Larisa Ovalles

Research Scientist

Larisa brings nearly a decade of experience in disaster recovery and climate resilience, specializing in post-disaster housing strategies and the advancement of local preparedness through community-centered planning and design. Larisa is currently leading multiple applied research initiatives focused on advancing affordable climate resilient housing strategies, alternative models for post-disaster housing delivery, developing tools that integrate resilience into local planning systems and designing community resilience hubs, both across the United States and Latin America. 

Her research and illustrations are featured in the recently published book “Design Before Disaster: Japan’s Culture of Preparedness,” which explores Japan’s long-standing approaches to disaster preparedness and the role of policy, design, cultural memory, and community infrastructure in reducing risk. Larisa’s research and fieldwork on community climate relocation and displacement in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and Irma has been published in the Journal for Landscape Architecture, titled  “Retreat Critique: Deliberations on Design & Ethics on the Flood Zone.” Larisa holds a Bachelors in Architecture from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Architectural Studies in Urbanism from MIT.

Saeko Nomura-Baird

Research Scientist

Saeko holds a Ph.D. in Informatics from Kyoto University, and her core expertise is in design ethnography and human-computer interaction. She has extensive experience leading user studies and field research in various stages of design projects. In addition to her core research, at the lab, Saeko is also responsible for coordinating the lab’s project in Japan and engaging with Japanese institutions and government stakeholders.

Mayank Ojha

Research Scientist

Mayank is an applied researcher with a background in architecture and urbanism, working at the intersection of climate resilience, geospatial systems, and AI. His interests center on sensemaking and decision-support in complex, uncertain environments, with a focus on enabling collaborative and collective planning and stewardship. He develops human-centered approaches that integrate participatory methods, environmental data, and computational tools to strengthen community resilience.

At MIT’s Urban Risk Lab, Mayank leads the design and deployment of geospatial and AI-enabled decision-support systems used by governments and communities. His work translates field research and hydro-climatic analysis into operational platforms for risk awareness, preparedness, and response, supporting collective action and planning across diverse socio-environmental contexts.