Archives: Leadership

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Academic Background: Occidental College, B.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy Favorite City/Place: California. But I also deeply love Mexico City, Mexico, Medellin, Colombia and a lot of other major Latin American cities. What were you doing before Harvard? I spent three years working as a Legislative Assistant for a California State…

Hometown: Montclair, NJ Academic Background: Barnard College, Urban Studies What were you doing before Harvard? I previously worked as a research analyst and executive assistant at HR&A Advisors, an urban planning and public policy consulting firm in NYC.

Hometown: Brookline, MA Academic Background: University of Michigan: Sociology & Sustainability  Favorite City/Place: Lisbon, Portugal What were you doing before Harvard? I was working at a human rights center, studying ways to design more effective community-based child protection programs in India. What aspects of planning are you most interested in? Age-friendly planning, public health, active transportation,…

Hometown: Westlake Village, California Academic Background:  University of California, Berkeley, B.S. in Business Administration and Environmental Economics and Policy Favorite City/Place: Berlin, Germany What were you doing before Harvard? I was working in commercial real estate finance and consulting.   

Hometown: Calicut, India Academic Background: Newcastle University, Architecture and Urban Planning What were you doing before Harvard? After completing my MSc in Urban Design and City Planning from the Bartlett at the University College London, I worked as an urban designer in England. I moved around a lot growing up, having lived in Oman, America,…

Hometown: Washington, D.C. Academic Background: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.S. in Environmental Science Favorite City/Place: Mexico City–I love all the greenery and vibrant colors! What were you doing before Harvard? I came to Harvard right after undergrad. What aspects of planning are you most interested in? The intersection of planning and tech,…

Hometown: San Diego, CA Academic Background: University of New Mexico, B.S. in Architecture What were you doing before Harvard? School, school, and more school. I came to the GSD straight from undergrad.  

Hometown: Bloomfield Township, Michigan Academic Background: University of Chicago, Environmental Studies & Geography Favorite City/Place: Puritama River, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile What were you doing before Harvard? Living at an urban farm in Detroit and working in reducing energy use in industrial and commercial buildings What aspects of planning are you most interested in? Climate activism, building…

Hometown: Andover, MA Academic Background: McGill University, Geography and International Development Studies Favorite City/Place: Montréal! What were you doing before Harvard? I was working in academia doing research. What aspects of planning are you most interested in? I’m interested in how physical space intersects with different social issues, specifically surrounding interventions related to transportation and…

Hometown:North Hollywood, California Academic Background: UCLA, Sociology Major and Urban and Regional Studies Minor What were you doing before Harvard?I was completing my undergraduate degree at UCLA.  

Hometown: Ottawa, Wisconsin Academic Background: University of Wisconsin – Madison, Political Science and International Studies, with certificates in African Studies and Environmental Studies What were you doing before Harvard? I did all sorts of things before coming to the GSD! At various points I worked as an urban farmer, helped start an intentional community focused…

Hometown: Winnetka, Illinois; The Woodlands, Texas; Now, wherever I am Academic Background: Cornell University, Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies What were you doing before Harvard? Community engagement & organizing (AmeriCorps VISTA in the Mayor’s Office of the City of Austin, TX; Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; Austin Interfaith; Chicago’s Communities United) / tax preparation (Chicago’s…

Hometown: Dallas, TX Academic Background: Vassar College, B.A. in Urban Studies Favorite City/Place: Jacob Riis Beach in NYC What were you doing before Harvard? Before Harvard, I was a project manager for a placemaking firm in NYC. We worked with city governments, private developers, and non-profit groups to design and operate public spaces – like parks and…

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Academic Background: UC Berkeley, German and Political Science What were you doing before Harvard? I worked at a law firm in San Francisco that advised cities, public agencies, and nonprofits on labor, employment, and development issues. Then I moved back to my hometown of St. Louis, where I worked in the city’s…

Hometown: Boston, MA Academic Background: Boston College, B.S. in Sociology Favorite City/Place: Boston! What were you doing before Harvard? I was working in India, D.C., and Tennessee, primarily in the GIS field. What aspects of planning are you most interested in? Urban analytics and informality