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Growing up in the “modernist mecca” of Columbus, Indiana, meant that I was surrounded by great works of architecture contrasted with degraded ecosystems and striking inequality. This experience is the foundation for both my appreciation for good design and my deep commitment to building strong communities that serve everyone. At ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, I had the chance to explore my passion further through interdisciplinary coursework as well as internships at The Nature Conservancy (ES Logan Fellowship), the National Park Service, and the Damariscotta River Association.  

After graduating from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, I worked for two years at Hudson Riverkeeper through the FAO Schwarz Fellowship program. At Riverkeeper, I had the chance to coordinate community engagement programs and saw the need for policies that empower communities to make informed decisions on land and resource use.  This experience reinforced my desire to be a planner, and I was thrilled to start my graduate education in planning following the conclusion of my fellowship.

I’m currently a graduate student in the Master in Urban Planning program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, with particular interest in planning for sea level rise and climate resilience. Many things excite me about the planning field, but most of all I appreciate the chance it offers to shape interventions that improve people’s lives in the moment and simultaneously contribute to long-term systemic change. 

How has ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ helped you, and what advice would you give to current ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ students?

I entered ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ with an interest in politics but unsure of a specific policy focus. Taking “City, Anti-City, Utopia: Building Urban American” with Professor Pearlman my sophomore fall introduced me to the field of urban studies and changed my academic and career trajectory. Professor Pearlman’s passion is contagious, and I was fascinated by the multitude of things in our urban systems that we take for granted. Taking additional urban studies classes with Professor Pearlman as well as Professor Johnson and Professor Greene deepened my knowledge, and reinforced my commitment to the field. 

Brunswick as well as nearby communities like Portland and Lewiston offer rich contexts for studying the critical urban issues of our time. Most of all, current ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ students should seek to take advantage of the opportunity to explore and assist them along with the remarkable resources that ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ puts behind your efforts.

What I do: I am a Real Estate Development Associate at Plymouth Housing in Seattle, WA. Plymouth owns and operates Permanent Supportive Housing for adults experiencing chronic homelessness – folks who have been living on the street for a long time and frequently have severe mental and physical disabilities. My six-person team is responsible for building new buildings for Plymouth. We manage the entire process from finding and acquiring land, to assembling financing from public and private sources, all the way through construction. On a day-to-day basis, I can be doing anything from managing our $30 million construction budget to meeting construction crews on site. The most exciting part is that I always have a hard hat in my car!

My path to my job:  My path has made a lot of turns, but all my choices have been tied to an interest on "home" and "place." When I started ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, I thought I wanted to be a residential architect. I majored in Art History and took architectural history classes because I thought it would be a useful background. I rapidly realized that I didn't want to design buildings, but I was passionate about the study of existing building and art and what they say about the people who interact with them. My interest in old buildings in particular led to urban history classes, which led to an interest in urban historic preservation. So, after ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, I went straight to grad school at the University of Pennsylvania for a dual professional degree program in City Planning and Historic Preservation. There, as I learned more about present-day social justice issues, my interests shifted again to affordable housing finance and policy. Affordable housing ended up being my professional passion, and when I graduated, I looked for positions at nonprofits that build affordable housing. Now, I build homes every day for folks who need them the most. 

How did ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ help me?  I'm a very big believer in the liberal arts, and I think ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ helped me most not by giving me particular hard skills but by developing my mind. At ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, I learned critical thinking, ethics, and how to come to a position and defend it. I learned how to express myself and the ideas I care about passionately and eloquently. These are skills that I use not only in my work, but in everyday life, and in our difficult and complex world, I am thankful every day that I developed these skills at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ helped me the most by developing my critical thinking and ability to craft an argument, skills I use every day.

Advice I would give: I would tell ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ students to enjoy their time and take advantage of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ as an opportunity to explore. Don't worry too much about building hard skills for a particular job; so many hard skills really can't be taught in an academic setting. But excitement about a field or idea and the ability to express yourself are always valuable. Also, focus on building relationships. I have moved all over the country in the years since ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, often to places where I didn't know anyone. My strong relationships with my friends from college gave me the solid base I needed to take those risks.

​What interested me in Urban Planning: My dirty secret is that I was terrified of cities as a child. But, when I started learning about how American cities had developed and the forces that shaped them over time, I started to like them because I understood them. I love that urban studies gives you a window into the patterns that shape everyday life in a city but are unnoticed by many urban people, from the rules that shape the density of housing to how bus routes are designed. Urban fabric is also such an incredible artifact of human lives and relationships, the physical evidence of how we work, shop, eat, and live. I like that urban studies gives the opportunity to understand and honor those physical manifestations and support people and communities by protecting and investing in their environment. Finally, our cities contain so many physical manifestations and perpetuations of injustice against non-white Americans. Working with and changing that urban fabric is an essential tool for breaking the cycle of injustice in America.

Title: ORISE Fellow

I am currently completing a fellowship with the US Department of Transportation via the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). I work in the Office of Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. This office is responsible for recommending overall surface transportation policy initiatives to the Secretary. I am a member of the Environmental Team and Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center. We specifically focus on improving environmental and community outcomes and increasing interagency coordination for infrastructure projects through the environmental review and permitting process.  

What was the path you took to get to your position?

After graduating from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾, I moved back to Chicago to take a gap year before attending graduate school. During my gap year, I worked at the Environmental Law & Policy Center where I assisted with some diesel pollution research and got more experience with GIS. In 2016, I started Georgia Tech's Master of City and Regional Planning program. I specialized in Environment & Health and Land Use. I was very intimidated by transportation and did not take any transportation classes as a student. Despite this, I applied for an internship at the US Department of Transportation in Summer 2017. My fear of transportation became non-existent and I realized that transportation was something of genuine interest to me. After graduate school, I applied for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship at the US Department of Transportation and was delighted to return to where my love for transportation started.

How has ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ helped you, and what advice would you give to current ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ students?

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ has helped me in so many ways. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ is where I pursued my interest in the built environment and urban planning through classes in the Environmental Studies program. My foundational knowledge of GIS started at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ through a science course and has turned into something that I use in my work at DOT. While applying for graduate school, I relied on the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ network. I reached out to several alumni who discussed their planning school experience with me, read my personal statements, and even reviewed my resume. My advice to current students is reach out to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ alumni doing work in fields that interest you. We are more than happy to talk with you!

What interested you about Urban Planning/Studies?

I grew up in the Chicago metropolitan area and cities have always excited me. This was something I carried with me to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ while majoring in Environmental Studies and Sociology. Urban planning was the best way for me to combine the knowledge I gained in both fields and go into a career where I could apply that knowledge and make an impact. I am happy that I get to do exactly that at the federal level.