{"id":124,"date":"2026-02-09T09:40:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/?page_id=124"},"modified":"2026-03-09T09:18:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:18:15","slug":"people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/people\/","title":{"rendered":"People"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<style>\n  \/* --- REUSING VARIABLES FROM HOME PAGE --- *\/\n  :root {\n    --udt-primary: #003135;\n    --udt-secondary: #024950;\n    --udt-accent: #964734;\n    --udt-highlight: #0FA4AF;\n    --udt-light: #AFDDE5;\n    --udt-white: #FFFFFF;\n    --udt-black: #000000;\n    --udt-font-primary: 'Inter', sans-serif;\n    --udt-font-secondary: 'Playfair Display', serif;\n  }\n\n  \/* --- LAYOUT UTILS --- *\/\n  .udt-people-container { max-width: 1200px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem 1rem; font-family: var(--udt-font-primary); color: var(--udt-black); }\n  .udt-section-title { color: var(--udt-primary); font-size: 2rem; margin-top: 4rem; margin-bottom: 2rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem; border-bottom: 3px solid var(--udt-highlight); font-family: var(--udt-font-secondary); }\n\n  \/* --- DIRECTOR CARD STYLES --- *\/\n  .udt-director-card { display: flex; gap: 2rem; margin-bottom: 3rem; background: #fff; padding: 2rem; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 4px 24px rgba(0,0,0,0.08); align-items: flex-start; }\n  .udt-director-img { width: 250px; height: 300px; object-fit: cover; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,0.12); flex-shrink: 0; }\n  .udt-director-info { flex: 1; }\n  .udt-director-info h2 { color: var(--udt-primary); margin: 0 0 0.5rem 0; font-size: 2rem; font-family: var(--udt-font-secondary); }\n  .udt-director-title { color: var(--udt-accent); font-size: 1.1rem; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; display: block; }\n  .udt-director-bio { line-height: 1.7; margin-bottom: 1rem; text-align: justify; }\n  .udt-director-links { display: flex; gap: 1rem; margin-top: 1.5rem; }\n  .udt-director-links a { color: var(--udt-highlight); font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none; }\n  .udt-director-links a:hover { text-decoration: underline; }\n\n  \/* --- RESEARCHER GRID STYLES --- *\/\n  .udt-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr)); gap: 2rem; margin-bottom: 3rem; }\n  .udt-person-card { background: white; border-radius: 12px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.06); transition: transform 0.2s, box-shadow 0.2s; border: 1px solid #eee; display: flex; flex-direction: column; }\n  .udt-person-card:hover { transform: translateY(-5px); box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0,0,0,0.12); }\n  .udt-person-img { width: 100%; height: 280px; object-fit: cover; background-color: var(--udt-light); }\n  .udt-person-info { padding: 1.5rem; flex: 1; }\n  .udt-person-name { color: var(--udt-primary); font-size: 1.25rem; margin: 0 0 0.5rem 0; font-weight: 700; }\n  .udt-person-role { color: var(--udt-accent); font-size: 0.95rem; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0; }\n\n  \/* Mobile Responsive *\/\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\n    .udt-director-card { flex-direction: column; text-align: center; }\n    .udt-director-img { width: 200px; height: 200px; border-radius: 50%; margin: 0 auto; }\n    .udt-director-bio { text-align: left; }\n    .udt-director-links { justify-content: center; }\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"udt-people-container\">\n\n      <div class=\"udt-director-card\">\n      <div>\n                  <img decoding=\"async\"\n            class=\"udt-director-img\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Dr.-Soheil-Sabri.jpeg\"\n            alt=\"Dr. Soheil Sabri\"\n                      \/>\n          <!-- DEBUG ID: 84 | Style: NONE -->\n              <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"udt-director-info\">\n        <h2>Dr. Soheil Sabri<\/h2>\n        <span class=\"udt-director-title\">Director<\/span>\n\n                  <p class=\"udt-director-bio\">Dr. Soheil Sabri is an Assistant Professor at the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training, Knights Digital Twin Initiative at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He is an Urban Planner and Geospatial Scientist focused on advancing urban development through research, practical work, and education. His main interests include Urban Digital Twins, Multi-dimensional Planning Support Systems, and analytical tools that provide data-driven insights for urban planning.<\/p>\n                  <p class=\"udt-director-bio\">Dr. Sabri leads pioneering research and education in Urban Digital Twins, covering areas like Development Envelope Control, Rule-Based Compliance Assessment, and Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD). He significantly influences digital urban planning through his roles in various scientific and professional organizations, including IEEE Digital Twin and Parallel Intelligence, IEEE Systems, Man, Cybernetics Society, Co-chairing and Ambassadorship of the Academia and Research within the Digital Twin Consortium and contributing to the Metaverse and Urban Digital Twin working groups at Open Geospatial Consortium.<\/p>\n        \n                  <div class=\"udt-director-links\">\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/soheil-sabri-b5a0a012a\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                LinkedIn              <\/a>\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/soheil-sabri\" target=\"_blank\">\n                GitHub              <\/a>\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Mt0UxCsAAAAJ\" target=\"_blank\">\n                Google Scholar              <\/a>\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\" target=\"_blank\">\n                UCF SMST              <\/a>\n                      <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n            <h2 class=\"udt-section-title\">Ph.D. Students<\/h2>\n\n      <div class=\"udt-grid\">\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Kwabena.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Kwabena Anane-Nsiah\"\n                style=\"object-position: 49% 19%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 93 | Style: object-position: 49% 19%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Kwabena Anane-Nsiah<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Digital Transformation and Digital Twin<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Nasim.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Nasim Yeganeh\"\n                style=\"object-position: 47% 17%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 96 | Style: object-position: 47% 17%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Nasim Yeganeh<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Hurricane Damage and Rental Housing Affordability Fluctuation<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Nikoo-Fatemeh-Mirhosseini.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Nikoo Mirhosseini\"\n                style=\"object-position: 45% 16%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 99 | Style: object-position: 45% 16%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Nikoo Mirhosseini<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Utilization of Building Information Modeling to Streamline the Process of Building Permit Systems<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SherryDubin-business.png\"\n                alt=\"Sherry Dubin\"\n                style=\"object-position: 48% 7%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 165 | Style: object-position: 48% 7%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Sherry Dubin<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Research Assistant Senior Software Engineering<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Amy-Kvien-Headshot-rotated.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Amy Kvien\"\n                style=\"object-position: 50% 18%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 170 | Style: object-position: 50% 18%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Amy Kvien<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Headshot_James_Owusu-Appiah.jpg\"\n                alt=\"James Owusu Appiah\"\n                style=\"object-position: 48% 20%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 169 | Style: object-position: 48% 20%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">James Owusu Appiah<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ensiyeh-Javaherian-Pour.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Ensiyeh Javaherian Pour\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 85 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Ensiyeh Javaherian Pour<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Developing 3D Spatial graph database<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n                <h2 class=\"udt-section-title\">Current Researchers<\/h2>\n\n      <div class=\"udt-grid\">\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/mahdi.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Dr. Mahdi Aghaabbasi\"\n                style=\"object-position: 50% 10%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 95 | Style: object-position: 50% 10%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Dr. Mahdi Aghaabbasi<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Courtesy Appointment<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Alex-Hynds.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Alex Hynds\"\n                style=\"object-position: 50% 18%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 171 | Style: object-position: 50% 18%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Alex Hynds<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jedidah_Wong_Headshot-scaled.png\"\n                alt=\"Jedidah Wong\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 167 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Jedidah Wong<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Maxwell.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Maxwell Omeje\"\n                style=\"object-position: 42% 11%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 166 | Style: object-position: 42% 11%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Maxwell Omeje<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Post-Doc Scholar<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Headshot.png\"\n                alt=\"Phani Raja Bharath Balijepalli\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 196 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Phani Raja Bharath Balijepalli<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n                <h2 class=\"udt-section-title\">Past Research Associates<\/h2>\n\n      <div class=\"udt-grid\">\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/amir.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Dr. Amir Mahdiyar\"\n                style=\"object-position: 47% 18%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 77 | Style: object-position: 47% 18%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Dr. Amir Mahdiyar<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Post-Doc in Decision Support Systems<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/hesam.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Dr. Hesam Tahami\"\n                style=\"object-position: 52% 12%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 89 | Style: object-position: 52% 12%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Dr. Hesam Tahami<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Post-Doc in Optimization<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/kalp.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Kalp Devangbhai Thakkar\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 92 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Kalp Devangbhai Thakkar<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Research Assistant IoT\/Software Eng<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/janani.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Janani Nagaraj\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 91 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Janani Nagaraj<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Research Assistant Visualization<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/benjamin.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Benjamin Lee\"\n                style=\"object-position: 51% 16%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 78 | Style: object-position: 51% 16%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Benjamin Lee<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Research Assistant Geospatial Engineering<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/reza-morhateb.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Dr. Reza Mortaheb\"\n                style=\"object-position: 47% 12%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 104 | Style: object-position: 47% 12%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Dr. Reza Mortaheb<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher in Geospatial Analysis and Urban Planning<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Graduation_Vaishnavi.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Naga Vaishnavi Marupaka\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 88 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Naga Vaishnavi Marupaka<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Research Assistant Visualization<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/kyle.jpeg\"\n                alt=\"Kyle Shervington\"\n                style=\"object-position: 48% 15%;\"              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 94 | Style: object-position: 48% 15%; -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Kyle Shervington<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Research Assistant AI\/Software Eng<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                  <div class=\"udt-person-card\">\n                          <img decoding=\"async\"\n                class=\"udt-person-img\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Hemant.jpg\"\n                alt=\"Hemant Kanoujia\"\n                              \/>\n              <!-- DEBUG ID: 168 | Style: NONE -->\n            \n            <div class=\"udt-person-info\">\n              <h3 class=\"udt-person-name\">Hemant Kanoujia<\/h3>\n              <p class=\"udt-person-role\">Researcher<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n      \n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-124","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164,"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/124\/revisions\/164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/simulation.ucf.edu\/UDT\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}