Email: surinas@vcu.edu
Anila Smriti Surin
Adjunct Faculty
Urban and Regional Studies and Planning
EXPERTISE
- Urban governance and institutions
- Tribal land rights
- Sustainable mobility and non-motorized transit
TEACHING
Research Methods for Government and Public Affairs
BIOGRAPHY
Anila Smriti Surin is a doctoral candidate in Public Policy and Administration at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), with a concentration in Urban and Regional Policy. She is currently serving as an adjunct faculty member for the course Research Methods for Government and Public Affairs (URSP 623) and has extensive experience as a graduate teaching and research assistant.
Her research focuses on tribal land rights, governance institutions, tenancy laws, urban development, and social equity in India, particularly examining urban indigeneity and land acquisition challenges in India. She also engages in sustainable transportation planning, mobility solutions, and the preservation of vernacular architecture.
Surin holds a Master of Urban Planning (MUP) and a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) from the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India. She has also taught as an Assistant Professor at her alma mater for six years, designing and instructing both undergraduate and graduate courses in architecture and planning.
PUBLICATIONS
Accordino, J., Mangels, K., Grotheer, S., Surin, A.S., & Kraushaar, L. (2024). What Do Students Gain from Collaborative, In-Person, International Education? Ten Years of the Trans-Atlantic Seminar in Urban & Regional Planning. Journal of Planning Education and Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X241247329
Douglas-Glenn, N. E., Scott, C., Dunn, C., Tomasi, J. H., Auwarter, C., & Surin, A. (2024, July). Equity challenges and opportunities in the revised FAFSA. Richmond, VA: Research Institute for Social Equity. Retrieved from https://rise.vcu.edu/news/newsposts/equity-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-revised-fafsa.html
Abreo, M. N., Prasad, P., & Surin, A. S. (2024). Re-claiming urban neighborhood streets for active transport – Evidence from Vasai, Maharashtra. Transport Policy, 148, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.01.005
Vinod, A. V., Mishra, S., & Surin, A.S. (2022). Place-making and connecting the heritage precincts in an urban area–A case of Thrissur city core. International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management (IJSREM), 6(2).
Chouhan, S., Mishra, S., Surin, A.S. (2022). Re-Imaging the urban streets for cycling in the urban fabric- The case of Dewas. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT),11(9), 182-194.
Conference presentations:
‘Colonial Origins to Contemporary Challenges: Analyzing Tribal Land Rights’ presented at American Society for Public Administration’s 2025 Annual Conference in Washington, DC, March 28-April 1.
‘What do Students Gain from Collaborative, In-Person, International Education Experiences? Ten Years of the Tran-Atlantic Seminar in Urban & Regional Planning’, (with Accordino, J. (Presenter), Surin, A., Mangels, K., Swantje, G.) at ACSP Annual Conference 2023 in Chicago. 18-21October 2023.
‘Reimagining Kharkhai River as Green Linear Network’(with Bandi V.D., Mishra, S.) at 5th World Planning Schools Association Congress - 16th Asian Planning Schools Association Congress 2022, with the theme, “Planning A Global Village: Inclusion, Innovation, and Disruption.” held in a hybrid mode in Bali, Indonesia. 29 Aug- 2 Sept, 2022.
‘Sustainable Parking’ at Short Term Training Program (STTP) on “Mobility in Sustainable Cities” organized by the Department of Architecture & Planning, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, India in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi, India. 20-24th June 2022.