As the Arboretum’s urban tree science leader, Chai-Shian Kua works with a wide range of stakeholders on projects related to urban tree research and management.
Her work includes working with municipalities, non-profit organizations, universities, and other stakeholders who have a vested interest in urban tree health and sustainability.
Kua leads the ‘Urban Tree Science Working Group,’ a collaborative effort involving multiple departments and disciplines. Through this effort, the working group strives to improve tree science expertise, strengthen current partnerships, create new networks, and inspire and train the next generation of tree champions who will be responsible for advocating for and managing urban trees in the future.
Kua spearheaded the 2020 Chicago Region Tree Census. This initiative involved close collaboration of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) and the Center for Tree Science (CTS). Kua played a pivotal role in implementing the census, which aimed to collect data on the trees in the Chicago region.
From 2017 to 2020, Kua was the adjunct associate professor at the Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Urban Tree Ecology and Applications. During her time there, she facilitated collaborations between The Morton Arboretum and colleagues from the Shanghai municipality to develop science-based urban tree management strategies.
