Unforgettable Celebration Heightens Gratitude for #BUCPUA alumni
The minutia of courses, homework deadlines, and late nights can take its toll on graduate students. But ask any alumni, and the dividends of immersive learning are more than paid in full. Throughout the academic year, BU City Planning and Urban Affairs (#BUCPUA) alumni have returned time and again in a variety of roles to support the Program. But more importantly, #BUCPUA alumni generously open doors and share new opportunities with ambitious graduate students who eagerly anticipate the planning possibilities of tomorrow.
After graduation, #BUCPUA alumni waste no time improving cities and neighborhoods at home and abroad in urban, suburban, and even rural settings. Through the Master of City Planning and Master of Urban Affairs degrees, #BUCPUA graduates can immediately apply theoretical planning concepts and analytical skills to make a significant, lasting impact in their field. The latest #BUCPUA graduate exit survey reflects that 89% of students are employed upon graduation. The wildly successful #BUCPUA Student Learning Enrichment Series is steered by #BUCPUA alumni, including Brian Creamer and David Valecillos. Esteemed #BUCPUA alumni faculty members include Doug Johnson, Ayako Maruyama, and Kwabena Kyei-Aboagye, among others. Examples of courses taught by alumni include UA 510: Transit-Oriented Development in the 21st Century, UA 580: Boston Experience: Role of Architecture in Creating a Sense of Place, and UA 610: Urban Environmental Issues.
To applaud and reinforce the perpetual cycle of learning, growing, and giving back, #BUCPUA threw an unprecedented alumni celebration at Boston City Hall on Saturday, October 15. Faculty, students, and friends mingled in free-flowing conversations with alumni icons, to include James Belmore, Nikko Brady, Brian Creamer, and Charles Vlahakis. Alumnae and living planning legend, J. Brandon Wilson, smiled her way through the crowd and shared valuable career advice and planning tips. Wilson is the Executive Director of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission and provides a critical influence on the #BUCPUA Advisory Board.
The massive celebration was hallmarked by its unique design approach, which was enthusiastically commended by the crowd. Great planners love a challenge, and the Boston City Hall venue was no exception. The #BUCPUA Spring 2016 Keynote Lecture by Mark Pasnik imparted the design history of Boston City Hall along with the building’s evolving social significance throughout the decades. In that light, the #BUCPUA team transformed the dark, concrete mezzanine into a bright, lively setting that enveloped the bustling party scene.
#BUCPUA’s theme, “Green is the New Black”, was reinforced by strands of sparkling green lights and long green spiral balloons. Strangers came together, discussing the assorted activities surrounding the space and gleefully launched colorful beach balls through the maze of people. Upon entering, attendees played networking bingo, which helped them understand each other through quirky questions about where they grew up, having a pet, and attending sports events. Each table was decorated with a sustainable succulent, a trademark symbol of #BUCPUA’s commitment to sustainability. #BUCPUA offers a Certificate in Applied Sustainability that unleashes the tools and skills required to implement sustainable systems affecting how we live, work, and play.
While some were enthusiastic about the #BUCPUA DJ station, others spent time expressing themselves at the public art easel. Friendly disagreements arose when reviewing #BUCPUA t-shirt design proposals, and laughter bubbled over as partygoers attempted to properly sort trash in record time at the waste disposal contest. An amazing array of project posters, #BUCPUA news, and sustainability work was plastered throughout the space, which created common fabric and speaking points for all attendees. Looks of surprise and excitement fell upon those who won #BUCPUA raffle prizes, which included a six coveted books on planning, design, and sustainability.
The #BUCPUA Urban Planning Association, #BUCPUA Sustainability Planning Association, and Fall 2016 #BUCPUA Graduate Assistants collaborated for several weeks to develop an event designed to spark interactions and create memories among the diverse #BUCPUA community. More than ever, the students, faculty, and professionals engaged in city planning and urban affairs must rely upon each other to help bring visions of equity, resiliency, and sustainability to life.
#BUCPUA is always grateful for the continued support from alumni, who create the time and make the effort to genuinely train and develop the inspired students enrolled in the Program. On behalf the Program Coordinator, Professor Dutta-Koehler, the celebration was also intended to accelerate continued academic motivation by demonstrating first-hand the remarkable progress of #BUCPUA alumni.
– Courtney Thraen (MET ’17)