When Frank Zou delivers one of MAPP's commencement speeches next week, he’ll be marking a tremendous personal achievement: the successful completion of his Doctoral of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning and Design (URPD), the pinnacle of scholarship and a sometimes-arduous journey that can take some students a decade to complete; for Frank, it was five years.
A native of China, Frank came to Maryland after earning his Master’s at the University of Oregon. Navigating a new campus and community at first was disorienting, he said, but he quickly branched out and grew roots: with his peers, he cultivated a solid and supportive URPD community engaged in headline-grabbing research, and then developed engaging programming, like the URPD seminar and UMD Data Challenge. All of these elements, he says, helped him thrive at Maryland.
“I’ve tried not just to pursue an academic career, but give myself a role in this program,” he said. “The sense of community through the URPD program, and the friendships I’ve developed there, is something I really cherish.”
Wednesday will also mark a significant milestone for MAPP+D’s PhD Program. Despite the challenges of a worldwide pandemic and the setbacks it created for students, the URPD program has produced six doctoral scholars in 12 months—the most in the program’s nearly 20-year history.
“This is a significant accomplishment, not only for individual URPD students but also for the URPD program as a whole, particularly because of its relatively small in size,” said Interim URPD Director Hiro Iseki. “The receipt of a Ph.D. degree follows the lengthy and dedicated hard work of a student with support from faculty advisers. At the same time, I am very pleased to see six PhD candidates able to pull off these efforts and cross the finish line despite the difficulties during the pandemic. I hope that the program continues to be productive and thrive with the support of the new Dean, Dawn Jordan, in the coming years.”
URPD’s PhD graduates go on to serve at prestigious universities around the world, work for government agencies at various levels, international organizations and think tanks, and engage in cutting-edge research, education and practice while leveraging the skills cultivated at Maryland to make their mark on the world.
“It has really helped me take the initiative and find myself as an educator and someone who can lead. It’s been very meaningful,” said Zou.
Here’s a look at MAPP’s PhD Pandemic Class and what’s next:
Zhenpeng “Frank” Zou (2021)
Dissertation: Zou’s dissertation explored two prevalent sectors of the shared economy: short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, and the shared mobility of eScooters and dockless bikes, shedding light on social, economic and environmental inequity and the impact of these booming industries.
What’s Next: Zou has accepted a postdoc appointment at the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia.
Christopher Leh Dorney (2021)
Dissertation: Dorney’s dissertation centers in Houston, Texas, the only American city never to adopt a city-wide zoning ordinance, analyzing several large American cities to determine whether this decision sets Houston apart from other zoned cities with regards to land use relationships (spoiler: it does not).
What’s next: Chris is a transportation land use planner for WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Carlos Arturo Manjarrez (2021)
Dissertation: How do investments in art and culture—such as public murals and music festivals—impact local economies? In his dissertation, Manjarrez uses quantitative and qualitative methods to study the impact of an arts district designation on business enterprise growth, using Frederick, Maryland, as a case study.
What’s next: Carlos is currently the director of policy and equity research for DC Action.
Eom Hyunjoo (2021)
Dissertation: The spatial mismatch between job opportunities and residential segregation of low-impact Black populations in urban spaces has been well-studied since the 1960s. In Hyunjoo’s dissertation, she examines a changing geography to find similar segregation, inequity and access to jobs in predominately Black suburbs.
What’s next: Eom is a postdoc with Unist’s Department and of Urban and Environmental Engineering in South Korea.
Maria Rodriguez Beltran (2020)
Dissertation: What role does design play in actual play, particularly for diverse populations? This was the subject of Rodriguez’ 2020 dissertation, which develops a concept for the “People’s Park,” everyday spaces that promote social wellbeing for all. Using a Copenhagen park as a case study, she tests her model to demonstrate how diverse populations can co-exist and connect through convivial activities.
What’s next: Maria has opened her own practice with her husband in Madrid, Spain.
Binbin Peng (2021)
Dissertation: Studies have shown that extreme heat events can be detrimental to human health; what is less studied is how the built environment can make them worse. Peng’s dissertation examines built environment factors that are public health threats during extreme temperatures using an interdisciplinary approach, uncovering a link between extreme heat events and an increase in severe nonmotorized accidents.
What’s next: Binbin continues to collaborate with her advisor, Dr. Marccus Hendricks, and is currently an assistant professor for the School of Social and Public Administration at East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China.