About
Engagement
URP Engagement
The Department is proud to offer a number of opportunities for students to engage in planning-related groups and events. The Department also offers a number of international and study abroad opportunities. Upon completion of their studies, URP graduates are well-prepared to make significant contributions to society across multiple scales and contexts, ranging from local to global, and spanning both domestic and international arenas.
Mentorship Program
The UF Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s mentorship program is designed to foster a meaningful and purpose-driven mentorship experience. The program pairs graduate planning students with practicing professional planners as they prepare to graduate and exit their academic programs. It is a year-long commitment centered around relationship-building, networking, and professional development. Our mentorship program is part of a larger professional development program that includes workshops, internships, the AICP certification program, and experiences, such as attending at APA Florida and APA national conferences. Click here to read about the UF MURP mentorship experience from students and mentors.
If you have specific questions about the program, please contact Liz Abernethy, AICP, URP Planner in Residence at eabernethy@ufl.edu.
Student Planning Association
The Student Planning Association (SPA) is a student-run, faculty-supported organization within UF’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP). SPA’s goal is to cultivate relationships and professional development for students by connecting them to university faculty and professionals, creating networks for burgeoning urban planners. All students in the URP program, and any student interested in planning, are eligible members and are welcome to become involved throughout their studies.
Many SPA members take advantage of joining the San Felasco Section of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, which is the local section of the American Planning Association. Through the San Felasco Section, students are able to meet with and learn from professional planners in the local area by attending lectures, meetings, and socials.
SPA is devoted to engaging students in a variety of ways, including hosting guest speakers from the planning profession, AICP prep workshops, field trips to explore walkable towns and effective public transit, group bicycle rides along Gainesville’s Hawthorne Trail, volunteering at Grace Marketplace, and more.Connect with SPA:
Emily Teodoru
SPA PresidentEmily is a second-year master’s student in the UF Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. Emily is a double gator, having completed her bachelor’s degree in Public Health. She is passionate about community-building, walkability, transit connectivity, and environmental resilience. Emily is excited to serve as the SPA President to lead community-oriented events, increase professional development opportunities for MURP students, and enhance the student planning community across Florida.
Grace Wilson
SPA Vice PresidentBio coming soon!
Sidra Gray
SPA TreasurerBio coming soon!
Elshamma Saint-Lot
SPA SecretaryElshamma is a second-year master’s student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. Having grown up in Fort Myers, Florida, and recently earning her undergraduate degree in Sociology, she is passionate about housing, community development, and campus planning. She is excited to continue to serve the URP community by supporting the organization of events and student-led activities.
Ana Luiza Lanat
SPA CommunicationsMy name is Ana Luiza Lanat. I am a second-year master’s student in Urban and Regional Planning at UF, with a bachelor’s in architecture and urban design. I am deeply passionate about environmental planning and design, and I enjoy creating more sustainable and inclusive urban spaces. As the Student Planning Association’s Social Media Coordinator, I develop engaging content to connect students, share planning opportunities, and build a stronger community.
Lavender Lewin
SPA Online LiaisonHello! My name is Lavender Lewin, and I live in Asheville, North Carolina. I graduated from the UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Environmental Studies and started the online MURP program in January 2026. I am excited to be the online liaison this year! I look forward to monitoring the new group chat, helping to plan online events, and connecting with everyone throughout the year.
Student Engagement
Students in the URP Program are involved in a multitude of different clubs and activities on campus. Further, the departments hosts events such as tailgates, symposiums, and anniversary celebrations that bring students, faculty, and alumni together. Please look at our DCP Events page for more information on current events going on.
Some of the clubs in which our students are involved include:
– The Student Planning Association (SPA)
– Students for New Urbanism
Our students also participate in study abroad programs such as:
– The Preservation Institute: Caribbean
– The Preservation Institute: Nantucket Summer Program
– Urban Planning and Design in Brazil
– Urban Planning and Design in China
– UF in Hispaniola
For more information on student involvement and study abroad programs, please contact URP administration.
URP Alumni
Where do Gators go after graduation?
URP graduates from the University of Florida are leaders in government, community organizations, development and real estate firms, and private consulting practices. Because our Department enjoys an excellent national and international reputation, employment opportunities are not limited to Florida; our graduates are employed throughout the U.S. and the world.
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of our program and the ever-evolving role of the professional planner, our graduates can expect to perform a variety of activities in a plethora of locations throughout their careers.
The following offers but a small example of places where our graduates work:
– California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
– City of Gainesville
– City of Alachua
– ESRI
– Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
– GeoAdaptive
– GIS Associates, Inc.
-Kimley-Horn
– LandDesign
– Morris Architects
– National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
– North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
– Urban Design Solutions, Inc.
– Urban Land Institute
– US Fish & Wildlife Service
– WilsonMiller Stantec, Inc.
– WGI
How do they get there?
Our program is challenging, and faculty consistently instruct our students in the most cutting-edge research, technology, design and planning practices. Due to the rigor of our training, our program’s excellent reputation, and a citizenry and legislature that recognize the need for planning, our graduates consequently enter a strong job market and find that their services are in considerable demand.
Our graduates also benefit from a strong network of distinguished alumni who provide contacts for new graduates as they seek employment. This network is further aided by the Department’s Professional Advisory Council, which consists of accomplished professionals from public planning agencies, non-profit organizations, and private consulting firms.