Project Group

 

Key Researchers:

Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU) team:

Anton Shkaruba (https://www.etis.ee/CV/Anton_Shkaruba/eng/link opens in new page) is a senior researcher at the Chair of Landscape Management and Environmental Protection, Estonian University of Life Sciences. The focus of his research is on biodiversity and land use governance, green urban planning and urban nature, and socially engaging practices in environmental research. In SUNRISE he is the project vice-coordinator and the lead of WP3.

Kalev Sepp (https://www.etis.ee/CV/Kalev_Sepp/eng/link opens in new page) 

Ruthi Veibiakimm (https://www.etis.ee/CV/Ruthi_Veibiakkim/eng/link opens in new page) 

 

V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine) team:

Ganna Titenko (https://ecology.karazin.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cv_ganna_titenko.pdflink opens in new page ) is a Director of the Karazin Institute of Environmental Sciences, Assoc. Prof. of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Management, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, PhD (Geography). Her research interests include environmental impact assessment, environmental management, soil ecology, urban soil properties, and environmental geochemistry. In SUNRISE she is the project coordinator of the KKNU.

Nadiya Maksymenko (https://ecology.karazin.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cv_nadiya_maksymenko.pdflink opens in new page)  is a head of the Department of Environmental Monitoring and Protected Areas Management, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, DSc (Geography), professor. She has research in the field of environmental education, landscape ecology, green urban planning, protected areas management and climate change. In SUNRISE she is the coordinator of National Doctoral school INTENSE - Integrated Doctoral Program for Environmental, Climate Policy, Management and Technology/

 

Odesa National University (Ukraine) team:

Valeriya Ovcharuk (CVlink opens in new page) DSc (Geography), Professor, Head of the Department of Land Hydrology. Member of the Presidium of the Ukrainian Meteorological and Hydrological Society, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Meteorological Society, International Association of Hydrological Sciences, member of the Ukrainian Geographical Society, and European Geosciences Union (2022). Area of scientific interests: hydrological extremes under a changing climate. Authored over 200 published scientific papers (6 monographs, textbooks, articles, and conference papers, including more than 100 international publications) on hydrological topics. In 2020, she completed the WMO Course on Education and Training Innovations. She has experience in 5 Erasmus+ projects (ECOIMPACT, INTENSE, ClimEd, CLUVEX, GROMADA).

In SUNRISE she is the project coordinator of the ONU.

Angelina Chugai (CVlink opens in new page) DSc (Technology), Professor, Head of the Department of Environmental Science and Environmental Protection, with a PhD in Geography. Her specialty is Environmental Safety, and her research interests cover the assessment of technogenic load on the environment, methods for evaluating water and air quality, etc. She has experience in 2 Tempus IV (QANTUS, EnGo) and 4 Erasmus+ projects (ECOIMPACT, INTENSE, ClimEd, TransLearnN, GROMADA), and more than 300 research and methodological papers

Inna Khomenko (CVlink opens in new page) Associate Professor at the Department of Meteorology and Climatology, PhD in Geography. An expert in Dynamic Meteorology, Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Climate and Weather Extremes, Weather Hazards for Aviation, and Regional Aspects of Climate Change. She has significant experience in the implementation of international research and educational projects.

In 2019, she completed the WMO Advanced Online Course for Trainers of RA-IV (Blended Learning), and in 2020 – the WMO Course on Education and Training Innovations.

Author of over 100 scientific and methodological publications, including 4 monographs, as well as tutorials and lecture summaries. She has participated in 2 Tempus IV projects (QualiMet, EnGo) and 5 Erasmus+ projects (ECOIMPACT, INTENSE, ClimEd, CLUVEX, GROMADA).

 

Iinstitute of the Ecology of the Carpathians (Lviv, Ukraine):

Iryna Shpakivska: Нead of Department of the Еcosystemology Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Associate Professor, PhD оf Ecology

She has research in the field of environmental science, forest ecology, soil ecology, green urban planning, protected areas management. In SUNRISE she is the coordinator of Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Oksana Maryskevych, Assoc. Prof., PhD (ecology). Leading scientist of the Department of Ecosystemology of the Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians NAS of Ukraine.

She has research in the field of forest and soil ecology, management of protected areas and development of urban environmental protection programs.

In SUNRISE she is the lecturer of National Doctoral school INTENSE - Integrated Doctoral Program for Environmental, Climate Policy, Management and Technology. 

 

University of Zagreb (Croatia) team:

Tamara Zaninovićlink opens in new page, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Department of Urban Planning, Spatial Planning, and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb (AF UNIZG). She finished PhD studies at the Vienna University of Technology (TUW) and carried out part of the doctoral research on the Space Syntax Laboratory at the Bartlett School of Architecture, London (UCL). Her research is focused on memorials, post-disaster recovery of places and communities, resilience, and cultural heritage. In the SUNRISE project she is the lead of the AF UNIZG research team and of WP4.

Ivona Cvitković, MSc, is the Head of the EU projects office, Institute for Research, Development, and Innovation, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb. She graduated at the Faculty of Law, UNIZG. Project experiences include INCEPT, Erasmus; PoC6 for scientists; CPD4GB, ESF; HURBE, Erasmus+; Architecture's Afterlife, Erasmus+, KA2; CIRI – Center for Research, Development and Innovation, ERDF; H-CCF, ERDF; APLE, Erasmus+; BAUHAUS4MED, Interreg EURO Med. In the SUNRISE project she is project manager of the AF UNIZG research team.

Ana Sopinalink opens in new page, PhD, is a senior assistant at the Department of Urban Planning, Spatial Planning, and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb. She developed her teaching and training abroad, at the University of Camerino, School of Architecture and Design, as well as through collaboration on international research projects. Her main research interests concern the urban and natural landscape relation; protection of landscape, natural, and cultural heritage; the reading of landscape; landscape resilience; and synergetic green solutions for public landscape spaces. In the SUNRISE project she is part of the AF UNIZG research team.

Inja Kavurić Kiretalink opens in new page is a graduate designer of visual communications and an associate professor at the School of Design, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb. Her main interests are research of creative processes as well as drawing and illustration education, with a particular focus on character and narrative design. She combined creative interests and research by participating in the Edu4games project, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), within the ‘Modernising high education quality through Implementation of CROQF’ program. In the SUNRISE project she is part of the AF UNIZG research team and visual designer of the project.