Kjirsten Alexander grew up in the northern Adirondacks and holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. She earned her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from The City College of New York, graduating in 2012. Her interests focus on the intersection of human and environmental issues, particularly landscapes of resource extraction and adaptation to climate change. Her master’s thesis explored landscape restoration processes for Appalachian communities living with mountaintop coal mining. She has worked collaboratively on both small-scale design-build projects and large-scale coastal climate adaptation proposals, including the Structures of Coastal Resilience project with the City College Jamaica Bay team and the Yangtze River Delta Project, a large-scale climate adaptation and flood management proposal for Shanghai, China. In addition, Kjirsten loves the challenge of designing urban gardens, rooftops, and landscapes small and large.