Global Challenge: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Building sustainable communities is an all-encompassing issue that requires truly adept global leadership and international collaboration to address. Hopefully, I can be a leader in creating the world I envision.”
Bio:
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Ricardo Sheler is a class of 2024 undergraduate in the Technology, Culture, and Society department and is pursuing a BS in Sustainable Urban Environments. He is a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar and a Tandon GLASS Scholar who aspires to support the global movement for sustainable, equitable, and strong communities through dedicated local advocacy, community-engaged scholarship, and sustainable urban planning to combat environmental and socioeconomic justice issues. Ricardo set a foundation in public administration as a research intern for Beth Noveck's "The GovLab", learning about solving public problems and improving The GovLab's public course and engagement on public problem-solving. He is a winner of the 2022 NYU Global Urban Showcase for his 85 page report titled, “Shaping Gowanus” where he details the rezoning, remediation, and climate resiliency planning through community-engaged research around the historic Superfund site. Building on this experience, he became a research intern at Columbia’s Resilient Coastal Communities Project, where he partnered with South Bronx Unite to address NYC metro-region flood risks and environmental injustice through researching and advocating for sustainable urban design, coastal resilience, and community resilience policies. He has experience building community on a campus level through NYU ResLife as a Carlyle Hall resident assistant and as the Othmer Hall Director of Advocacy. Currently, Ricardo is a Housing Policy Research and Analysis Intern at NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development this semester, using social outreach, policy analysis, and data science skills to improve housing affordability and sustainability on a local level.