MSUP Alumni Updates Spring 2021

Hello All, Everybody here at the Urban Planning program hopes you are safe and well in these unusual times. It's strange to think that we have been operating in a hybrid mode for over a year. Nevertheless, we continued to improve and strengthen our program and keep our MSUP community together virtually. We are seeking any news and updates you'd like to share in our semester-in-review newsletter, and asking for volunteers to participate in the 2021-22 edition of the Student/Alumni Mentorship Program, and Fall 2021 alumni and career services programming. To share your update or sign up please complete this short [survey](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfyaG8wC3as_NI47So3maFqKZEQJS5Znjy0iAdR2L5u0tsF8g/viewform?usp=sf_link) by Monday, April 19. As the semester nears an end, graduating students are searching for jobs and continuing students are seeking summer internships. If you know of any opportunities at your organization or otherwise, please feel free to share them with me or to post them on the GSAPP job board, [Engage](https://arch-columbia-csm.symplicity.com/). This platform is also open to all alumni who are seeking employment and positions of all experience levels are posted regularly. I hope that the virtual nature of LiPS has allowed you to participate more easily. If you missed any of this semester’s lectures, you can view them on our [LiPS YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz7CkDLtHf3oRzyJRw0tf4IHh-SlShDHy). You can subscribe to the [LiPS Mailing List here](http://eepurl.com/gyJilP). We also recommend watching the [*Planning Futures? On Decolonial, Postcolonial, and Abolitionist Planning Conference*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V162JZzeUKk), organized by Hiba Bou Akar and hosted by GSAPP. More information about the conference speakers can be found on the [event page](https://www.arch.columbia.edu/events/2180-planning-futures-on-decolonial-postcolonial-and-abolitionist-planning) of our website. We invite you to observe the Urban Planning Studio Final Review on Friday, April 23, 8:30-1:30pm EDT (tentative). You can [join live on Zoom](https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/92587048133). The lineup will be (order of presentations TBD): • *Retail Apocalypse: Strategies for Local Communities*; Anthony Borelli and Sybil Wa, TA: Magda Maaoui • *A Resilient Governors Island*; Stefan Al and Purnima Kapur, TA: Lanier Hagerty • *Regional Solutions for Equitable Urban Food Systems*; Graham Trelstad and Roberta Fennessy, TA: Gayatri Kawlra • (Joint ARCH/UP) *Caribbean Reconnections in Culebra: Plan to Implementation*, Richard Plunz & Douglas Woodward, TA: Mariana Hinojosa The students and I have enjoyed meeting a number of you over Zoom for the alumni and career services events we hosted in February and March. A big thank you to the following alum who participated. **Eddy Almonte**, MSUP 19', Neighborhood Planner at HPD **Gillian Connell**, MSUP 10', Managing Director of Business Operations, NYCHA **Jacob Feit**, MSUP 06', Workforce Development Analyst, US Army Corp of Engineers **Eri Furusawa**, MSUP 18', Valuation/Consulting Analyst, HR&A Advisors **James Garland**, MSUP 02', Deputy Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration **Steven Getz**, MSUP 17', Director of Production, Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) **Jen Jacobs-Guzman**, MSUP 07', Chief of Staff, New Construction at HPD **Nick Kunz**, MSUP 19', Data Scientist, Microsoft **Cheryl Lim**, MSUP 19', Analyst, Karp Strategies **Michael A. N. Montilla**, MSUP '19, Chancellor's Fellow and Doctoral Student, **Department of City and Regional Planning**, University of California, Berkeley **James Piacentini**, MSUP & M.Arch ‘20, Cartographer, Apple **Charlie Romanow**, MSUP 18', Transportation Planner, WSP **Kaz Sakamoto**, MSUP 13', Senior Data Scientist, Lander Analytics; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia University **Kovid Saxena**, MSUP 04', Director of Environmental Planning, Sam Schwartz **Shruti Shubham**, MSUP 16’, Data Analyst, Gridics **Charlie Stewart**, MSUP 17', Real Estate Project Manager, St. Nicks Alliance **Anna Stokes**, AICP, MSUP 19', Project Manager at Northeast Corridor Commission **Alex Wallach**, AICP, MSUP 12', Community Planning Specialist at Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning / APA NY Metro Chapter PDO **Francis Yu**, MSUP 19', Housing Fellow, HPD/HDC Thank you all for taking the time to read through these updates. I wish you all the best of health as we persevere through the ongoing pandemic. If you would like to reach out to the Urban Planning program for any reason, please feel free to contact me. All the best, Emily Junker

Hello All,

Everybody here at the Urban Planning program hopes you are safe and well in these unusual times. It’s strange to think that we have been operating in a hybrid mode for over a year. Nevertheless, we continued to improve and strengthen our program and keep our MSUP community together virtually.

We are seeking any news and updates you’d like to share in our semester-in-review newsletter, and asking for volunteers to participate in the 2021-22 edition of the Student/Alumni Mentorship Program, and Fall 2021 alumni and career services programming. To share your update or sign up please complete this short survey by Monday, April 19.

As the semester nears an end, graduating students are searching for jobs and continuing students are seeking summer internships. If you know of any opportunities at your organization or otherwise, please feel free to share them with me or to post them on the GSAPP job board, Engage. This platform is also open to all alumni who are seeking employment and positions of all experience levels are posted regularly.

I hope that the virtual nature of LiPS has allowed you to participate more easily. If you missed any of this semester’s lectures, you can view them on our LiPS YouTube playlist. You can subscribe to the LiPS Mailing List here.

We also recommend watching the Planning Futures? On Decolonial, Postcolonial, and Abolitionist Planning Conference, organized by Hiba Bou Akar and hosted by GSAPP. More information about the conference speakers can be found on the event page of our website.

We invite you to observe the Urban Planning Studio Final Review on Friday, April 23, 8:30-1:30pm EDT (tentative). You can join live on Zoom. The lineup will be (order of presentations TBD):

• Retail Apocalypse: Strategies for Local Communities; Anthony Borelli and Sybil Wa, TA: Magda Maaoui

• A Resilient Governors Island; Stefan Al and Purnima Kapur, TA: Lanier Hagerty

• Regional Solutions for Equitable Urban Food Systems; Graham Trelstad and Roberta Fennessy, TA: Gayatri Kawlra

• (Joint ARCH/UP) Caribbean Reconnections in Culebra: Plan to Implementation, Richard Plunz & Douglas Woodward, TA: Mariana Hinojosa

The students and I have enjoyed meeting a number of you over Zoom for the alumni and career services events we hosted in February and March. A big thank you to the following alum who participated.
Eddy Almonte, MSUP 19’, Neighborhood Planner at HPD

Gillian Connell, MSUP 10’, Managing Director of Business Operations, NYCHA

Jacob Feit, MSUP 06’, Workforce Development Analyst, US Army Corp of Engineers

Eri Furusawa, MSUP 18’, Valuation/Consulting Analyst, HR&A Advisors

James Garland, MSUP 02’, Deputy Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration

Steven Getz, MSUP 17’, Director of Production, Community Preservation Corporation (CPC)

Jen Jacobs-Guzman, MSUP 07’, Chief of Staff, New Construction at HPD

Nick Kunz, MSUP 19’, Data Scientist, Microsoft

Cheryl Lim, MSUP 19’, Analyst, Karp Strategies

Michael A. N. Montilla, MSUP ‘19, Chancellor’s Fellow and Doctoral Student, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley

James Piacentini, MSUP & M.Arch ‘20, Cartographer, Apple

Charlie Romanow, MSUP 18’, Transportation Planner, WSP

Kaz Sakamoto, MSUP 13’, Senior Data Scientist, Lander Analytics; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia University

Kovid Saxena, MSUP 04’, Director of Environmental Planning, Sam Schwartz

Shruti Shubham, MSUP 16’, Data Analyst, Gridics

Charlie Stewart, MSUP 17’, Real Estate Project Manager, St. Nicks Alliance

Anna Stokes, AICP, MSUP 19’, Project Manager at Northeast Corridor Commission

Alex Wallach, AICP, MSUP 12’, Community Planning Specialist at Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning / APA NY Metro Chapter PDO

Francis Yu, MSUP 19’, Housing Fellow, HPD/HDC

Thank you all for taking the time to read through these updates. I wish you all the best of health as we persevere through the ongoing pandemic. If you would like to reach out to the Urban Planning program for any reason, please feel free to contact me.

All the best,

Emily Junker

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