About

I am an ecologist who works at the interface of science and practice. I engage with urban practitioners and integrate ecology and research into the planning, design, and management of our cities and landscapes.

Presently, I am am the Visiting Lecturer of Forest Ecology and Plant Science at the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. My courses include Ecology and the Design World, a core class for graduate landscape architecture students, as well as seminars in restoration ecology.

Prior to the GSD, I was a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service and the Northern Research Station. I received my PhD in Ecology & Evolution from Rutgers University, where I was land manager of the Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center, a National Natural Landmark and conservation research facility. I conducted my dissertation research with Dr. Steven Handel and Dr. Myla Aronson’s lab at the Center for Urban Restoration Ecology and I was a fellow at the Center for Resilient Landscapes. I received a Master in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Environment and my B.A. from Wesleyan University. See my full C.V

Please feel free to contact me at: max_piana AT gsd.harvard.edu