Professor Chris Nelson joined the University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture in 2014 as professor of urban planning and real estate development. He was formerly presidential professor and director of the Metropolitan Research Center at the University of Utah (2008-14), professor of urban affairs and planning as well as co-director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech (2002-08) and professor of city planning and public policy as well as coordinator of the land development and urban policy programs at Georgia Tech (1987-2002). As the author of nearly 30 books and more than 400 other scholarly publications and PI/Co-PI of more than $50 million in grants, Nelson is ranked 9th nationally among more than 1,000 planning professors in the quality of published work based on scientific metrics.