First Year CRP Students
The City and Regional Planning program at Ohio State University is proud to have more than 100 students in our Master's and PhD programs. These students come from all over the world. Our students have a wide range of education backgrounds and interests. To learn more about our current students view the information below.
Adam Anderson started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He holds his undergraduate degree in Marketing Management from Grove City College, and a Master's in Higher Education from Geneva College. He has spent the last three years as a campus minister with the Coalition for Christian Outreach at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, along with volunteering for various redevelopment projects in the Erie area. His thesis project title is "Urban Colleges and Universities and Their Communities: An Exploration of the Interactions between the Two Constituencies" and hopes to spend his time at Ohio State to learn more about these interactions. In his spare time, Adam enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with friends and family. Adam is an intern with the City of Dublin.
Andrew Bailey started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. Andrew holds a bachelors degree in Urban and Regional Planning and English from East Carolina University. His interests include urban design, graphical information, and the different connections and relationships between development, the environment, and people. Andrew is an environmental review intern with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.
Janelle Bremer started the Master of City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. She earned her BS in Accountancy from Case Western Reserve University. She is interested in regional planning and international development.
Sean Chao began the Master's in City and Regional Planning program as part of a dual masters program with the John Glenn School's Master's in Public Administration in the fall of 2008. His undergraduate studies including four degrees from the Ohio State University, in the following: Political Science, Security & Intel, East Asian Studies, and Chinese Language. He worked for the Wackenhut Corporation and as a soldier within the United States Army. He is primarily interested in International Development Planning and Neighborhood Planning. Sean is a graduate assistant with the OSU Department of International Studies.
Andrew Clark began the Master's of City and Regional Planning Program in Fall of 2008. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Geography. He is particularly interested in the economic stimulation of struggling downtowns as well as traffic management. His interest in planning stemmed from the SimCity line of computer games! His outside interests include sports particularly Vols football and recreation basketball. Andrew is an intern with Delaware County in the GIS department.
Louis Clayton started the Master’s in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He holds his undergraduate degree in Geography and Spanish from the University of Kentucky. He is interested in neighborhood planning, affordable housing, infill and redevelopment, and mass transit. He enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and reading. Louis is an intern for the Franklin County Planning Department.
Ryan Cowden began the Master of City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He received his undergraduate with a double major in International Studies and Latin American History at OSU in 1999. His interests include economic development, international planning, city revitalization, transportation planning and public policy. Ryan’s background includes working in the airline industry, government and advertising. Outside of his coursework he enjoys gardening, cooking, biking, reading, museums and has travelled on all six continents. He is also a die hard Buckeye and Cleveland sports fan. Ryan is an intern with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Kimberly Dooley started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. She received her undergraduate degree in Earth Sciences and Geography from Central Michigan University. She has been working since graduation for the Midland County, Michigan GIS Department. She is responsible for a variety of mapping projects including, emergency management, mosquito control, parks and recreation, and central dispatch. Before graduation she worked for the Walt Disney Company. Kimberly is an intern with the City of Grove City.
Catherine Feerick started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Catherine grew up in Zanesville, Ohio with two brothers and an older sister. Following a love of literature and language, she majored in History and International Studies at Loyola University in Chicago with minors in Comparative Literature and Islamic World Studies. The city where she lived and worked for four years provided an excellent opportunity to observe the successes and pitfalls of planning, and her coursework often required discussions of the physical structures and locations of cities and towns. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with departmental honors in History, Catherine knew that she wanted to acquire skills that would enable me to serve my future community, wherever it may be. Catherine is excited to begin studies at the Ohio State University in such an increasingly necessary field!
Nick Fischer started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He graduated from The Ohio State University with Honors majoring in Sociology and minoring in Political Science after Summer 2003 quarter. Nick worked for the Cincinnati Public Schools designing and implementing a full-inclusion program for an autistic student. Following his work for CPS, Nick moved to Changhua, Taiwan to teach ESL at the Trillium Education Institute. In the two years in Taiwan, Nick met his future wife, Meng-Wei Tsai, and traveled much of East Asia. Before returning to his hometown of Cincinnati, Nick spent three months in Beijing at the Beijing Language and Cultural University. Since returning to the United States in December 2006, Nick has worked for Urban Transportation Associates, a transportation consulting firm based in Cincinnati. Nick begins his graduate studies by returning to The Ohio State University in order to advance my career in transit planning. Nick is an intern with the Central Ohio Transit Authority.
Clay Foster started the Master's in City and Regional Planning Program in the fall of 2008. He holds his undergraduate degree in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He spent three years at Verizon Wireless and left the company to pursue studies in urban planning. Clay is interested in promoting zoning and policy that creates a cohesive community through walkable spaces, mass transit, and denser land use. In his spare time Clay enjoys reading, travel, trying new things, good food and good friends.
Brian N. Gay started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He completed his undergraduate studies in Sociology and Business with an emphasis in Regional Analysis and Public Policy at Morehead State University. Brian was elected Student Government President for two consecutive terms at Morehead State while working on his Master's in Public Administration. His interest in City Planning came from his experience working with the NewCities Institute, a non-profit corporation created by the Kentucky League of Cities. His previous research contributions have focused on rural housing quality, economic stimulation related to major transportation routes, and accessibility to healthcare. In his free time, Brian enjoys live music, watching football, and playing an occasional game of disc golf. 
Ariel Godwin started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the Fall of 2008. He holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and German from Grinnell College. He has worked as a freelance translator since 2003. He is interested in environmental planning, sustainable development, and urban renewal. Ariel is an intern with the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
Breyonne Golding started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. She holds her undergraduate degree in Urban and Community Studies from the University of Connecticut. She has spent the last year with Americorp working on rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana and built new affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity in Mobile, Alabama and Pass Christian, Mississippi. She has interned with the City of Hartford, Connecticut Planning Department working in zoning. She has also interned in South Africa on poverty. Breyonne is an intern with the Ohio Department of Development.
Greg Grippa started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. Greg graduated from the University of Cincinnati in August 2007, with a bachelors degree in International Affairs. He then attended Ohio University for two quarters as a geography graduate student. While at Ohio uinivesity, Greg took a land-use planning course and liked it so much that a professor advised him to check out OSU's City & Regional Planning program, and Greg decided that OSU was a better fit for his educational interests. A couple of those interests include New Urbanism, land use planning, and neighborhood development. Gregg enjoys running, swimming, playing pick up games of basketball with friends, traveling and trying things new to him. Gregg is an intern with the city of Columbus’ Neighborhood Services Division.
Kianca Guyton started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. She holds a Master’s in History from the University of Mississippi and a BA in History from Tougaloo College in Mississippi. She works as the Assistant to the Mayor of Madison, Mississippi. She has experience teaching history at the high school and college level. Kianca is an intern for the City of Columbus Neighborhood Services Division.- Christina Harris started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. Christina was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and is a 2004 graduate of Columbus Alternative School. After graduating high school, Christina attended Wilmington College, a private liberal-arts college in Wilmington, Ohio where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with honors Spring 2008. Her hobbies include watching movies, shopping, writing poetry, and spending time with family and friends. Christina is also a big fan of the Ohio State Football team and look forward to the upcoming season. She became interested in City and Regional Planning during the summer of my junior year in undergraduate school, and this program seemed to capture the possibilities of continuing my education. Christina is excited about attending the Ohio State University this fall. Christina is an intern with the Columbus Housing Network.
Rebecca Kemper began the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. As an undergraduate, she completed a dual degree in Architecture and Psychology from the Ohio State University. She is interested in the psychological functions of the built environment. 
Amanda King began the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. As an undergraduate at the Ohio State University, she majored in Political Science and was a Policy and Outreach intern for Clean Fuels Ohio, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to alternative energies in transportation. She has also volunteered with the Ohio Community Development Finance Fund doing demographic research and project reviews for affordable housing and economic development projects in low-income areas. Amanda's planning interests include sustainable development, regional equity, and Fair Growth. She also enjoys music, cooking, politics, and trying to start/find a book club. Amanda is a University Fellow for the 2008-2009 academic year.- I-Ling Lai started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. I-Ling received a Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate and Built Environment from National Taipei University in Taiwan this year. Over the winter break of 2007, I-Ling represented her school by participating in an exchange at Fudan University in Shanghai. It was a great experience and I-Ling became motivated to continue studies overseas. I-Ling interests include real estate development and urban revitalization. As hobbies, I-Ling enjoy traveling, cooking, art and table-tennis.
Ben Martens began the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the Autumn of 2008. He is interested in neighborhood planning, housing, and urban design. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. After graduation, he did a brief stint in law school at Ohio State, volunteered on a handful of political campaigns, and worked for a commercial real estate developer in Cleveland. In summer 2008, Ben interned with the Greater Linden Development Corporation, where he coordinated the community’s Vacant Property Initiative. In his free time, Ben is a self-admitted bookworm and an avid fan of the Buckeyes, Browns, Indians, and Cavs. Ben is an intern with the City of Columbus Department of Development. - Jeneba Massaquois started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware where she was on the soccer team. She spent a year in the Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning program at Virginia Commonwealth University before transferring to OSU. She is interested in urban revitalization, urban design, and real estate development. She enjoys traveling, arts, music, fashion, and design. Jeneba is an intern with National Affordable Housing Trust.
Drew Merrill began the Master’s in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in geography from The Ohio State University in the spring of 2008. While in school he interned in his hometown of Kettering, OH with the department of city planning and also with VWB Research, a real estate market feasibility firm located in Grandview. At VWB, Drew works in the GIS department and is responsible for creating a variety of maps and reports to be used in market studies all over the country. His areas of interest include geographic information systems, site selection, sustainable development, and urban land use planning. In his free time Drew enjoys playing golf, soccer, running, and basketball. 
Lisa Minklei started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. A graduate of Swarthmore College and Maryland Law School, her interest in planning began when she served as a volunteer for several comprehensive plan reviews in Granville, Ohio. She currently works part time with a rural housing initiative and interns with MSI Design in Columbus.- Valerie Montoya started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008.Valerie received an undergraduate degree in Planning from Arizona State University in May 2008. In her spare time, Valerie enjoys camping, hiking, and watching sports. Valerie looks forward to starting classes in the fall and is an intern with the Ohio Department of Development.
Brandon Moss started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He received his undergraduate degree in Sociology from Grambling State University where he was a member of the social research club. He is interested in planning policy and process, and housing, real estate, and neighborhood planning. In his free time, Brandon enjoys playing basketball, salsa dancing, and attending church. Brandon is an intern with the Kirwin Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
Betsy Pandora began the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008 and is pursing a duel degree in Public Affairs. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Theatre, with Minors in Music and Marketing from The Ohio State University. For the past six years, she has worked in the areas of arts marketing, outreach, grant writing, and education. Betsy has worked for theatre companies in Edinburgh, Scotland and London and has held positions at the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts and the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus. She is interested in arts and cultural precincts and the international development of arts communities. Betsy is the Strategic Planning Intern for the Wexner Center for the Arts.- Jaime Pujol started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He holds an Bachelor’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University. He works as the head electrician for LSK Electrical in Florida. Jaime is an intern with the City of Columbus Neighborhood Services Division.
- Krystina Schaefer started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in Spring 2008. She has lived in Columbus for the past several years where she received her undergraduate degree from OSU in political science as well as a business minor. Her specific interests pertain to real estate and economic development and enjoys bicycling and cooking in her free time. She looks forward to starting classes in the fall as well as her internship with the City of Columbus' Land Redevelopment Division.
Grant Shiring began the Master's of City and Regional Planning Program in Fall of 2008. Born and raised in Pittsburg, Grant obtained a bachelor of science in Landscape Architecture from West Virginia University. After graduating, he moved to Southern Florida and worked for the Land Planning and Landscape Architecture firm Houston Cuozzo Group as an entry level designer. Grant is planning on obtaining a dual degree with Landscape Architecture and would like to focus on Urban Revitalization, Infill development, and design theory. Grant is a planning intern with the City of Dublin.
Randy Smith started the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. He received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Toledo in Geography and Planning. Randy has held internship positions with the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments and the Toledo Urban Affairs Center where he used GIS to research neighborhood development. Randy’s research interests include urban design, sustainability, inner city redevelopment, 3d modeling, and site design. Randy is an intern for the City of Columbus Neighborhood Services Division. In his free time Randy enjoys golf, tennis, running, fishing, playing guitar, and watching any sport on TV, especially the Buckeyes.
Scott Ulrich entered the Master of City and Regional Planning program in the fall of 2008. Scott is originally from the small town of Delphos, Ohio. He received his undergraduate degree in Geography from Miami University in the spring of 2008. During his time at Miami, Scott interned with the City of Columbus Planning Division on various neighborhood planning projects and with the City of Oxford Community Development Department as a GIS specialist. His academic interests include community and economic development, neighborhood improvement, public transit, community gardening, GIS, inclusionary land use policy, and social entrepreneurship. Scott is also an avid recreational/commuting cyclist and is always looking for new routes and riding partners! Scott is an intern with ACP Visioning & Planning firm. 
Amanda Waples began the Master's in City and Regional Planning program in the Fall of 2008. She holds an undergraduate degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. Amanda is originally from rural Ontario, Canada. Outside of school and work, she enjoys boating, biking, volleyball, country music, football games and spending time in Muskoka with family and friends. She is currently an intern with the City of Gahanna.