GIDEON S. GOLANY is Distinguished Professor of Urban Design in the Department of Architecture at Pennsylvania State University and has taught at many universities throughout the world. Among his many honors and awards, Dr. Golany has been named an Honorary Professor of the China Academy of Sciences and a Foreign Director of the China Research Society of Ancient Architecture. He is a recipient of National Academy of Science and Fulbright Research awards. His numerous publications include Vernacular House Design and the Jewish Quarter in Baghdad; Chinese Earth-Sheltered Dwellings: Indigenous Lessons for Modern Urban Design; Design and Thermal Performance: Below-Ground Dwellings in China; and Earth-Sheltered Habitat: History, Architecture, and Urban Design.