Professional description

Welcome to my e-Portfolio. My name is Melisa Miranda and I am a PhD Candidate at Edinburgh University in the programme of Landscape Architecture. Over the last few years, I have come to develop a keen interest in cultural mapping in matters of community participation, heritage, culture and territorial issues, such as water access among other themes. I am passionate about conducting ethnographic approaches in working in communities with a significant societal impact. In consequence, I consider myself as a cultural map creator who listen through mapping.

Alongside my studies, I have held a variety of roles, from working as a Research Assistant at Centre for Data, Culture and society (CDCS) at Edinburgh University, to being a Course organiser at EGIS, The Urban Institute, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University. These experiences have allowed me to evidence the role of maps as powerful objects who influence policy and decision making. From here is where I want to contribute to equality and accessibility, and balancing power of unrepresented and minority groups through maps. I also intend to transfer this approach to students, not only from a theoretical perspective, but also through teaching the skills in terms of software and new developments in a world moving forward an online interface. 

This e-Portfolio shows key publications, a research blog, teaching experience and a drawing places section, where I express some ideas of places through drawings and images.