Lynn Roche-Phillips has taught in the Geography Department since Fall 2001. Classes taught include Lands and Peoples of the Non-Western World, Environmental Geography, Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning and Urban Planning for Sustainable Cities.

Prior to entering academia, Lynn worked as a professional urban planner with a focus on environmental planning. She started at UK as a part-time instructor in 2001 and was promoted to Assistant Professor after completing her PhD in 2013.  Her research interests include sprawl, growth management and the role of political culture in managing land use. She teaches introductory geography classes, as well as urban and regional planning, and has been a member of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission since 2003.

In addition to being locally engaged on land development policy, Lynn coordinates internships within the Department of Geography and is faculty sponsor for Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geographical honor society.  She is also the faculty mentor for the Pokemon Trainers’ Association at the University of Kentucky.  Lynn and her geographer husband Jonathan have two kids, and in her spare time, Lynn is an avid distance runner.