Traci Birch, PhD, AICP

Traci Birch is the Interim Managing Director of the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio and an Assistant Professor in the LSU School of Architecture. Her particular focus is ecosystem management and facilitating local implementation of regional planning efforts. Traci completed her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning (2003) and her Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Environmental Management (2011), both from the University of New Orleans. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree with concentrations in graphic design and media production from Baldwin-Wallace University (1995). Before joining CSS, Traci spent 10-years+ in the private sector as a practicing planner in Louisiana and the Gulf South. Her teaching experience includes graduate and undergraduate studios and seminars in coastal, sustainability, and environmental planning. She has previously taught at East Carolina University and the University of New Orleans. Traci is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Planning Association.