Prof Angela Lee

Associate Dean of Research & Co-Investigator

Dr Fernando Bezerra

Associate Professor & Project Investigator (Brazil side)

Dr Guilherme Hissa Villas Boas

Adjunct Professor and Project Co-PI

Dr Muhammad Qasim Rana

Associate Professor & Project Project Investigator (UK side)

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geography at the Institute of Geosciences at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IGEO/UFRJ) and professor in the Postgraduate Program in Geography (PPGG/UFRJ). Bachelor in tourism (2004), bachelor (2008), master (2011) and doctor (2017) in geography. Extension Coordinator of the Department of Geography (2019-2021), Deputy Director of Extension of IGEO (2021-2023), Director of Extension of IGEO (2023 - current) and Representative of the Center for Mathematical and Natural Sciences (CCMN) in University Extension Council (CEU) (2023-2025). Coordinator of the Laboratory for Research and Extension in Environment and Society (LEMAS/UFRJ). Representative of UFRJ on the advisory board of the Macaé de Cima Environmental Protection Area. Develops academic activities in the areas of critical physical geography and human ecology, with an emphasis on nature conservation, socio-environmental management of protected areas, traditional knowledge and the relationship between society and nature.

Fernando Bezerra has a degree in Geography from the Federal University of Maranhão (2004), a master's degree in Geography from the Federal University of Uberlândia (2006) and a PhD in Geography from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro University of Wolverhampton - England. He has worked as a Visiting Professor at the Geography Department of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and as a Researcher at the Laboratory of Environmental Geomorphology and Soil Degradation - LAGESOLOS - UFRJ. He has experience in Geography, with an emphasis on Physical Geography, Geomorphology and Experimental Stations. He is currently Associate Professor I in the Department of Geography at the State University of Maranhão, Professor of the Academic Master's and Doctorate in Geography, Nature and Spatial Dynamics - PPGEO/UEMA, Coordinator of the Geosciences Laboratory, and Vice-Coordinator of the Geomorphology and Mapping Research Group - GEOMAP and the State University of Maranhão. He is currently a Senior Productivity Fellow at UEMA.

Professor Lee has an extensive academic career spanning over 25 years. After successfully completing her PhD with no corrections in 2002, she now has a Chair in Process and Performance Management in Construction. She has previously held Associate Dean roles in Research; International; Enterprise; Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI); and Head of Department roles at the Universities of Salford and Huddersfield. She joined UCEM in April 2022 to support the growth and development of research, including research degrees. She has published over 300 journal and conference publications based on her research, including 6 books, and has managed numerous externally funded research projects to successful completion.

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Dr Muhammad Qasim Rana is an Associate Professor and a leading researcher at the University of the Built Environment. He has previously held academic and research positions at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Salford, and has worked on nationally and internationally funded projects with organisations including Highways England. His research expertise spans simulation modelling, lean construction, sustainability, and the built environment. Over the past several years, Dr Rana has secured over £600,000 in competitive research funding from major funders including Innovate UK, the Qatar National Research Fund, the British Council, the Royal Academy of Engineering, Harold Samuel, Highways England, Salford University, and CIB. His funded work addresses critical global challenges in gender equality, off-site construction, energy efficiency, water management, and environmental resilience. Dr Rana has led and co-led multiple British Council–funded gender equality projects across Brazil, Pakistan, Vietnam, Jordan, and Egypt, delivering impactful research, policy engagement, and capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with international partners. His work has contributed to sustainable institutional change, high-impact publications, and strengthened global research networks focused on equity, inclusion, and social justice in higher education and the built environment.

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Dr Silas

Adjunct Professor and project Co-PI

Mr Luciano is a Geographer and a Doctoral student in Geography at the Federal University of Paraná, in Brazil. His research revolves around environmental impacts of mining, thematic mapping in watersheds, erosive processes, digital relief modeling and environmental public policies.

E-mail: luciano.andrade@ufpr.br

Mr Luciano Andrade

Researcher on Project

PhD in Geography from the State University of Campinas - UNICAMP (2017). Professor in the Geography Department at the Universidade Estadual do Maranhão - UEMA. Superintendent of International Relations at UEMA since 2023. Vice-coordinator of the Graduate Programme in Geography at UEMA (2020-2024). Coordinator of UEMA's Remote Sensing and Geoprocessing Laboratory (LABSRGeo). He has experience in the areas of Interdisciplinary Research, Spatial Analysis, Socio-environmental Conflicts, and Crime.