Our Team
Dr. Victoria Fast, Ph.D.
Lab Director, Associate Professor, Department of Geography
Dr. Victoria Fast is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and academic co-lead for Cities + Societies with the Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship at the University of Calgary. Her research and teaching span the fields of geographic information science, human geography, and urban studies.
Leveraging expertise in mapping, modeling, spatial analysis, geovisualization, participatory GIS, and volunteered geographic information, Dr. Fast's research team is committed to cultivating vibrant, safe, and accessible urban and digital environments. Their investigations encompass diverse topics such as sidewalk conditions, urban and building accessibility, urban density, pedestrian collisions, accessible mobility, and active transit.
Outside of the lab, Victoria enjoys growing and cooking good food. She has a soft spot for long walks, big dogs, and great literature—bonus point for an audiobook read by the author.
| UCalgary Profile |
Kassi Boyd, Ph.D.
Research Coordinator
Kassi graduated from the University of Alberta with a PhD in Rehabilitation Science in June 2025. Her research explored the intersections of disability, play, and inclusion at playgrounds, and centered the perspectives of disabled children.
Outside of the lab, Kassi works as a dog trainer, bringing an evidence-based and welfare-friendly approach to her practice. She also enjoys extra hot coffee and live music.
Dima Al-Kaisi
Accessibility Research Associate and Undergraduate Student in Biological Anthropology
I'm a 4th year undergraduate student at the University of Calgary studying Biological Anthropology. My current research interests include clinical and community health. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading Mystery novels and traveling. My favourite place I have traveled to is Vienna.
Harrison Drew
Geospatial Research Assistant and MSc Student in Geography
Recently graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Geography with an Embedded Certificate in Geographic Information Science, Harrison is pursuing a Master of Science in Geography heavily focused on accessible mapping through automated GIS methods.
Thesis: Developing a computational framework for mapping the barriers that those with visible and invisible disabilities face in the built environment.
Outside the lab, Harrison enjoys gaming, time outdoors, and spending time with his cat, Jonesy.
Alice Hartley
Research Assistant and Master's Student in Transdisciplinary Research
Together with an honours Bachelors of Science in Zoology and onto eight years of social work experience, Alice is currently pursuing a Master's in Transdisciplinary Research looking at integrating accessible Indigenous activities into programming supporting those with disabilities and neurodivergence.
Outside the lab, Alice spends time birding and uploading her finds onto iNaturalist, spending time with her Indigenous community, and volunteering.
Tyseer Hima
Graduate Research Associate, MA Student in Geography
I hold a Bachelor of Architecture degree and am passionate about design and the built environment. I'm currently pursuing a Master’s in Geography. My research explores digital mobility through the lens of mobility justice and intersectionality.
Outside of research, I enjoy art, music, and travelling, pathways through which I follow wonder, seeking new cultures and ways of knowing.
Marjan Jahanbani
Research Assistant and MGIS Student
I am Marjan Jahanbani, a master’s student in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Calgary. My current research focuses on analysing the accessibility of businesses for people with disabilities using crowdsourced spatial data.
Outside the lab, I enjoy Persian calligraphy and painting, which bring me a deep sense of peace, help me reflect on my energy, be grateful, and spend meaningful moments with myself.
Joyce Percel
Research Engagement Specialist and PhD Candidate in Geography
Joyce is a PhD student in the Department of Geography. Her research interests span multiple disciplines and include critical data studies, critical property studies, Black geographies, settler colonialism, and urban geography. Her doctoral research project studies how racial and colonial logics appear in property data in Chicago.
Outside her research, Joyce enjoys spending time with her kids, reading cozy fiction books, playing board games, and long walks/short hikes.
Lisa Rotzal
Research Assistant and Undergraduate Student in Geography and Education
Current undergraduate student at UCalgary in concurrent Bachelor of Arts Geography and Bachelor of Education with an embedded certificate in Mental Wellbeing and Resilience. Research assistant for Nature in the City Urban Alliance project, recipient of PURE Alberta Innovates Summer Studentship for Mapping Urban IDEAS (Open Educational Resource).
Outside the lab, Lisa enjoys hiking, climbing, swimming, photography, and dog sitting.
Hawjin Falahatkar, MSc Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mapping and evaluating urban physical features to enhance inclusivity for women and individuals with reduced mobility by integrating theory-driven and data-driven methods to develop innovative GIS approaches that transcend conventional boundaries of data availability and analysis tools.
Amanda Bishop, MSc Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: The pedestrian experience: identifying, examining, and understanding the environmental characteristics associated with pedestrian-traffic-related conflicts affecting older adults.
Olusegun Ogunleye, MGIS, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: advancing disability inclusion using spatially enabled crowdsourced data to understand how pedestrians experience barriers using GIS techniques.
Rhiannon Scott, MGIS, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Evaluating Connectivity For Pedestrians Looking: Walkability Scores In Calgary .
Yui Tanagi, MGIS Student, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mobility Accessibility of Sidewalk and Curb Ramp Infrastructure in Residential Neighbourhoods in Calgary.
Sepideh Javadi, MGIS, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Risk Terrain Modelling for Violence and Assault: Application of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) in Calgary Communities.
Russell Copley, MSc Geography, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mapping Our Cities for All: Completeness and Insights of a Crowdsourced Business Accessibility Dataset.
Nikki Rogers, MGIS Student, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: The ‘Why’ Depends on the ‘Where’: Analyzing and Modeling the Geography of Pedestrian Collisions.
Zachary Lamoureux, MGIS, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mitigating the Physical Barriers of a Post-Secondary Education: Accessible Mobility Mapping and Rollshed Analysis for Vancouver Island University.
Jiaao Guo, MGIS, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: Mapping Renewable Energy Capacity in Canmore, Alberta: Implementing a Standardized Mapping Framework and GIS-based MCDA
Fahim Hossain, MGIS, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: 3D Indoor Routing and Emergency Evacuation Visualisation for the University of Calgary Campus Area.
Amrit Khakh, MGIS Student, University of Calgary.
- Research focus: A Multimodal Network Analysis of Spatial Accessibility to Primary Healthcare Services in the City of Calgary, Canada.
See our work in action!
Our researchers have worked hard to build our understanding of disability and expand our knowledge in new and innovative ways to bring about positive future change.