Jordana Maisel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and the Research Director of the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA Center), both within the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo. She co-leads IDEA’s Hub 4, Inclusive Environmental Design.

Maisel has led research in the areas of public transportation, street infrastructure, post-occupancy evaluations and accessible housing policy. She directs the U.S. government-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design and the Built Environment and co-directs the RERC on Accessible Public Transportation.

Maisel has a PhD in industrial and systems engineering and an MUP (master’s of urban planning) from the University at Buffalo. She also has a BSc in human development from Cornell University.

“When I was a counselor at a summer camp many, many years ago, a young girl with significant disabilities was assigned to my bunk. Although she had a personal aide, due to a variety of unforeseen circumstances, she became my primary responsibility that summer. Both challenging and inspiring, that summer first exposed me to the idea that not everyone experiences the world the same way. I also quickly learned about the enabling and disabling impact of the built environment. Soon after, I discovered my passion for inclusive design during my college days at Cornell University. For more than two decades, I have devoted my professional life to advancing and implementing inclusive design—in housing, work environments, transportation, etc.—in order to enable and empower individuals who are typically underrepresented in design practice.”