Priyanka Bista

Priyanka Bista is a Nepali-Canadian designer, educator and researcher working at the intersection of biodiversity conservation and public interest design.

Currently, she is serving as the 2022-24 Joseph F. Thomas Visiting Professor at Carnegie Mellon Architecture, where she is researching and teaching courses around multispecies design. Previously, in 2019, she was selected as the Visiting Faculty Fellow for the Design for Spatial Justice Initiative at the University of Oregon.

She co-founded and led a nonprofit studio in the Eastern Region of Nepal. The project, called "Vertical University," harnesses the learning potential inherent in the vertical gradient of Nepal, starting at a 67-meter elevation in Koshi Tappu to Mount Kanchenjunga (the third tallest peak in the world) at 8,586 meters.

Before working in Nepal, Priyanka previously held the position of Senior Architect and Planner at Collaborative Media Advocacy Platform (CMAP), Nigeria, where she worked on the Human City Project with youth from informal settlements of Port Harcourt.

Priyanka holds a Masters in Architecture (M.Arch), an M.A. in International Architectural Regeneration and Development (IARD), and a Bachelor's in Architectural Science (B.Arch.Sci).