William O'Dell, Director

Bill O'Dell is the Director of the Shimberg Center. Mr. O'Dell has spent several years at the Shimberg Center collaborating on the development of a number of data products, among them the Affordable Housing Needs Assessment. Before coming to the Shimberg Center, Mr. O'Dell was a policy analyst at the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research where he was involved in several research projects concerning Florida's Growth Management Act. He has been involved in local and state government issues in Florida for several years. His local government experience includes capital improvement planning, housing and impact fees. In 1996, Mr. O'Dell earned his Masters degree in Political Science from the University of Florida, with a Certificate in Public Administration.

Linda J. Stanley, Office Manager

Linda Stanley has been with the Shimberg Center for over 20 years and currently serves as the Center's Office Manager. She is responsible for all administrative processes that allow the Center to function within the University of Florida environment: personnel, purchasing, payroll, property inventory, and job cost accounting.

Sherry Ahrentzen, Research Professor

Dr. Sherry Ahrentzen joined the Shimberg Center in 2011 as a Research Professor. Prior to coming to the Center, she served as Associate Director for Research of the Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family at Arizona State University for six years. Her research focuses on new forms of housing and healthy, sustainable communities to better accommodate the social and economic diversity of U.S. households and families. With a doctorate in the multidisciplinary program of Social Ecology at University of California, Irvine, Dr. Ahrentzen thrives on collaborating with experts and colleagues across the spectrum of residential studies and practices, from building construction and technology, to interior and architectural design, to neighborhood development and community design.

Abdulnaser Arafat

Dr. Abdulnaser Arafat is an assistant scientist with the Shimberg Center. Dr. Arafat received his Ph.D. in Design, Construction and Planning from the University of Florida in the summer of 2011. His research focuses on the coordination of land use and transportation, with special emphasis on the allocation of suitable land for affordable housing. His research and modeling work is based on performing disaggregated and fine spatial resolution analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) and computer programming. Dr. Arafat has authored and coauthored a number of research papers that have been presented in local and international conferences or published in conference proceedings and journals.

Sarah Dwyer, Research Assistant

Sarah joined the Shimberg Center as a Graduate Research Assistant in January 2012 and is pursuing a Masters Degree from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering department in Applied Sciences with a focus on residential energy efficiency. Sarah is currently working for Dr. Sherry Ahrentzen on healthy homes research. Sarah also works with the Program for Resource Efficient Communities on projects such as the Florida Weatherization Assistance Program Analysis.

Jim Martinez, Senior Systems Architect

Jim Martinez is a senior systems architect for the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. His technical duties include software engineering, developing web applications, system administration, database administration and maintenance, and on occasion vacuuming. In his free time Mr. Martinez, who has earned both a Masters and a Bachelors degree in Mathematics, enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, playing guitar, reading, and salads. He is blessed with one wife, two sons and one original ACL.

Diep Nguyen, Database Manager

Ms. Diep Nguyen is the Database Manager for the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. Her duties include design and management of the center's database, developing the center's website and its applications. She also takes part in researching and developing housing data.

Ms. Nguyen earned her Master degree in Translation and Interpretation and an ABD in Linguistics from Moscow State Linguistics University and a Master degree in Computer Science from University of Florida.

Ignacio Paz Posse, Web Developer

Ignacio Paz Posse is a Web Developer for the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. With a background in graphic design and server-side programming he helps our development with a focus on the visual and user interface design of our web applications.

 

Anne Ray, Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse Manager

Anne Ray is the manager of the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse. While at the Shimberg Center, she also has performed research on preservation of assisted rental housing, public housing, the housing needs of persons with disabilities, farmworker housing, and states' implementation of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Previously, she served as a research and business planning consultant to Hart-Shegos and Associates of St. Paul, Minnesota, a private consulting firm that assists family supportive housing providers with housing development and preservation, asset management, and service planning. Ms. Ray received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Michigan and a Masters degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

 

Marc Smith, Affiliated Researcher

Dr. Marc Smith has rejoined the Shimberg Center as an affiliated researcher. Dr. Smith served as Associate Director of the Center from 2002 to 2004 and as Co-Director from 2004 to 2005. He also served as Associate Professor in the School of Human Ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison and as Director of the DePaul University Institute for Housing Studies. Dr. Smith received a B.A. in Economics and Urban Studies from Denison University, a Masters in City Planning from University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Real Estate from the Ohio State University.

 

Caleb Stewart, Research Analyst

Caleb Stewart joined the Shimberg Center in the summer of 2009. His research currently focuses on the preservation of affordable rental housing. He is a board member of the Neighborhood Housing Development Corporation; a non-profit affordable housing development corporation. He also serves on the City of s SHIP Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Caleb volunteers his time to organize projects for his neighborhood association in the city of Gainesville. Caleb earned his s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida in 2010.

 

Elizabeth Thompson, GIS Analyst

Liz joined the Shimberg Center as a GIS analyst in April 2010. The focus of her work involves the integration of geographic information systems (GIS) into the Center's ongoing research on affordable housing. Her planning background spans local and state government experience in rural and major metropolitan areas, in both the USA and Australia. Liz has received a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography and history from the University of Western Australia and a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida.

 

Ruoniu (Vince) Wang, Research Assistant

Vince joined the Shimberg Center as a GIS assistant in the summer of 2010. His previous assistantship in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning helped him to develop skills in GIS and data management. Among other things, his work at the Center involves updating geographic locations for Assisted Housing Inventory and developing models for the Affordable Housing Suitability project. Vince was awarded his Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning in Fall 2010 and is entering the Ph.D. program in the same department in Fall 2011.

 

Doug White, Affiliated Researcher

Douglas White is a data analyst and researcher affiliated with the Shimberg Center. He contributes to the development of the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse and co-authors the annual publication of The State of Florida's Housing. His education includes degrees from The University of Michigan (BS, Chemical Engineering), The University of Louisville (MBA), and Florida State University (MS, Economics), where he has also completed coursework towards a Ph.D. in Economics.

 

William C. Whiteford, Research Assistant

Bill Whiteford joined the Shimberg Center in August 2011 as he pursues a Ph.D. from the College of Design, Construction and Planning with an emphasis in urban and regional planning. Bill has served as the Palm Beach County Zoning Director, as Land Development Director for a private real estate developer, and most recently as a Principal of Team Plan Inc., an internationally acclaimed land planning, land development, landscape architecture, and urban design consulting firm. He is a graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with a B.A. in environmental studies (major) and biology (minor) and holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida. In addition to being a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Bill is a LEED Accredited Professional and former Secretary and Treasurer of the Palm Beach Branch of the South Florida Chapter of the US Green Building Council.

 

Yuyang Zou

Yuyang Zou is a research assistant with the Shimberg Center where she has been a member of the team since May 2011. Her research at the Center involves the development of the Affordability Housing Suitability Model. Yuyang is currently pursuing a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida with an expected graduation date of Fall 2011.