Lauren Chew
Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning
Lauren is a Ph.D. student in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the impacts of environmental change driven by resource extraction, such as timber and palm oil plantation, on local and indigenous communities. Specifically, she explores how these activities affect the food systems, land use, and access to natural resources in Peninsular Malaysia.
Before pursuing her Ph.D., Lauren worked with non-governmental organizations in Washington D.C. and Malaysia. In the past two years, she worked closely with the Orang Asli Jakun peoples on various community development projects involving clean water, electrification and regenerative farming.
Lauren was born and raised in Malaysia. She graduated from Furman University with a B.A. in Politics and International Relations, and from University College London (UCL) with a MSc in Social Development Practice.
