Irayda M. Ruiz
Education/ Certifications:
2004 Certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
2002 Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), with concentration in International Development, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
1997 Post Graduate Diploma: Facilitation and Peaceful Conflict Resolution, Central American Superior Council (CSUCA).
1996 Licenciature* in Architecture, University of San Carlos of Guatemala(USAC).
* Professional degree conferred in Guatemala, includes 10 semester course-work, one year of internship, oral examination and Thesis dissertation.
Languages:
Spanish (native language)
English: Fluent
Academic experience:
2006- Assistant Director Current responsibilities include: Directing
of Operations the School advising office, coordinating internships,
course scheduling and assessments, managing the school’s fiscal and reporting requirements, identifying funding sources and developing grand proposals, Assist Director in spearheading public relations and advancement initiatives and Teaching a graduation seminar for Spanish Major students as well as other advanced topics on Latino American Studies.
2001-2002 Research Assistant Assisted the Research team in the “Urban
Indicators sub-city level in Guatemala and
Shanghai” sponsored by UCGIS. Prepared and
digitized thematic maps using Arc View and Arc
Info software.
2000-2001 Research Assistant Assisted the Research team in the “Richmond Urban Indicators Project” and gave technical support to users of GIS system created by VCU-URSP in the Local Indicatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. Winter 2000 to Spring 2002.
1998 Coordinator Elaboration of plans, programs and
Infrastructure Division projects related to new infrastructure on
Planning Office the academic campus and other properties of Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC).
1996 – 1998 Assistant Professor Taught courses on Research Methods and
Theory and work as Thesis Advisor at the
School of Architecture, University of San
Carlos of Guatemala.
1995– 1998 Academic Researcher Worked as research associate in fields
related to:
Urbanism, Housing and Historic Preservation.
1992 – 1994 Research Collection of data, assisted the research
Assistant team in the Department of Research of the
School of Architecture, USAC.
Professional experience:
2004-2006 Senior City Planner Working for the City of Hampton as a senior member of the comprehensive plan team. Assist the Planning Director as project manager of Downtown Hampton and Kecoughtan Corridor Master Plans. Lead community outreach and participation and manage public communications strategy. Assist Planning director with managing consultants and sub-consultant’s work, schedule and product delivery. Organize multiple events and activities to facilitate stakeholder input such as design charettes, public meetings, update website, etc. Conduct research, analyze data, writing staff reports and making presentations to elected officials.
2002-2004 City Planner Worked within the Comprehensive Plan Team
of Planning Department to develop plans and ordinances.
Performed GIS analysis on information received from a
variety of data sources in order to provide tailored, value-
added information to the final products delivered to
customers. Provided mapping, statistical and other technical
support when needed.
2002 Planning Intern Worked for James City County, Va. Planning Division.
Conduct research on several projects, preparing maps, writing reports, summarizing documents and making recommendations. Organize staff and community meetings; prepared agendas, recorded discussions and memorandums.
Summer 2001 Interned with the United Nations Development
Program-Guatemala Office. Worked as an Intern with the United Nations Development Program office in Guatemala in which she developed a proposal to be used by the Guatemalan Government to seek funding for developing GIS-based tools to facilitate the development of polices for disaster prevention while managing future development in rural areas, small towns in Guatemala.
1993 – 1998 Architect Designing, planning and supervision of private
construction projects as partner of a private firm of architecture in Guatemala, City.
Memberships:
2006- International Planning Division of APA
2005- Co-Chair Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee of VAPA
2005- Member Woman in Planning Division of APA
2004- Member of the Hampton Roads Hispanic Community Dialog
2004-2006 Co-Chair Tidewater section of American Planning Association
2002- VCU Alumni Association
2000 - Member of American Planning Association (APA)
2000- Member of American Planning Association Virginia Chapter (VAPA)
2000-2002 Member of Urban Studies and Planning Graduate Students Association at VCU (URPSA)
1996- 2003 Member of the Colleague of Architects’ of Guatemala (CAG)
Awards
2002, ’03 & ‘04 Achievement Awards, Planning Department, City of Hampton.
2000-2001 Graduate School Scholarship, College of Humanities, Virginia Commonwealth
University.
1996 Awarded for the “Best Thesis of the Year” from the College of Architects of Guatemala.
1994 Research Fellowship from the Department of Academic Research, DIGI- USAC.
1993 – 94 Honorary Member of the Superior Council from the Universidad de San
Carlos de Guatemala.
1991 – 92 Representative for the students at the Directive Council School of Architecture.
Research papers and Publications:
2006 Hampton Community Plan, (Senior Planner and principal co-author).
2006 Kecoughtan Corridor Master Plan, (Project Manager and Reviewer).
2004 Downtown Hampton Master Plan, (Project Manager and Reviewer).
2002 James City County Comprehensive Plan (Research Assistant)
2001 Urban Indicators at Sub-City level in Guatemala City and Shanghai, China. University Consortium for Geographic Information Systems - US Department of Housing and Urban Development. ( Research Assistant)
2000 Richmond Neighborhood Indicators. Local Initiative Research Corporations - Department of Urban and Regional Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University. (GIS Research Assistant).
1998 Las Viviendas de las Viudas en la Region Ixil; Estudio de tres poblados indigenas in Guatemala: Nebaj, Cotzal and Chajul “The Homes of the Widows, in the Ixil region the Study of Three Mayan Towns in Guatemala: Nebaj, Cotzal and Chajul” (Research Coordinator and Principal Author) 300 pp.
1997 “The Architecture and Urbanism of the Banana Plantations: The United Fruit Company and the Victorian Style in Guatemala” “La Arquitectura y Urbanismo en las Plantaciones Bananeras: UFCo y el Estilo Victoriano. DIGI- USAC, (Senior Researcher) 60 pp
1996 “The Moving Border” ”La Frontera Movil: Migraciones Temporales entre Mexico y Guatemala”, UNAM, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, 233 pp (Senior Researcher)
1995 “Post Modernism in the Historic Downtown of Guatemala City” “Postmodernismo
en el Centro Historico de la Ciudad de Guatemala” DIGI, USAC. Guatemala 55
pp. Author
1991 “The Architecture of Plastic Integration: the Modernism in Guatemala”
“Arquitectura de Integracion Plastica: El Modernismo en Guatemala” conducted
by the Research Center of the Faculty of Architecture (CIFA), USAC Research
Assistant.
