Alumni Announcements

There are many ways to stay in touch with URBS:

  • Join the University of Pennsylvania Urban Studies Alumni group on LinkedIn.  This group is limited only to urban studies current students and alums for career networking purposes.  Just search for the page on LinkedIn and request to join.

Alumni Achievements

Emily Eiler (URBS '22)

Food Access Supply Technology

Congratulations to Emily Eiler (URBS '22) for recently getting published in the Journal of Internal Medicine! The research project, which was her focus during her URBS Fieldwork course, discusses household food insecurity and finds ways health systems can address that. 

Sabrina Aponte (URBS ’19) receives Emerging Young Leaders Award

Sabrina is the recipient of an Emerging Young Leaders Award, after having been nominated by Mayor Kenney's Office of Violence Prevention.

Nabilla Ariffin (URBS ’13) wins a spot at the 2018 New Faces Convening

SquashSmarts Community Impact Director, and Urbie, Nabilla Ariffin is 1 of 10 young leaders from ‘global north’ chosen to join 10 young leaders from ‘global south’ for the inaugural 2018 New Faces Convening.

Alexa Salas (URBS ’17) and colleagues publish article about their President’s Engagement Prize project

Alexa interned and volunteered at Puentes De Saludas in South Philadelphia during her junior and senior years.  Her senior seminar paper took up the question of how the family engagement of Latina immigrants and after-school programing could make a difference in the educational attainment of Lati

Joanna Visser Adjoian (URBS ’04) pens op ed on youth re-entry

On February 28, 2018, The Inquirer ran an op-ed by YSRP Co-Directors Lauren Fine and Urbie Joanna Visser Adjoian.

Sharna Goldseker (URBS ’96) Publishes Book on Philanthropy

Sharna Goldseker (URBS '96) recently published a book with co-author Michael Moody entitled, Generation Impact: How Next Gen Donors Are Revolutionizing Giving.

Kristin Kelly (Urbs ’16) studies in China

Kristen Kelly (Urbs '16) is currently in the Yenching Academy of Peking University, earning a Master's in China Studies. Kristin really likes it, and encourages you to take a look at the program:

Melanie Young’s (URBS ’15) student selected to compete in national math championship

Melanie Young (URBS '15) is a teacher at Southwark Middle School in Philadelphia, and introduced the students to the NBA-sponsored board game, Math Hoops, as part of her after school math club.

Anthony Zarate (URBS ’12) named Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist

Anthony has been named as a finalist for the Illinois State Board of Education’s annual Teacher of the Year Award. Zarate, who has been with UNO Charter School Network for three years, teaches English Language Arts to 7th and 8th graders at UCSN Brighton Park Elementary School in Chicago.

Paul Farber (URBS ’05) on Public Art and Urban Renewal

Paul wrote a piece for PlanPhilly in coordination with PennPraxis' upcoming Praxis Dialogues, on what makes art truly public in Philly's current era of urban renewal: