Sarah is currently pursuing her Master of Planning at Dalhousie University and is working part time with UPLAND Planning & Design as a Community Engagement Coordinator. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Community Development and Environmental & Sustainability Studies with Co-op from Acadia University, with a minor in Business Administration which she completed in 2024.

Sarah first joined UPLAND as an intern during her undergraduate studies and continued working with the team part-time during the first year of her Master’s program. She then started with UPLAND as a co-op student, in which she contributed to a range of planning projects with a focus on community engagement and communications.

In her final year of her degree, Sarah has been focused on completing her masters research project on how planning can foster inclusion for equity-deserving groups in Canada. This research is part of a larger project in collaboration with the American Planning Association’s LGBTQ+ and Women & Planning Divisions, as well as the Women in Planning Forum at Cornell University. It is supervised by Dr. Joanna Kocsis (Dalhousie University) and Dr. Mildred Warner (Cornell University). This research focuses on identifying planning mechanisms such as policies, strategies, laws, and case studies that have advanced inclusion for women, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in Canada, beyond the commonly studied examples of participatory public space design. Through this research, Sarah will add to an inventory of inclusive policies and academic research on equitable and inclusive planning in Canada.
Sarah is a skilled communicator with strong facilitation and program design experience. During her undergraduate degree Sarah focused on taking courses related to community wellness, equity, social justice and sustainability. Sarah is particularly passionate about how planning can create resilient, equitable, and environmentally conscious communities, and brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to her work.