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Arvind SindhwaniNew York University Arvind Sindhwani is an Urban Planning master's candidate at New York University's School of Public Service. A native of New York, Arvind grew up in Westchester County, and attended New York University where he earned a B.A. in Urban Design this year. Previously, Arvind worked at the Regional Plan Association and the SoHo Broadway Initiative, and now currently works for The Office of the Public Advocate. He initially became interested in housing after attending land use committee meetings at various community boards at the beginning of his undergraduate career. At Arvind's first planning internship, he researched municipal inclusionary zoning policies in the New York Metropolitan Area, which also jump started his passion for housing. He is primarily interested in affordable housing policy through land use changes, and plans to pursue a career as an urban planner at a city agency or in the City Council. |
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Costanza TremanteNew York University Costanza Tremante is an Urban Planning master's candidate at Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, concentrating on the international development planning. Costanza graduated from the University of Florida in 2020 with a B.S.in Sustainability and the Built Environment and a minor in Urban & Regional Planning. As a graduate student, she is currently working with Paisaje Transversal, an urban planning office in Madrid, Spain that emphasizes community engagement and develops innovative and transformative urban projects. As a young immigrant herself, originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Costanza is interested in immigration policy in urban planning, focusing on how governmental policies support labor emigration with local development. In her past research, she has also focused on leveraging the effects of gentrification and rapid urban change for low-income communities. |
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Deepakie Singh SodhiBaruch College Deepakie Singh Sodhi is pursuing a master's in Public Administration at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, with a concentration in policy analysis and evaluation. Deepakie grew up in multiple countries as her father was a diplomat for the Indian government, and earned her undergraduate degree from Lancaster University in Great Britain in 2015. During her time there, she taught social statistics to undergraduate students for two and half years, and worked on multiple housing, healthcare and anti-discrimination research projects. Deepakie is most interested in policy analysis and evaluation of education programs that innovatively help communities and citizens receive equitable opportunities in order to mitigate educational disparities. Deepakie aspires to work for the United Nations as a policy researcher and analyst. |
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Derek BrennanColumbia University Derek Brennan is a M.S. in Urban Planning candidate at Columbia University's graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. He earned a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Earlham College in Indiana in 2015. Previously, Derek took on a venture of renovating and managing multi-use historic buildings with his family in his hometown of St. Louis. This experience grounded his love of social science in the built environment and ultimately motivated his pursuit to further study urban planning. He is most interested in researching homelessness and housing security in the contexts of re-urbanization and gentrification. After graduating, Derek hopes to make an impact planning, policy-making, and community organizing for greater housing justice. |
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Emily SunNew York University Emily Sun is an Urban Planning graduate student at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In 2018, Emily graduated from Middlebury College with a B.S. in Geography. Seeking the opportunity to explore the realm of urban planning and economic development, Emily worked as a research analyst at HR&A Advisors, where she assisted with projects ranging from real estate repositioning to local innovation economy development and digital master planning. In addition to completing her current studies, she is also an associate at James Lima Planning + Development where she supports projects that incorporate economic development and open space strategies. Emily is particularly interested in studying land-use, community-oriented planning processes and public realm initiatives as a crucial means of creating a vibrant urban culture. |
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Giselle GuerreroBaruch College Giselle Guerrero is a master's candidate at Baruch college, pursuing an M.P.A. at the Marxe school of Public and International Affairs. She attended the State University of New York at Oswego for her undergraduate degree, where she earned a B.A. in English Language and Literature. Giselle has been employed with the City of New York since 2011, and is currently an administrative assistant for the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Child Support Services. As a burgeoning runner and biker in the neighborhood she grew up in, Giselle has become passionate about increasing access to green environments in densely populated regions, such as her locale of Harlem. Passionate about improving resource disparities throughout the city, Giselle is interested in furthering her interest in community and environmental planning through her public administration studies. |
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James Wilson-SchutterNew York University James Wilson-Schutter is an Urban Planning master's candidate, specializing in Transportation at New York University. James graduated with a B.A. in Political Affairs and International Development from UCLA in 2018. During his undergraduate studies, he interned for a California State Assembly member representing the 66th Assembly District in Torrance, CA. This experience enabled him to explore the intersection of community, sustainability and economic development, and their impact on creating more equitable and safe communities. James has also authored numerous articles about risks and impacts of COVID-19 on urban business, and taken part in policy discussions about equity and sustainability. James is passionate about affordable housing, community planning, policy, economic and sustainable development, and data analysis, with a focus on transportation and infrastructure. |
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Jeana FletcherCity College Jeana Fletcher is a third-year Landscape Architect candidate at The Bernard & Anne Spitzer Scool of Architecture at the City College of New York. Jeana graduated from Fordham University in 2009, where she studied visual arts with a concentration in Architectural Design and a minor in Environmental Policy. As she enters the third year of her master's program in landscape architecture at City College this fall, the movement for a sustainable future in the city has guided her interests towards environmentally conscious strategies of sustainable maintenance and material choices. Jeana hopes to lead the sustainable vision of future public space design and create environmentally-conscious spaces that meet the needs of communities. |
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Joelle MillerNew York University Joelle Miller is an Urban Planning master's candidate at New York University, focusing on how to create greener and healthier spaces for low-income residents. Joelle graduated from California State University San Marcos with a B.S. in Environmental Science in 2017. As an undergraduate, her research focused on food apartheids in lower income communities, the effect of pesticides on farm workers, and the cause of Flint Michigan's water contamination. After graduating, she gained professional experience as a Constituent Services Representative for the New York State Assembly, working for the New York City Housing Authority and being employed with Urban Development, an urban planning company. Joelle is currently interested in how to use zoning ordinances to protect communities from environmental health hazards and to ensure all communities have outdoor amenities. |
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Kerry-Ann LewisBaruch College Kerry-Ann Lewis is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at Baruch's Marxe School of Public & International Affairs. Kerry-Ann, raised in Brooklyn after immigrating to the United States, completed her B.A. in Finance from Baruch's Zicklin School of Business in 2020. Previously, Kerry-Ann has worked in banking and as a real estate agent, where she collaborated with the advocacy organizations to initiate training for New York City landlords and real estate agents to dispel stigmas around rental-assistance programs, while adjacently advocating to increase the Family Homelessness & Eviction Prevention Supplement voucher amounts to be more reflective of the New York rental market. Kerry-Ann is most interested in working on community and business development projects in underutilized and underdeveloped spaces upon completing her studies. |
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Kiara SantiagoBaruch College Kiara Santiago, a native New Yorker, is pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in Urban Development and Sustainability at The Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. She earned a B.A. in Sociology from Brooklyn College in 2016. Kiara currently works as an Economic Stability Specialist with Sanctuary for Families and assists with economic/career development for survivors of intimate partner violence. Her current area of study is exploring environmental racism, which manifests in disproportionately high rates of air pollution due to heavy transportation, past land use decisions, poor urban planning projects, and lack of engagement with local community members. Kiara is interested in addressing issues related to economic mobility, zoning and land use, civic engagement, and transportation and is inspired to give back to the New York community that she grew up in. |
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Kieran Micka-MaloyPratt Institute Kieran Micka-Maloy is entering his second year of Pratt Institute's Masters of City and Regional Planning program. Kieran graduated from Cornell University in 2018, where he received a bachelor's degree in Urban and Regional Studies. Currently he is involved in the Pratt Institute Planning Students Association and Pratt Disaster Relief Network student groups. During and after college, he lived in Indonesia and India, working for several non-profit sustainable development organizations. After returning to New York, Kieran spent a year working in the policy Unit at NYC DOT, where he focused on shared mobility policy and street design. Since then, he has worked in the Department of City Planning's Urban Design unit and at the Pratt Center for Community Development, where he is partnering with NYCHA on public engagement for the agency's climate sustainability and resiliency plans. After graduating, Kieran plans to work in New York City at the intersection of public service, sustainability, and urban space. |
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Maia RosevalBaruch College Maia Roseval is a second year graduate student at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College pursuing a master's degree in Public Administration. She earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Sustainability from SUNY Oneonta, followed by a master's degree in Sustainable Communities from Binghamton University. Her previous work experience includes being a Summer Sustainability Analyst for Binghamton University, and a Sustainability Engagement Intern for SUNY Oneonta. As an avid environmentalist, Maia's research interests have always revolved around how to implement and encourage sustainable habits and ways of living within communities. After graduation, Maia is interested in implementing policies that encourage people and communities to become more resilient in the face of climate related changes. |
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Michaela BrocchettiPratt Institute Michaela Brocchetti is a graduate student pursuing a M.S. in the City and Regional Planning program a the Pratt Institute. She previously earned a B.S. in Political Science and Government in 2020 at SUNY Oneonta. Her concentrated research interests are in Participatory Placemaking and Economic Development as a way to strengthen communities that have historically faced disinvestment and displacement. Michaela sees placemaking as a way to utilize public space as a community asset to address local needs. Her studies focus on strategies to support small businesses and entrepreneurs as a way to encourage a resilient local economy, avoid chronic fiscal stress, and propose alternatives to risky public financing structures. Michaela is most interested in research projects involving small business development, retail development, and public space initiatives. |
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Pedro CruzCity College Pedro Cruz is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at City College's Bernard & Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Pedro moved to the United States to study how to rebuild communities while targeting social issues through inclusive building practices, after living through the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017. After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras in 2018, Pedro embarked on the opportunity to work for Enterprise Community Partners, a national non-profit organization based in New York that advocates for racial equity, building resilient communities and planning for disaster recovery. Once he completes his studies, Pedro would like to continue his research on planning for the stateless, and work in advocacy planning and public policy. |
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Robert SeebeckThe New School Robert Seebeck is a master's candidate in the Public and Urban Policy graduate program at The New School's Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Robert earned his bachelor's degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Fine Arts. During this time, he started doing community engagement work, most specifically in the Homan Square neighborhood on several projects, including Oaks of Lawndale and arts programming the Nichols Tower. After graduating in 2018, Robert began working at an employment and family-based immigration law firm as a clerk, then later as a paralegal. This experience led him to enroll at The New School to pursue studies in public policy, where his research interests and coursework revolve around housing, immigration policy, and city planning. Robert hopes to enroll in a PhD program to do more advanced research on planning issues in housing, real estate, zoning, transportation, and other planning related matters. |
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Samantha LaiteThe New School Samantha Laite is a graduate student at The New School pursuing a Master in Environmental Policy and Sustainable Management. Samntha graduated in 2018 from the University of Tampa, with a B.A. in GRaphic Design, focusing on Interactive Media. After completing a certicate program in visual communications at Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy, she spent two years working at a small marketing firm as their Junior Graphic Designer before deciding to pursue graduate school. She looks forward to developing the knowledge and skill-set to be able to fully communicate the correct messaging surrounding climate, environmental, and social injustices from The New School. After graduating, Samantha is interested in exploring the accessibility and educational components of sustainability systems in New York. |
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Shreya BediPratt Institute Shreya Bedi is pursuing a Masters of Science in Historic Preservation from Pratt Institute. Shreya was born and grew up in India, and completed a bachelor's degree in Architecture at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in 2017. Upon graduating, she worked for almost two years in Delhi as an architect on a variety of projects. While working for a government-funded heritage organization in Delhi, India, Shreya realized the potential of adaptive reuse, especially in creating a sustainable future and has grown her understanding of how to amalgamate urban development with the reuse process to attain sustainability. Shreya looks forward to learning to apply these concepts at the community level through the fellowship, and after graduating. |
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Shweta IyerPratt Institute Shweta Iyer, originally from Mumbai, India, is pursuing a M.S. degree in City and Regional Planning from the Pratt Institute. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Architecture in Mumbai in 2018, and is multilingual. Previously, she has been involved as a researcher in affordable housing policies, and as a junior architect and designer for residential developments in Mumbai. Currently, Shweta's graduate thesis focuses on recognizing and understanding the 'story or practice' of a community-based organization working at the grassroots level to mitigate vulnerabilities caused by displacements and segregation in Jackson Heights, New York City. |
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Sori HanColumbia University Sori Han is a second-year graduate Urban Planning candidate at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Sori was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea and completed her undergraduate studies there at Ewha Womans University in 2018. Before coming to New York City, she worked as a high school geography teacher in Seoul, engaging with youth on the importance of open space in our daily lives, and as a 3D modeling consultant at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, building virtual models of publics facilities for the evaluation of disaster management plans. Her experience as a recent summer intern at The Open Space Institute has allowed her to work on projects to increase access to green spaces for New York State's marginalized communities. Sori hopes to pursue a career in creating inclusive environments and strategies, particularly for underserved communities. |
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Taylor DiscoNew York University Taylor Disco is a master's candidate at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service for Urban Planning, specializing in International Development. She graduated from Siena College in 2019, where she received a B.A. in Psychology and a Certificate in Community Development. In 2019 Taylor worked as Bonner Service Leader which allowed her to discover her passion for Community Participatory Research. Afterwards, she continued her interest in community development in Nepal and India, studying the effects of rapid and unplanned urbanization on youth in developing countries. Taylor is interested in finding sustainable solutions to community planning issues, especially issues of environmental justice and inequality. |
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Victor GorlachCity College Victor Gorlach is an Architectural master's candidate at the Bernard & Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at City College. He earned a B.A. in Economics from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil, where he harnessed an interest in how design can improve people's lives and the injustices that arise from modern human organization. This past year, Victor has been researching health inequalities in Queens, studying neighborhood and lack of access to fresh, organic foods as part of a year long studio, titled "Studio 25 'Building Culture'" at Spitzer. Victor is most passionate about immersing himself in the communities he hopes to design for, and being that he was originally born in New York, is enlivened to be back in the city and is taking advantage of all the opportunities the city has to offer. |
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Yuning FengColumbia University Yuning Feng is a dual-degree master's candidate in Urban Planning and Public Health at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Originally from China, Yuning spent the latter half of her life in the United States, where she graduated in 2018 from Wake Forest University, with a B.S. in Health and Exercise Science and B.A. in Studio Art. Previously, she worked as a public health research fellow at the Center for Active Design where she designed and maintained the literature database in Excel for COVID-19 and built environment research findings. Yuning plans to continue pursuing environmental planning, either with the city agencies or for private consulting firms, to ensure sustainable and equitable development practices are promoted, while empowering communities with information on environmental health. |
