UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two doctoral candidates in Penn State’s Department of Geography will deliver research talks as part of the department’s Graduate Student Coffee Hour series at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus. The event will also be accessible via Zoom.
Naser Lessani, a doctoral candidate in geographic information science, will present “Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Incidence and Residential Segregation: U.S. Spatiotemporal Patterns (2013–2021).”
Lessani will discuss his recently published research in BMC Public Health, which examined how residential segregation relates to chlamydia and gonorrhea incidence across 3,211 U.S. counties from 2013 to 2021. His analysis found that greater segregation was associated with higher rates of both infections, with disparities widening during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will highlight spatial variation in disease incidence across U.S. regions and discuss the importance of addressing segregation-related inequities in public health interventions.
Lessani’s research focuses on geospatial data analytics, machine learning and the role of human mobility in the spread of infectious diseases. He previously studied and worked at the University of South Carolina and holds a master’s degree from Central South University in China and a bachelor’s degree in geodesy engineering from Kabul Polytechnic University.
Suraiya Parvin, a doctoral candidate in human geography, will present “Placemaking Through Food: A Case Study of Bangladeshi Migrants in New York City.”
Her doctoral dissertation explores how Bangladeshi immigrants create a sense of place and belonging in New York City through food practices in neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights, Jamaica and Ozone Park in Queens, as well as communities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island. Using geographically explicit interviews, spatial narratives, food environment observations and focus groups, Parvin examines how restaurants, grocery stores and communal spaces serve as cultural anchors, shaping both immigrant identity and local foodscapes.
Parvin earned a master of arts in geography from Kent State University and previously completed graduate and undergraduate degrees in geography and urban planning at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has also served as a research assistant on projects related to climate change, migration and urban mobility.
This event is part of the fall 2025 Coffee Hour series hosted by Penn State’s Department of Geography. To learn more and access Zoom information, visit the Coffee Hour event webpage.