Peer Advisors

Contact any of the peer advisors if you have a question about the major and would like a student perspective!

Interested in becoming a peer advisor?  It’s a great way to be involved in the major, meet new people, and spread the word about Urban Studies!  Applications are due in May and are available here.

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Pronouns: She/Her

Why I'm majoring in Urban Studies: I’m majoring in urban studies because of its interdisciplinary nature and engagement with the community. It is interconnected with geography, environmentalism, health, politics, economy, design, and social aspects of society. Urban studies centers around people and their communities which is very different from other majors across this institution — I truly think this major can make a positive impact in many aspects. 

Favorite class/professor: Urban Agroecology with Patrick Archie

This has been one of my favorite ...

Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina 

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

Why I'm majoring in Urban Studies: Like a lot of people, I was first drawn to Urban Studies because it allowed me to explore all the different things I was interested in without having to quadruple major! I still love how interdisciplinary it is, but I now have a greater appreciation for how many tools the program gives you (policy, history, data, design, etc) to meaningfully engage with the systems, environments, and issues that shape people's lives and livelihoods. It also provides such a wonderful community of thoughtful ...

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL

Why I'm majoring in Urban Studies: Growing up, I always heavily romanticized New York City, especially because it was the setting of so many influential books, movies, and musicals: Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, 13 Going on 30, The Last Five Years, Rent, etc. I also loved reading Humans of New York interviews, and really seeing how urban spaces -- with their huge concentration of people and places -- uniquely shaped the stories and lives of individuals. In the spring of my gap year before college, I lived in New York, and while reading ...

Pronouns: they/them

Hometown: Reno, Nevada 

Why I'm majoring in Urban Studies: I have always been fascinated in where/how people live and call home! I have been fortunate to have visited my parents' home cities in Bolivia and Peru, and the history, how they were developed, and how people get around was very interesting to me. In Reno, being aware of politics, school zoning, history, and the gradual economic change also supported my interest in Urban Studies.

What I like best about Urban Studies: I love the flexibility and range that Urban Studies has! I think there is something for everyone ...