Students

Students in the School are pursuing a number of degree programs. Each year, 35-40 students start the 2-year Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program and 6-12 start the Masters of Urban Studies (MUS) program. There are about 70 students pursing the graduate certificate in Real Estate. We have 6-12 students enter the PhD program in Urban Studies each year. In addition, there are about 30-50 undergraduate students majoring in Community Development. Many other PSU students choose to minor in SUSP programs, including Sustainable Urban Development and Real Estate Development.

In the MURP program, all students participate in the Planning Workshop, where students work in small groups to develop a project for a community client of their choice. Past student projects can be seen here. MURP students have an option of completing a field area paper. Some examples of recent FAPs are linked here: http://web.pdx.edu/~jdill/Field_Area_Papers.htm. Students have also competed in the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties Pacific Northwest Real Estate Challenge. All MURP students and many other USP students undertake professional internships with public agencies, private firms, and non-profit organizations in the region and beyond.

Several student projects have won local and national awards. For example, three groups of Portland State University faculty members and students were honored for outstanding volunteer service by the Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces Department (http://www.pdx.edu/usp/news/4508/). Three Planning Workshop projects from 2004 won awards from the Oregon chapter of the American Planning Association (http://www.pdx.edu/usp/news/4431/). In 2003, a team of MURP students working with a team of students from the University of Oregon won a national award from APA on a project developing outreach activities to planning commissioners in the State of Oregon regarding policies and programs to integrate land use and transportation planning (http://web.pdx.edu/~jdill/TGM.htm).

The undergraduate students organize the Community Development Club. The MURP students organize activities through the Planning Club. The Planning Club organizes the MURP orientation, speaker forums, trips to planning conferences, and mentoring programs.

For more information about students in the Toulan School visit the links below:

Laura Reiersgard
Portland General Electric
BA, Western Washington University, 2001

Jose Alfredo Robles
Compass Realty
BA, Marylhurst University, 1995
MPA, Portland State University, 1998

Anthony Roy
Ecos Consulting
BA, Northwestern University, 1993
MIEL, University of Aberdeen, 1995

Blake Runckel
Corporate Valuations, Inc.
BS, University of Oregon, 2000

Josh Schlesinger
BPM Development LLC
BA, Pitzer College, 2004

Laurel Schweitzer
Portland Development Commission
BA, University, of Oregon, 1999

Ed Shearer
ServiceMaster Building Maintenance
BS, Lewis & Clark College, 1983

Brandi Stamp
Wells Fargo Bank
BS, Portland State University, 2001

Matthew Stein
Green Gables Design & Restoration
BS, Stanford University, 1997
MEd, Boston College, 2001

Nicholas Stock
ExpoExchange
BS, University of Pittsburgh, 1990

Ben Sturtz
Washington County Department of Housing Services
BA, University of Illinois, 1998

Loriel Stutzman
Northwest Title Company
BA, George Fox University, 2003

Leo Suzuki
Standard Insurance Company
BM, The Julliard School, 1997
MM, The Juilliard School, 1999

Matthew Thorne
Thorne Berry Farms
BS, University of Oregon, 1998

Elizabeth Tonsmeire
Buell Properties
BS, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2005

Cicily Traudt
Residence Life
BA, Portland State University, 2005

Lisa Troisi
Phoenix Realty, Inc.
BA, University of Montana, 2002

Timothy Van Wormer
Port of Portland
BLA, University of Washington, 1988

Brian Vanneman
Metro Planning Department
BA, University of Oregon, 1997

Thomas Verheyen
Oregon Golf
BS, Portland State University, 2002

Jack Wagnon
Builders Media Group
BA, Fort Hays State University, 1993

Barbara Warren
First Independent Bank
BA, Washington State University, 2001

Stephen Williams
Mt. HoodMeadows Ski Resort
BA, Clark University, 2002

Olivia Zirker
Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative
BA, University of Utah, 1998
JD, University of Connecticut, 2004

Tatyana Zvyagina
Dean Runyan Associates
BA, Moscow State University (Russia), 1999
MCRP, Rutgers University, 2003