News

Dr. Kate Menken ('91) Named 2025 Charles A. Ferguson Awardee for Outstanding Scholarship
Dr. Kate Menken ('91) has been announced as the 2025 Charles A. Ferguson Awardee for Outstanding Scholarship by the Center for Applied Linguistics. Congratulations, Dr. Kate Menken!

Ego of the Week: Leo Biehl
Check out 34th Street's interview with Leo Biehl ('25), showcasing his research and work in housing policy, both in Europe and Philadelphia.

URBS Minor Connor Nakamura Featured on Penn Today
Check out this Penn Today piece about fourth-year student Connor Nakamura's research on Bayard Rustin's Civil Rights Vision.

URBS Alum Michael Banks Named One of the Most Admired CEOs by Philadelphia Business Journal
Congratulations, Michael, on being named one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Philadelphia Business Journal! Michael is the executive director of The Promise PHL, an organization dedicated to reducing poverty in Philadelphia through raising funds and building sustainable careers.

URBS Alum Yasmin Radjy Appears on MSNBC's Morning Joe
Yasmin Radjy ('08) appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe on October 28 to discuss Swing Left's efforts in mobilizing volunteers to canvass for progressive candidates in crucial swing districts across the country.

On the Grid
Check out this Omnia piece about an alum, Emily Schapira (URBS '02) and the work that she is doing. Its a great example of a career that grows out of URBS!

URBS Alum Francesca Ciampa's ('22) Honors Work Featured in Journal of Higher Education Outreach & Engagement
Congratulations to Francesca Ciampa (URBS '22), whose URBS Honors work, "The Interlocking Roles of Campus Security and Redevelopment in University-Driven Neighborhood Change: A Case Study of the University of Pennsylvania," has just been published in the

URBS Faculty Domenic Vitiello Featured on Penn Today
Domenic Vitiello, an urban and regional planning expert, teaches classes that invite students to locations in and around Philadelphia to better understand how its denizens dine.

IUR Celebrates Local Urban Leader Elaine Simon
Penn IUR Co-Director Dr.

URBS Alum Rachel Diller featured on Good Dirt Podcast
Rachel Diller, a Penn Urban Studies alum, is featured on the Good Dirt commercial real estate podcast. Check it out here!
Here's an overview: