Diana Khaziakhmetova
Research Areas
Diana is a doctoral student in the School of Geography, Development, and Environment at the University of Arizona. Originally from Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, she is of Tatar, Udmurt, Russian, and Ukrainian heritage. Diana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master's degree in Urban Planning from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, followed by a second Master's in Geography from George Washington University in Washington, DC. Through community-based research in Fairbanks, Alaska, she learns how Indigenous placemaking practices (e.g., murals, place naming, cultural programming) enact cultural sovereignty and reshape urban space. Diana aims to advance urban geography by prioritizing the decolonization of urban spaces, policies, and research methodologies, empowering Indigenous communities, and integrating artful community engagement into research. Diana enjoys reading, yoga, visiting museums and bookshops, hiking with friends and their dogs, and traveling in her non-existent spare time.