The Regional + City Planning program has taken significant steps to attract and create a supportive environment for international students. In fall 2022, 18 of the 43 RCPL students were international students. In 2019, the RCPL program adopted an Underrepresented Student Recruitment Plan because of the ethical obligations of the planning field to diversify representation and promote institutional change. While the planning field has made successful strides in reaching gender parity, the field is still falling behind in other forms of diversity, including international students and students of color.
The Regional + City Planning program knows that having diverse enrollment promotes critical and complex thinking. Diverse student composition also helps students examine their own biases and better understand interdependence and multicultural learning. Increasing diversity among RCPL graduates will not only benefit current students, but also the profession overall as planning issues become increasingly global.
Purvi Patel, RCPL alumna and Board of Visitors member.
Purvi Patel, an RCPL alumna and new RCPL Board of Visitors member, wrote about the program, “OU’s RCPL is the perfect size for those considering joining the program. Not too big where you feel lost but also big enough to be a part of a large family that stays with you forever. The experience and knowledge gained from the accredited program will help propel your career in planning, locally, nationally or internationally.”
Purvi, who graduated from the RCPL program in 2009 after completing her Bachelors of Architecture at OU, is currently a land planner with the Wallace Design Collective in Oklahoma City. She was born in London and grew up in Zambia before moving to Georgia for her Associates degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Designing. When asked about her experience as an international student, Purvi wrote, “I had already been at OU for 5 years as an international student when I entered the RCPL program, but I still had all the nervousness of a foreign student in a new program. However, those nerves all disappeared when I met more of the RCPL professors and my classmates. […] Additionally, international students are typically very limited on the number of scholarships they qualify for, so the ability to apply for and receive the Joe and Jayne Buskuhl Scholarship as an international student definitely helped eased the burden.”
Kevin John Thomas, current RCPL student
Kevin John Thomas, a current Regional + City Planning student who earned his Bachelors of Architecture from the B.M.S. College of Engineering in Bangalore, wrote, “The program at University of Oklahoma is flexible and tailored to develop and hone the skills required for a planner. I am currently pursuing a physical planning track with a specialization in transportation and a minor in economic development. The program offered workshops and hosted social events, which allowed me to network with professionals in planning. The faculties at OU are supportive and helpful in providing guidance and resources to enable and equip aspiring planners to realize their potential.”
Kevin has also pursued multiple internship and research opportunities during his time in the program. He worked with Gina Sofola, an OU RCPL alumna, and her design firm that works in economic development in northeast Oklahoma City. Kevin assisted in the firm’s public engagement process, conducted GIS mapping for inventory analysis, and worked with the town of Tullahassee for economic revitalization with grants from federal entities such as the Environmental Protection Agency. He is also currently working with Dr. Bryce Lowery, an RCPL professor, to understand the housing instability and unhoused population in Oklahoma through public outreach, survey analysis, and GIS mapping of all possible shelters within the state. Kevin wrote, “My internship allowed me to experience planning in the real world, gain exposure to key players, and gain an understanding of how different bodies function together.”
Melissa Navarro Velasquez, RCPL alumna
Recent RCPL alumna Melissa Navarro Velasquez encourages prospective international students to take advantage of the opportunities the RCPL program offers, “Contact faculty members with any doubts you have, ask as many questions as you need; if they do not have the answer, they will refer you to someone who does. Take advantage of opportunities, assistantships, scholarships, and all the resources the program offers students. Get in touch with other international students and ask specific questions about living expenses and everyday arrangements. Contact international student services about any doubts regarding visas and paperwork. Find college organizations that can make your journey more comfortable; for instance, I found the Colombian Student organization helpful in keeping in touch with my culture.” She concludes, “when you get into the RCPL program, you become part of a community; we care for and help each other.”
The RCPL program works to retain international students by creating a supportive environment. The program holds international student forums, networking opportunities with professionals and alumni, and firm tours and field trips to help students learn from and connect with both professionals and each other. All RCPL students are assigned a faculty mentor who they meet with once a semester, when students can talk about course planning, professional development, review their resumes, or discuss other programs. Planning faculty also continue their own learning about issues affecting international students by meeting with the OU International Student Services, the Graduate College, and other professional development opportunities about inclusive teaching.
Dr. John Harris, director of the RCPL program, writes, “Attracting international students to the Masters of Regional and City Planning program is important because the challenges facing communities today are global in nature. We aim to provide a solid educational foundation for students looking to improve quality of life for people around the world. International students bring their perspectives and experiences and add to the overall learning environment. International students then either take what they learn back home or stay in the US and important contributions to communities here. It is an all-around positive outcome.”
Associate Professors Lee Fithian, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Pober have published a chapter in the recently released New Perspectives in Indoor Air Quality, published by Elsevier. Their contribution, titled “Chapter 16 – Architecture and the Challenges of Indoor Air Quality,” examines the relationship between architecture and indoor air quality.
Dr. Ladan Mozaffarian, Assistant Professor of Regional and City Planning, has been selected to serve as Co-Chair of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Planners of Color Interest Group (POCIG) for the 2025–2027 term.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Tahsin Tabassum, a recent graduate of the college’s Master of Regional and City Planning program and current doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine, for receiving the prestigious 2024–2025 American Planning Association (APA) Outstanding Student Award.
