lie at the intersection of placemaking, economic development, social equity, and public scholarship, have been shaped by more than 20 years of experience as an educator and practitioner of the built environment. This work has spanned multiple roles, disciplines, and scales, and provides her with unique insights into the cultural process of place production. It also inspires her research agenda, which focuses on the planning and development of urban innovation districts.  For nearly a decade Krista led the revitalization of Downtown Hazleton, a former coal-mining community in Northeast PA, during its transition to a majority Hispanic city.  Currently she works as a PennTAP Technical advisor within Penn State's Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.