Meet the summer 2020 MONUM Fellow: Meghann Lucy
The Initiative on Cities (IOC) is proud to announce that Meghann Lucy has been selected as the summer 2020 MONUM Fellow. Meghann will spend the summer working with the City of Boston, within the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM). MONUM is Boston’s civic innovation team, responsible for promoting participatory urbanism, along with smarter city infrastructure and innovative service delivery. They are the catalyst and clearing house for civic innovation projects involving the City of Boston and their partners, from residents and community groups to universities, companies and other government agencies.
Meghann is a PhD student in Sociology at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, whose research focuses on consumption, economic sociology, and medical sociology. Before starting her PhD, she worked for the children’s book publisher Scholastic and for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. Meghann has a BA in Political Science from the University of Wyoming and an MA in Liberal Studies: American Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center.
We asked Meghann a few questions about her interest in MONUM, and what she’s looking forward to:
What made you want to apply for the fellowship?
The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics is leading the way for some really creative projects for the City of Boston. They are agile, centrally positioned, and do work that touches upon and is integrated with the work of many other departments and agencies. As such, the fellowship provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn more about how city governments function and ways to make an impact. Also, the programs they are researching and piloting are specifically designed to help generate welcoming spaces for Bostonians, enable them to reach their full potential, and make city life a bit more wonderful. It sounded like an incredible way to spend a summer!
How did you first become interested in civic innovation?
We live in dynamic times, yet often think of government as a bureaucratic, reactionary, and somewhat out of touch institution. However, at the city level, really creative and meaningful programs are happening. I started becoming interested in civic innovation after moving to New York City and seeing some of the small ways that the municipal government was working to improve the day-to-day lives and experiences of New Yorkers.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
I’m really looking forward to getting to work on some projects! Due to the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing an unprecedented situation in which lives around the world and in the United States have changed dramatically. Social distancing advisories are in place, schools and many businesses are closed, and thousands are out of work. However, this is also an opportunity for the City of Boston to respond with innovative programs to help make the lives of Bostonians better. I know those at the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics are dedicated to doing everything they can during this time to do just that, and I am excited to contribute to the excellent work they do.