Rebecca Griswold
co-editor-in-chief
Rebecca Griswold is a second-year student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Michigan. She is originally from Three Rivers, California. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration from San Francisco State in 2013. After completing her degree, she worked for San Francisco Recreation and Parks before moving to Barranquilla, Colombia, to teach English. Upon returning to California, she worked for both Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks as a Social Science Technician and a Trailhead Ranger. Rebecca worked for the City of Woodlake in rural California for five years before pursuing her graduate degree. Outside of Taubman, you can find her riding her bike, taking yoga classes, rowing the Huron River, and learning to sail.
Calvin Blackburn
co-editor-in-chief
Calvin Blackburn is a second-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning candidate at the University of Michigan. Originally from New Canaan, Connecticut, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Culture at the University of Puget Sound in 2014 and a one-year Intensive Chinese Language Studies Program at National Taiwan University in 2015. After completing his studies, Blackburn moved to Washington, DC, where he worked as a translator and analyst with the U.S. government and as a political risk analyst for the consulting firms TDI and Janes. His planning interests include transportation systems, rural land preservation, and urban infill development. In his spare time, he likes to enjoy a good cup of coffee, play ice hockey, and read about history.
Jessie Williams
co-deputy editor
Jessie Williams is a third-year dual-degree student, pursuing a J.D. at the University of Michigan Law School and Master of Urban and Regional Planning in the Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning. She is a local to Traverse City, Michigan and the Old Mission Peninsula; her home continually informs her law and planning practice, driving her interests in land preservation, environmental conservation, and historic preservation. Jessie graduated in 2022 from the University of Michigan, conducting Honors research regarding Peninsula Township’s Purchase of Development Rights program. Jessie was named a 2024-2026 Wyss Conservation Scholar for the University of Michigan, and is a member of the Dow Sustainability Fellows cohort for 2023-2024. Jessie serves as an Articles Editor for the Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law, and as a board member for the Urban Planning Student Association. In her free time, Jessie loves reading, running, and listening to many, many podcasts.
Emma Berger
co-deputy editor
Emma Berger is a first-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning student intending to focus on transportation & land use planning. Emma was born and raised in the Mississippi River town of Davenport, Iowa, and she graduated from the nearby University of Iowa with a B.S. in Environmental Policy and Planning and a minor in Spanish. Her undergraduate research on the relationship between urban wildlife presence and K-12 academic performance ultimately prompted her interest in land use and environmental planning. Outside of school, Emma works for the Community Technical Assistance Collaborative at the Edward Ginsberg Center as a Project Lead & Student Consultant conducting a qualitative analysis of local city ordinances and policies to identify racial discrimination. She is also the Social Media Coordinator for Taubman College. When Emma is not studying or working, she enjoys running along the river in Bandemer park, trying new restaurants with her fiancé, and watching reality TV shows.
Allison YU
co-creative director
Allison Yu is a second-year, dual-degree student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Master of Urban Design programs at University of Michigan. Home for her is Kowloon District, Hong Kong and Metro Detroit, Michigan. She completed a Bachelor of Architectural Science from the University of Detroit Mercy of Architecture and Community Development. After graduation, she spent a few years working in Washington, D.C., designing commercial, educational and multi-family residential construction. She also spent time in urban planning and design development work for Montgomery County Planning Department, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. She is dedicated to advancing accessible, mixed-use and human-scaled design; with a particular interest for neighborhoods, urban campuses and streetscape typologies. Her focus is tied to regional and comprehensive planning in tandem with urban design. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with ceramics, gardening, assembling miniature models and playing with other people’s fluffy cats.
Russell Lin
co-creative director
Russell Lin is a second-year graduate student pursuing Urban & Regional Planning at Taubman College, University of Michigan, and is currently enrolled in certificate programs in food systems and real estate. Born in Singapore, Russell spent his childhood in Taipei and Shanghai before studying Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins in London, UK. Formerly employed as a graphic designer, he transitioned to urban planning after witnessing the violent displacement caused by gentrification during his studies. He began by teaching community gardening and composting before working as a placemaker in Singapore. Driven by a desire to merge his design background with planning principles, Russell seeks innovative ways to integrate the two disciplines, aiming to empower communities while pushing the boundaries of graphic design and community development. In his free time (once he has some), he enjoys pursuing experimental photography.
Rubin Malik
deputy creative director
Rubin Malik is a first-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning student, focusing on Physical Planning and Design at the University of Michigan. She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Political Science from Wayne State University. Her passion for urban planning stems from growing up in Detroit and yearning for quality resources that seemed out of reach due to infrastructural and social divides. She aims to change that narrative for communities by contributing to projects that connect people to essential resources. This passion is evident in her work on design guides built for local City of Detroit projects, including the 30-mile Joe Louis Greenway, the Safe Routes to School Program, and Complete Streets initiatives. In her free time, she connects her passion for urban planning with photojournalism through creative storytelling and is branching into the editorial space. She also enjoys volunteering with local organizations, attending comedy shows, traveling, listening to music, and rock climbing.
Tanner Beals
deputy creative director
Tanner is a first-year graduate student majoring in Urban and Regional Planning with an emphasis on Physical Planning and Design. Born and raised in the Metro Detroit area, Tanner carries a passion for the City of Detroit and is interested specifically in participatory community planning. In his undergraduate work at The University of Michigan-Dearborn, Tanner conducted research on the roles of street art in the urban setting and its subconscious effects within the community. In his free time, He is either digging for records or producing them; specializing in Golden Age (90’s-00’s) and Lo-Fi Hip-Hop. He also spends time volunteering at The Detroit Sound Conservancy, a non-profit specializing in the preservation and perpetuation of Detroit’s musical history. Most recently, Tanner has been working as an administrative assistant at The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Ashley E. Amey
co-symposium director
Ashley is a first-year Master of Urban Design student from Canton Charter Township, Michigan. As someone from Metro Detroit, she is interested in how the isolationist suburban form has contributed to the United States’ mental health crisis. She graduated from the Eastern Michigan University Honors College with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Urban and Regional Planning and a minor in Sustainability. During her studies at Eastern Michigan University she was president of the Planning Awareness Club of Eastern (PLACE), Co-Chair of the 2023 Student Michigan Association of Planning (S-MAP) conference, Student Representative on the Board for the Michigan Association of Planning (MAP), and a planning intern at Canton Charter Township. Ashley is currently a practicing planner at McKenna, a planning and design firm headquartered in Northville, Michigan. In her free time, Ashley enjoys ceramics, photography, kayaking, swimming, and spending time with her two cats, Kitty and Arnold.
Brooke Bulmash
co-symposium director
Brooke Bulmash is in her final year of a dual degree in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program in Taubman and the Master of Landscape Architecture program in the School for the Environment and Sustainability. Born in the metro Detroit area, Brooke moved with her family to Cleveland, Ohio at age seven and again to Dallas, Texas at age 14. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Art in Architecture and dual minors in Landscape Architecture and Creative Writing in 2021, moving back to Michigan shortly after. During her undergraduate studies, Brooke became interested in the futures of rust belt legacy cities like St. Louis and Detroit, spending time on research projects focused on community-led vacant land reutilization. In her free time, Brooke enjoys reading, various arts & crafts projects, walking in the abundance of nature areas around Ann Arbor, and spending time with her fiancé and their two cats, Penelope and Florence.
Nivedita Patel
deputy symposium director
Nivedita Patel is a first-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning student at the University of Michigan. She earned her Master of Architecture in Urban Design from the SPA Bhopal, in 2017, following her Bachelor of Architecture from NIT Bhopal in 2015. Originally from India, Nivedita’s background profoundly shapes her commitment to urban sustainability, community development, and the creation of inclusive cities. Before arriving in Michigan, she gained valuable experience as a Program Associate at the World Resources Institute in India, where she contributed to the Child-Friendly Neighborhood initiative. Nivedita has also worked as an urban designer at Arcadis and INI Design Studio, focusing on innovative placemaking, tourism redevelopment, and master planning projects. Currently, she serves as a Research Assistant at Taubman College. In her spare time, Nivedita enjoys painting, photography, watching documentaries that explore diverse narratives and cherishes quality time outdoors in nature.
Makenna Litteral
deputy symposium director
Makenna Litteral is a first-year graduate student, pursuing a dual-degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Environment and Sustainability. Makenna graduated from Central Michigan University in 2022 with a major in Environment Studies and a double minor in Computer Science and Women and Gender Studies. She hopes to learn more about the intersection of sustainability, urban planning, and gender studies while at the University of Michigan. Makenna was born and raised in Holland, MI only one mile from Lake Michigan; her proximity to the Great Lakes has greatly contributed to Makenna’s love for the outdoors. In Taubman College, Makenna is also the Internal Relations Chair for the Radical Planning Initiative. In her free time, Makenna loves journaling, reading, and spending time outdoors.
Elyse Cote
co-social media, website, and outreach director
Elyse Cote is a second year Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Master of Urban Design student. She completed her undergraduate studies at the College of the Holy Cross with a dual Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies and Environmental Studies leading her to be passionate about the relationship between our built and natural environments. Although a proud Bostonian, she grew up moving around the country, which makes her excited to learn about new places. She is also the Co-President of the Urban Planning Student Association and couldn’t be more jazzed to work with her board this year. Lastly, as an avid coffee addict, she has made it her mission to try every coffee shop in A2 and welcomes anyone to join her on her caffeine adventures!
Geoffrey Batterbee
co-social media, website, and outreach director
Geoffrey Batterbee is a second year Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability student at the University of Michigan. Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, he graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Environmental Studies, where he completed a thesis analyzing how ideology and geography impact the way environmental issues are discussed in a community’s master plan. His planning interests include sustainable and equitable provisioning of public services and green infrastructure and sustainable land use policy through zoning and other mechanisms. He also enjoys running, hiking, watching soccer, and perusing the stalls at the Kerrytown Farmers Market.
Jordan Hunter
co-social media, website, and outreach director
Jordan Hunter is a first-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning Student. She’s a proud Townie, having grown up in the Ann Arbor area, but her love for public transit stems from summers spent surfing Line 1 in Toronto, Ontario. Jordan graduated from the University of Michigan in 2024 with an Honors degree in Sociology and spent much of their time researching historic First Nations-led urban development on Canada’s Pacific coast. These days, Jordan can be found giving tours around Taubman to prospective MURP students in their capacity as a Taubman College Admissions Ambassador or in their hammock on the Diag on Central Campus, listening to Fiona Apple and unsuccessfully trying to learn French.
Jeewon Suh
finance and fundraising director
Jeewon Suh is a first-year Master of Urban and Regional Planning Student. She was born and raised in South Korea and graduated from Pusan National University in 2024 with an Urban and Regional Planning and Data Science major. While pursuing her undergraduate studies, she gained valuable research experience in the Sustainable Land Use Planning and Smart Growth Lab, where she focused on regional disparity by analyzing population outflows through quantitative and qualitative methods. She also conducted spatial analysis for climate change resilience planning. Beyond academics, Jeewon was a student reporter for the Korea Planning Association and contributed to her university's English journal, The Hyowon Herald. At the University of Michigan, she aims to deepen her expertise in urban informatics, spatial analysis, and sustainability. She enjoys traveling and experiencing various cultures, reading and journaling her thoughts, and taking film photos in her free time.