Audrey Vesota
Shorenstein Fellowship, 2006

"I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2006 with a B.A. in social anthropology and comparative literature. I realized that I was passionate about affordable housing issues as I worked on my senior honors thesis, in which I examined patterns of social interaction in mixed-income HOPE VI developments that were recently built to replace the Cabrini-Green public housing projects in Chicago. I concluded my thesis with a desire to learn more about the implications of HOPE VI and other housing programs. I also liked the prospect of research that would benefit society and inform public policy, a key reason that I was attracted to Humphrey Institute.

Through my Shorenstein Fellowship, I will be able to pursue my interests in affordable housing and urban design in the MURP program to their fullest through a concentration in Housing and Community Development. I am currently working as a research assistant for Professor Ed Goetz on both regional housing policies in the Twin Cities and a HOPE VI development in Duluth. My courses at the Humphrey Institute have all challenged me to translate planning theory into practice through working with local community organizations. Conducting interviews with immigrants in a St. Paul neighborhood, collecting data on home foreclosure rates in low-income neighborhoods, and assessing the feasibility of a potential new light rail transit station are only some of the projects I look forward to working on this semester.

Perhaps most importantly, the enthusiasm of the faculty at the Humphrey Institute motivates me to think creatively and clearly about urban issues, rather than feeling overwhelmed by their scope. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from such dedicated and experienced faculty, as well as from my peers. I am grateful to the Shorenteins for my fellowship, and I look forward to using its opportunities to translate good intentions into effective planning policy in complex political, economic, and social contexts."