Alumni Profiles

Graduates of our program have parlayed the knowledge and skills they have gained in pursuing their degree or diploma into rewarding, urban-related careers in planning, project management, post-secondary education, consulting, community outreach, sustainability, and urban research for employers as diverse as municipal governments around the region, Metro Vancouver, Translink, the Portland Hotel Society, BC Housing, Thomas Consultants, HB Lanarc, Stantec Consulting, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, and HASTE (Hub for Action on School Transportation Emissions). Alumni testimonials suggest the importance of the SFU Urban Studies experience to their success.

Charling Li

As a mechanical engineer by training, Charling found that completing a master’s degree in urban studies helped her develop new and broader approaches to sustainability challenges... more

Patrick Santoro

Originally from Vancouver, Patrick brought a lot of relevant education and experience with him into the Urban Studies Program, including a bachelor of urban and regional planning... more

Lily Canan Reynolds

Lily is using what she learned in the master’s program in her current work as a planner for the City of Newton, a streetcar suburb of Boston that’s dealing with development... more

Terry Sidhu

Terry’s career path to becoming a consultant for Sustainability Solutions Consulting is an enlightening one. After completing his bachelor’s degree in... more

Azadeh & Alireza

It was a monumental decision for Azi and Ali to start their graduate studies, let alone relocating to a new country. “Aside from the courses offered by the Urban Studies program... more

Mark Friesen

Mark entered the program with a long history of working in a variety of roles at different nonprofit organizations, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science... more

Alix Freiler

Alix became interested in urban poverty and policy while studying politics at Queens. She thought the interdisciplinary faculty and approach of the SFU Urban Studies Program... more

Sophie Fung

A transformative experience in the classroom is how Sophie describes her time with the Urban Studies program. Sophie started on the urban track during... more

Nazanin Esmaeili

With over a decade of work experience, Nazanin began her Urban Studies journey as no stranger to urban planning. Originally from Iran, Nazanin earned her... more

Mike Soron

Mike entered the master’s program with a BA in political science. He sustained his commitment to politics and public policy throughout his studies – and continues to do so in the rest of his career. Mike had previously worked... more

Rebecca Holt

Before joining the Urban Studies program, Rebecca earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Geography) from the University of Victoria and gained several years of experience working in the field of environmental management... more

Sophie Perndl

Sophie entered the Urban Studies Program with a bachelor’s degree in political science from UBC, and for her, the graduate diploma option was the right fit. “One of my goals... more

Lainya Rowett

When Lainya began her master’s degree in urban studies in 2005, she was already working in a entry-level technical planning position for the City of Surrey, but knew she needed an advanced degree to... more

Michelle Arthur

For Michelle, obtaining a graduate diploma in urban studies was a route to not only better career opportunities, but also a way to increase her capacity to contribute to the conversations about urban issues... more

Darcy McCord

For Darcy, his time in the Urban Studies Program was a big part of what enabled him to make the transition to both a more professionally oriented career path and to the type of small... more

Graham Twyford-Miles

Graham's career path is a good example of how combining education with extra-curricular activities can take you to some interesting and unexpected places. While pursuing his undergraduate degree in political science at UBC... more

Darren Proulx

SFU Urban Studies alumnus Darren Proulx has had an exciting career in which he’s used both his knowledge of mechanical engineering and urban studies to be successful. In 2022, he worked... more