Samantha Jo Hinojosa 1800 North Field Street, Unit 2906, Dallas, Texas 75202 (412) 350-9280 | samanthajohinojosa@gmail.com
OVERVIEW Samantha, a recent master's graduate, is prepared to embark on a dynamic career in planning and design. She has a diverse background spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors, so she is an asset for any prospective role. Samantha offers a distinctive and progressively vital viewpoint on sustainability within planning and design. Her passion for understanding the intricate dynamics between people, place, and environment fuels her commitment to crafting innovative solutions for the evolving challenges of urban environments. EDUCATION University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning
Spring 2023
University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture Master of Science in Sustainable Design
Spring 2023
Master’s Thesis: The Effectiveness of Age-Restricted Luxury-Style Apartment Buildings at Filling Gaps in Senior Housing in Austin, Texas Furman University Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Science
Spring 2020
Senior Thesis: The Effect of the Tourism Industries in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina on the Sense of Place: A Sustainable Comparative Analysis Fox Chapel Area High School
Spring 2016
EXPERIENCE Work The City of Pflugerville, Planning Intern Pflugerville, Texas • • • •
Worked with long-range and current planners Helped to develop city art and culture initiatives Helped standardize the development review process Reviewed site plans using the Unified Development Code
Summer 2022–Spring 2023
Scenic Texas, Scenic City Certification Program Intern Austin, Texas • • • •
Worked to enhance the Scenic City Certification Program Authored a published best practices resource guide Visited and reported on over 15 platinum and gold-ranked cities across Texas Presented research findings to board members and ranked cities
Lauri Ann West Community Center, Summer Camp Aide Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • • • •
Summer 2020
Worked with children ages 5-7 Created crafts according to the educational theme of the week Assisted teacher with daily lesson plan Cleaned classroom according to CDC guidelines
UCapture, Campus Ambassador Furman University • • • •
Summer 2021–Fall 2021
2018–2020
Encouraged Furman students to register for the green tech service Presented to classrooms and clubs Organized table sits around campus to reach out to Furman students Held the record for most members signed up by an ambassador
Furman Farm Employee
2016–2017
Furman University • • • •
Planted and tended a variety of crops Harvested and prepared organic crops to be sold Provided Furman Dining Hall with produce for students and faculty Practiced organic and environmentally friendly growing techniques
Fox Chapel Ski and Board, Sales Associate Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • • •
2013–2019
Fitted customers into ski equipment and apparel Ran social media efforts Trained Cashier
Research Graduate Research Assistant for the Program Graduate Advisor University of Texas School of Architecture • • • •
Provide administrative support to incoming and current students Survey students’ progress and feedback through the program Lead and plan program orientation Lead and plan program open house
Fall 2021–Spring 2023
Community and Regional Planning Practicum University of Texas School of Architecture • • • •
Fall 2021–Spring 2022
Collaborated on green jobs research with university faculty Conducted interviews with green job organizations Filmed and edited video for an EPA environmental justice challenge Presented research products to environmental professionals
Graduate Research Assistant University of Texas Moody College of Communications • • •
Fall 2020–Spring 2021
Researched the use of virtual reality in environmental communication Wrote literature reviews and performed content analysis of the subject Ran participants through virtual reality simulation to record apparent behavior
Summer Research Fellow Furman University • • •
Summer 2019
Funded student-led research on tourism in Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC Created maps of place identity locations, hotel locations, and popular destinations Surveyed and interviewed residents and tourism professionals
United Nations Millennium Fellow Furman University • • •
Fall 2019–Spring 2020
Supported UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities Participated in weekly meetings with other student researchers on Furman Campus Attended webinars connecting with other students and professionals internationally
Sustainability Solutions Workshop Furman University • • • •
Fall 2018
Developed a plan for placemaking in the New Washington Heights neighborhood Led the place-making team Wrote the place-making section of the strategic plan with two other students Organized a bottle cap art project with families in the neighborhood
Volunteer Ronald McDonald House Charity Greenville, South Carolina • • •
Helped families of sick children feel more comfortable Cooked meals for people residing in the house Raised money through various fundraisers to maintain the costs of the house
Summer Recycling Team Furman University • • •
2017–2020
Summer 2017, Summer 2018
Educated students and families to correctly recycle cardboard during move-in Answered questions and made new students feel welcome Promoted the importance of sustainability for the university
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS Bernacki, S. (2021). Scenic City Certification Best Practices Guide. Scenic Texas. Bernacki, S (2020). ISSUE: 017. Examining Property Values in Austin, Texas. University of Texas School of Architecture. Bernacki, S. (2019). The Effect of the Tourism Industries in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina on the Sense of Place: A Sustainable Comparative Analysis. Southern Conference Undergraduate Research Forum. Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, November 2-3, 2019. Virtual: Bernacki, S (2019). The Effect of the Tourism Industries in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina on the Sense of Place: A Sustainable Comparative Analysis. American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting. Denver, CO, April 6-10, 2020.
HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Dean’s Ambassador, University of Texas SOA Dean’s List, Furman University
Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023 Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020
SKILLS Technical ArcGIS Pro ArcGIS 10.8.1 QGIS Adobe Suites Microsoft Suites STELLA Dynamic Systems Modeling MaxQDA Qualtrics
Professional Writing Research Public speaking Graphic design Project management Adaptability Critical thinking