About
I prioritize opportunities that use urban planning and environmental justice to improve the built environment, the political and social environment, and the quality of life for the people who live in the city and region where I work. Urban planning has affected the lives of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) like myself in detrimental ways; urban renewal alone decimated BIPOC communities across the nation, and land dispossession severed access to self-determination, wealth, and health. This and my experience as a Black woman motivates my desire to influence and practice equitable and just planning strategies.
There are big issues in the built environment (and beyond) I want to remediate: accessible and equitable transportation, housing, green space, and food; better air quality; and energy and water justice. I hope to be a leader, give support to others, and leave behind a legacy that will continue after I am gone.
Education & Affiliations
Education
University of Michigan | School for Environment & Sustainability (SEAS)
MS, Environmental Science | Environmental Justice
University of Michigan | Taubman College
Master’s, Urban & Regional Planning
Bucknell University | Lewisburg, PA
BA, Anthropology | BA, Classics
Cum Laude
Organizations | Associations | Awards
American Planning Association (APA) | Since 2019
Minnesota Association of Planning, Board - DEI Committee Co-Chair | Since 2021
Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) | 2019-21
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
Rackham Merit Fellow | University of Michigan | Since 2019
Agora Urban Planning & Design Journal, Executive Board | 2020-21
Agora Urban Planning & Design Journal, Copy Editor | 2019-21
People of the Global Majority for the Environment (PGMEnt), President | 2020-21
Bunyan Bryant Scholarship Award for Environmental Justice | 2021
Margaret Dow Towsley Scholar | Awarded by the University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women + (CEW+)
YEP! Youth Engagement Planning, Executive Board - Student Representative | October 2021 - Present
Research & Projects
Accelerating Climate Action in Colombia & India | Ann Arbor, MI | January 2021 - May 2021
• 2021 Outstanding Graduate Student Project winner awarded by the Michigan Association of Planning (MAP)
• In partnership with the UN-Habitat, developed strategies to evaluate climate action in Colombia and India
• Actively led in creating project methodologies, negotiating conflicts, decision-making, prioritization, and problem-solving
• Researched, analyzed, and summarized over 100 laws, policies, decrees, and plans to identify climate action legislation in Colombia and India; drafted comprehensive reports with detailed graphics on our findings and recommendations
• Presented findings and recommendations to UN-Habitat partners, Colombia and India partners, the Ministries of Colombia, and Rajasthan state officials
Hope Village Revitalization (HVR) Community Engagement Plan | Detroit, MI | February 2020
• Sojourner Truth Workshop First Place Project
• Consulted with HVR on the serviced neighborhood and organization needs and restraints
• Based on consultation, created a community engagement plan focused on using current resources, employees, and volunteers to increasing digital literacy, organization/resident connectivity, and information exchange
• Presented proposed plan to HVR, colleagues, and other Detroit organizations and leaders
City of Huntington Woods Inclusive Housing Study | Huntington Woods, MI| January 2020 - April 2020
• Developed a 55-page inclusive housing report and inclusive housing strategies for Huntington Woods, MI
• Updated the Huntington Woods population and land use characteristics and performed a housing market analysis using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), Huntington Woods Master Plan, and GIS; data were synthesized into summaries, tables, graphs, and charts
• Planned and conducted a community engagement event with Huntington Woods residents to receive feedback on current and future housing options; findings were included in our final report
• Created case studies of cities similar to Huntington Woods, drawing on those cities’ creativity, successes, and challenges to inform Huntington Woods’ inclusive housing development
• Presented findings and final report to the City of Huntington Woods and affiliates
