The enormity of our current crisis on campus is beyond words. Thoughts of support and care for each other are and will pave a path forward. So are listening and learning from each other, and seeking common ground. My deep gratitude to many students, alums, faculty, and administrators for your compassion and commitment. These are very difficult times for our students, as you continue to strive to engage in your studies and professional endeavors.

This digital compilation is a small window to our students’ tremendous accomplishments that make us all proud. On top of your academic and professional progress, you have been building relationships with each other and beyond, for a lasting community of care. Our faculty and administrators care deeply about students, and we remain fully committed to providing support and connecting you to the resources that you need.

Take care and be well,
Weiping

On behalf of the entire UP community, we want to express our deep gratitude to Leah Meisterlin for her unparalleled dedication to our students and contribution to the program. We will miss you and wish you the very best!

Among the GSAPP Summer Workshops this year, Kate Dunham, Urban Planning Adjunct Associate Professor, will be leading a group of student from UP and other programs in a workshop in Amsterdam, Netherlands to learn about the fundamental relationship between planning regulations (zoning), urban design and built outcomes by studying three highly acclaimed, sustainably driven, new mixed-use districts. The learning goal will be for students to see the fundamental role zoning regulations play in ensuring a desired built outcome of a master planned project.

Each year, M.S. UP students have the opportunity to attend the American Planning Association National Planning Conference. This year many students attended the event on April 13-16 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The conference program focused on topics including climate adaptation, housing affordability, and diversity and inclusive design. Mateo Alexander (M.S. UP ‘25) presented to an audience of over 350 people on GenZ Urbanists: Reimagining Tomorrow’s Cities Through Youth-Centric Planning. The presentation focused on equipping planners with fundamental understanding of youth problems and practical tools and actionable steps to empower planners to foster a sense of belonging and fun for all community members. Mateo also discussed advancing urban planning practices that are inclusive, equitable, and geared toward the well-being of current and future generations. Raquel Padilla (M.S. UP '24) also presented at the conference, discussing her thesis research in a session on The Future of Work and Diversity. In addition, students had the opportunity to connect with alumni and faculty at the GSAPP APA Alumni Reception while in Minneapolis. The reception was open to all program alumni and students attending the APA conference.

This April, Dr. Joe Schaffers (District Six Museum) delivered the inaugural PhD in Urban Planning Lecture, Forced Evictions, Memory, and Hope: The Story of District Six, Cape Town with an introduction by Tom Slater.

GSAPP/UP was a silver sponsor of the International Conference on Urban Affairs (ICUA) and Weiping Wu was part of the local organizing committee. Held on April 24-27, the conference brought together urban-focused researchers, planners, and policy advocates to examine strategies to make cities more equitable and resilient. Urban Planning PhD students and alums were invited to attend a cocktail reception during the conference.

Hiba Bou Akar, Associate Professor, will be on Sabbatical as she joins the Fall 2024 cohort of fellows at Columbia’s Institute for Ideas and Imaginations.

Kate Dunham, Adjunct Associate Professor, was the visiting professor for The Master’s in Planning program at El Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus this spring. In honor of International Women’s Day she participated in an Urban Design panel discussion titled Territorios Feministas sponsored by Tec de Monterrey. She also gave guest lectures for the Urban Design Program at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

This spring, Ebru Gencer, Adjunct Associate Professor, was a panelist at two workshops, The Global Workshop on Climate Change and Urban Resilience, organized by Beijing Normal University and the World Bank; and the International Workshop on Climate Change Risks of Cultural Heritage, organized by Durham University and the Middle East Technical University. She was also a panelist at the online webinar, Disaster to Resilience: Learnings from Turkiye’s Recent Earthquakes, organized by Keio University and University of Leicester. Professor Gencer was also a guest editor of a special issue on climate change of El Malpesante, an art and literary magazine in Colombia.

Anthony Vanky presented his research on urban technology at NYU’s Center for Urban Science + Progress, the University of Pennsylvania, and locally as part of the GSAPP Lectures in Planning Series. He has also contributed to shaping the International Science Council’s network of science advisors at the municipal and regional level through his involvement with INGSA in Kigali, Rwanda. Furthermore, his paper on urban considerations for computer vision has been published in the journal AI and Society. In addition, Professor Vanky and Bianca Howard, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, received the Columbia Engineering 2024 Data Science Institute Seed Fund for their project, One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Developing Bespoke and Just Building Decarbonization Plans.

As much as possible, Weiping Wu remains active in the academic communities, a nice respite to her new administrative routine. At the end of February, she spoke about her recent book on China Urbanizing: Impacts and Transitions in both the Green College and School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia. A similar talk at Tulane Architecture’s Spring Lecture Series also offered a wonderful glimpse of undergraduate education in architecture and design.

UP Career Services continues to provide support with professional development, internships, jobs, and advice on constructing resumes, cover letters, and negotiating salaries.

Thank you to AECOM, Buro Happold, DLR Group, NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), NYC Housing Preservation & Development, HR&A, Karp Strategies, Populous, SOM, Starr Whitehouse, Philip Habib & Associates, and WXY for attending the spring Career Fair to network with current students and share opportunities for planning internships and full-time jobs. The event was a success with many students from UP and other disciplines at GSAPP in attendance.

Thank you to all who have contributed to the Resume Book for 2023-2024. We are sharing it with interested employers who requested a copy and are planning outreach to agencies and planning firms. Thanks also to Kalei Valentine (M.S. UP ’24) for overseeing the design of the resume book. We are already discussing an expanded Career Fair for next year with Career Services colleagues from Architecture and Urban Design, Historic Preservation, and Computational Design.

Students and alumni were invited by Bronx Pro, the affordable housing developer, to visit their Melrose North Project as part of our semester’s Office Visits, guided by Mollye Liu (M.S. UP ‘23). We also had a presentation at NYC EDC on their role in city development projects. Thanks to Rachel Aronson (M.S. UP ‘27) for helping us make the connection and to Jonathan Lei at EDC.

In a highly competitive internship and job market, our students are performing well. Here are a few examples of forthcoming summer internships for first-year students:

• Atsede Assayehgen, STV
  
• Charlotte Boulanger, NYC Department of City Planning
  
• Steven Duncan, HR&A
  
• Otis Emslie, BJH
  
• Guiliang Li, City of San Diego
  
• Tim Small, Bloomberg Associates
  
• Andrea Sze, RPA
  
• Ki-Sang Yi, NYC Department of City Planning
  

This year’s studios are an exciting mixture of international engagements, local planning and indigenous site planning and development. Studio topics range from our second studio planning with indigenous partners, based this year in the Hudson Valley; focus on community resilience in Manchester, England; preservation and adaptation in the storied neighborhood of Coney Island; a joint UP and MSRED studio examining new planning tools for increasing housing opportunities and reinforcing manufacturing in East Flatbush, Brooklyn in light of new transit accessibility; and planning for civic activation in Asunción, Paraguay.

• Home in Lenapehoking: Continuing the Lenape Presence in New York City, Anthony Borelli & Sybil Wa
• Greater Manchester Resilience Studio, Ebru Gencer & Jonathan Stiles
• Urban & Civic Activation of Asuncion Historic District: Learning from the Global South in the Heart of Latin America, Jose Luis Vallejo & Ryan Devlin
• Adapting & Preserving Coney Island, Matthew Bauer & Ali Estefam
• Overgrown Undergrowth (East Flatbush, Brooklyn), Adam Lubinsky & Calvin Brown (Joint RED/Planning)

In April, URBAN Magazine released its highly anticipated Volume 34, available in print and on digital platforms. Marking the publication’s 25th anniversary, URBAN’s Volume 34 is a celebration of cities and our lives within them. A recipient of the Center for Architecture’s 2023 Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals, URBAN Magazine has long been created, edited, and published by students of Columbia University GSAPP’s Urban Planning Program. The complexity of urban life has remained a central concern since the magazine’s inception. This year’s edition continues that tradition with an unparalleled lineup of stories spanning 150 pages that will resonate with readers around the globe. Congratulations to URBAN Magazine Senior Editors Ethan Floyd (M.S. UP ‘24), Olivia Jia (M.S. UP '24) and Felipe Urrutia (M.S. UP '24) and URBAN Magazine Junior Editors Jane Cole (M.S. UP '25), Donatella Donato (M.S. UP '24), Steven Duncan (M.S. UP '25), Ruju Joshi (M.S. UP '24), Jaron Kaplan (M.S. UP '25), Olivia McCloy (M.S. UP '25), Saumil Sanghavi (M.S. UP '25), Yuting (Joie) Sun (M.S. UP '24), and Tharika Sundar (M.S. UP '25).

This semester, UP Program Council hosted a Welcome Back Brunch after spring break. Students came to share stories from spring break and their travels for studio, client visits and thesis research! As the year comes to a close, UP Program Council continues to serve as a liaison between students, faculty and admin to meet the needs of the students. From acquiring student-requested supplies for the UP Lounge to contributing to dialogue about the state of the program, the UP Program Council hopes to continue to support the student body, faculty, and administration.

Alyana Acacio (M.S. UP ‘24) worked as a Transportation intern at Sam Schwartz and continues as a SIPA International Fellow. Her research focuses on the transformation of residual spaces and park equity.

Aroosa Ajani (M.S. UP ‘24) participated in Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)’s Winter Shadowship program. During this short but informative experience, Aroosa was able to learn from and shadow thought leaders and practitioners in the fields of architecture, structural engineering, and planning to enhance her education on the skills and processes that enable the creation of our built environments. Additionally, Aroosa was selected as a 2024 WX Scholar by the WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate Association. As a scholar, she will participate in WX’s two-year mentorship program and have access to network events and programs.

Olivia Jia (M.S. UP ’24) continued her internship on WXY’s urban planning team in NYC this semester. At WXY, she is supporting the development of policy and land use recommendations for a neighborhood planning process in Long Island City, in addition to designing engagement materials, and researching past planning efforts to inform a more community-led planning process.

Jae Hyun Kim (M.S. UP’ 24) will be starting doctoral studies (D.Des) at Harvard GSD with a concentration in Planning and Real Estate, focusing on mobility innovation and urban development research.

Claudia Kohn Avila (M.S. UP'24) is the Market Cities Intern at Project for Public Space (PPS). She supports the program by conducting data collection for a project aimed at developing a new business strategy for a market network in New York City, and writing content for the Biweekly Bazaar newsletter.

Caixia Mao (PhD Candidate) was selected for the Weatherhead East Asian Institute 75th Anniversary Student Award for Excellence for her outstanding academic performance and research related to the regions of East, Southeast and Inner Asia. Caixia’s research explores the techno-politics of how the Indonesian state uses foreign capital from China and Japan to support its large-scale infrastructure ambitions. Her focus on the intersection of domestic Indonesian politics and donor-recipient relations between China-Indonesia and Japan-Indonesia provides policymakers with critical analysis to understand the stakes of different actors in infrastructure development.

Chelsea Mullen (M.S. UP ‘24) was selected as a 2024 WX Scholar by the WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate Association. As a scholar, she will participate in WX’s two-year mentorship program and have access to network events and programs. Chelsea also continued working as a Graduate Analyst at Karp Strategies this semester, where she focused on supporting real estate development strategies and projects promoting equitable development in the offshore wind industry.

Raquel Padilla (M.S. UP '24) was a speaker at the 2024 National Planning Conference held at Minneapolis last April where she participated in the Future of Work and Diversity session. Next year, she’ll be joining the doctoral program in Planning and Public Policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School in Rutgers University where she will be a trainee for the NSF NRT Socially Cognizant Robotics for a Technology Enhanced Society (SOCRATES) program.

Daniela Perleche (M.S. UP ’24) will be joining the doctoral program in Urban Planning at Columbia University. She will be presenting her master’s research at RC21 in Santiago de Chile about women asylum seekers seeking shelter in New York City.

Lance Punay (M.S. UP ‘24) will be joining Stantec’s New York Office full-time as an Urban Planner in the summer after continuing his role as an Urban Planning & Design Intern since June 2023. His work primarily centers around mobility planning and urban design, particularly in terms of designing public spaces and streets, crafting visualizations, and preparing reports for various Complete Streets projects across the United States. Additionally, he completed his Capstone Project entitled, “Activating Jerome Plaza through the NYC Plaza Program,” in partnership with the Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP), which involved the creation of a report and Community Visioning Session Toolkit to support FOMP’s future NYC Plaza Program application. This included documenting current conditions, researching usage patterns, and proposing design and programming enhancements for the plaza. Previously, he also served as the Teaching Assistant for the Fall 2023 Introduction to Urban Data and Informatics class.

Catharina Utami (M.S. UP ‘24) researched women-led participatory planning in Lombok Island, Indonesia, for her thesis by conducting a 2-week outreach trip to villages in East Lombok and North Lombok. She visited village offices and community hubs around the region and met with local women’s groups that have redefined how inclusive planning practices could be applied at the grassroots level.

Sarah Abdallah (M.S. UP ‘23) is Business & Innovation Community Director at the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

Natalie Barfay (M.S. UP ’23) is a Specialist at New York City Emergency Mangement.

Tina Chiu (M.S. UP ’96) has been named Research Scholar at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management.

Ali Estefam (M.S. UP ‘20) is an Associate at Grain.

Guilherme Rocha Formicki (M.S. UP ‘19) has been selected for a research scholarship at the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) in Brazil. He will join a team of scholars who are investigating housing improvement practices in Brazil’s informal settlements.

Calvin Harrison (M.S. UP '23) is an Arabic-Speaking Member Organizer at the Street Vendor Project.

Elaine Hsieh (M.S. UP ’21) is a Jr Economic and Planning Analyst in Urban Solutions and Transit at Hatch and has been named to the 2024 cohort of Emerging Leaders in Transportation at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation.

James Lammers (M.S. UP ’23) is a Project Manager at Street Lab.

Matthias Neil (M.S. UP '06) is a Train Service Planning Manager at Onxpress Partners.

Cole Perry (M.S. UP ’21) is a Senior Marketing Analyst at Altus Group.

Danielle Roberts (M.S. UP '22) is a Senior Analyst at HR&A.

Zeinab Sellami (M.S. UP ’21) is now a Senior Associate at Karp Strategies.

Eshti Sookram (M.S. UP ’23) is an Urban Planner at BFJ.

Erik Strand (M.S. UP '22) is now a Senior Analyst at Karp Strategies.

As the semester closes we would like again to thank our dedicated mentors for their involvement in helping to guide our students on their career paths, and devoting their time and sharing their professional experience. If you’d like to participate or would like more information, please contact Douglas Woodward at dw38@columbia.edu.

• Justin Barton (M.S. UP ’21) Assistant Project Director, WinnCompanies
  
• Matt Bauer (M.S. UP ’92) President, Madison Avenue BID; Adjunct Associate Professor, Urban Planning
  
• Anthony Borelli (M.S. UP ’96) Sr. VP Planning & Development, Edison Properties; Adjunct Associate Professor, Urban Planning
  
• Alanna Browdy (M.S. UP ’20) Strategist, Gensler
  
• Rebecca Cook (M.S. UP ’20) Project Manager, Gehl
  
• Tim Douglas (M.S. UP ’16) Planner III, STV
  
• Eri Furusawa (M.S. UP ’18) Director, HR&A
  
• Kate Galbo (M.S. UP ’20) Climate Action Planning Manager, Kim Lundgren Associates
  
• Steven Getz (M.S. UP ’17) VP, Head of Production, Community Preservation Corp.
  
• Tara Heidger (M.S. UP ’19) Managing Director, M&C Saatchi World Services
  
• Yi Jiang (M.S. UP '18 and M.Arch ‘21), Intermediate Architect, SOM
  
• Tatiana Kopelman (M.S. UP ’18) Housing & Urban Development Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank
  
• Nick Kunz (M.S. UP ’19) PhD Student, Cornell University
• Geon Woo Lee (M.S. UP ’21) Senior Analyst, HR&A
  
• Elizabeth Marcello (MIA ’10, PhD UP ’20) Doctoral Lecturer, The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College
  
• Jonathan Marty (M.S. UP ’21) PhD Student, University of California, Berkeley
  
• Jessica Mathew (M.S. UP ’15) Senior Advisor, Special Projects and Initiatives, MTA
  
• Brady Meixell (M.S. UP ’22) Government Services & Business Services Manager, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp.
  
• Michael Montilla (M.S. UP ’19) PhD Student, University of California, Berkeley
  
• Heather Roiter (M.S. UP ’07) Deputy Commissioner, Risk Reduction & Recovery, NYC Emergency Management
  
• James Piacentini (M.S. UP & M.Arch ’20) Product Manager, Digital Services, NYC DCP; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Urban Planning
  
• Charlie Romanow (M.S. UP ’18) Transportation Planner, WSP
  
• Justin Romeo (M.S. UP ’18) Director of Special Projects, NYC DOT
  
• Josh Saal (M.S. UP ’13) Housing and Community Planning Consultant
  
• Stephanie Shelloe (M.S. UP ’13) Director, Environmental Division, NYC DCP
  
• Ron Slangen (M.S. UP ’05) Deputy Country Director, Asian Development Bank
  
• Howard Slatkin (M.S. UP ’00) Executive Director, Citizens Housing & Planning Council
  
• Erik Strand (M.S. UP ’22) Senior Analyst, Karp Strategies
  
• Marla Weinstein (M.S. UP ’13) Urban Planner, Google
  
• Savannah Wu (M.S. UP ’20) Development Manager, Northeast Region, Reactivate
  
• Claire Yang (M.S. UP ’20) Chief of Staff, Silicon Harlem
  

We would also like to thank the following alumni who participated in our Career Fair, the GSAPP event at the APA Conference in Minneapolis, and the Spring Alumni/Student Networking Mixer:

• Kit Nga Chou (M.S. UP ’23) Streetscape Operations Manager, FAB Fulton
• Kevin Costa (M.S. UP ’23)
• Jack Darcy (M.S. UP ’16) Transportation Planner, NYC DCP
• Renata Dermengi Dragland (M.S. UP ’10) Planner, City of Los Angeles
• Fernando DeGuia (M.S. UP ’02) Founder & President, K12Genie, Inc.; VP Residential Property Management, Steiner NYC
• Sori Han (M.S. UP ’22) Analyst, HR&A
• Hilary Ho (M.S. UP ’23) Analyst, HR&A
• Geon-Woo Lee (M.S. UP ’21) Senior Analyst, HR&A
• Taylor Miller (M.S. UP ’14) Planner, David Evans & Associates,
• Callie New (M.S. UP ’14) Assistant Vice President, Planning & Advisory Services, WSP
• Mauricio Rada Orellana (M.S. UP ’22) PhD Student, Columbia GSAPP UP
• William Reis (M.S. UP ’19) Planner, City of Montrose, CO
• Lucy Robson (M.S. UP ’13) Program Manager, Capital Planning, NYC DCP
• Rob Sanchez (M.S. UP ’23) Planning Fellow, Department of Parks & Recreation, NYC
• Matt Schwartz (M.S. UP ’09) Director, Strategic Planning, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Headquarters
• Zeinab Sellami (M.S. UP ’21) Senior Associate, Karp Strategies
• Caroline Thompson (M.S. UP ’20) Planner, DLR Group
• Ryan Walsh (M.S. UP ’07) Manager of Community Engagement, Mid-Atlantic, FHI Studio
• Andrea Wong (M.S. UP ’23) Urban Planner, WSP USA