Announcing Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Spring 2023 Graduates
By the University Students of Urban and Regional Planning Student Council (USURP)
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is pleased to announce its Spring 2023 graduates!
Dr. Hotavia Gingerlei "Ginger" Porter
Ginger is a Spring 2023 PhD graduate and is the Director of the Pacific International Training Desk Program, University of Hawaii Telecommunications and Social Informatics Research Program. She is also a Program Coordinator for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center and Disaster and Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Her dissertation is on Enhancing Disaster Resilience of Pacific Islands through ICT. Other focal areas of interest and experience are strategic planning, community health planning, disaster communications, distance learning and telehealth. Ginger is the first American Samoan to receive a PhD in Urban Planning from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is from the village of Auasi. Her parents are Marston Mataava Alaimalo Porter and Wilma Banse Porter.
Reyhanillo Andi Kasim
Nillo is a Spring 2023 MURP Graduate and has been working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Urban and Regional Planning program for the past year. He received his BS in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University in 2017. His work experience in research and capacity building for community-based data reporting on Sustainable Development Goals outcomes has given Nillo the opportunity to work both at the United Nations and for civil society organizations in New York and Jakarta.
Scott Marshall
Reimagining the Modern Stadium: Leveraging renewable energy to achieve multiple planning initiatives
Scott is a Spring 2023 MURP graduate and Hawaiʻi Data Science Institute fellow. Prior to moving to Hawaii, Scott earned a BS in Economics (with minors in data science and public affairs) and a MS in Engineering & Technology Management from Colorado School of Mines—all while representing the university as the kicker on the Mines football team. Scott studied within the McBride Honors Program in Public Affairs.
Amanda Rothschild
Resisting Gentrification in a Shrinking City: A Community Needs Assessment in Remington, Baltimore
Amanda is a Spring 2023 MURP graduate and worked as a graduate assistant as the community outreach coordinator for the Hawaii Youth Services Directory. She currently works as the Director of Neighborhood Initiatives for the Greater Remington Improvement Association in Baltimore. Before moving to Hawaiʻi, she earned a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with minors in Psychology and Sociology, and co-founded a worker cooperative in Baltimore. Her areas of interest include community-based planning and economic development, housing stability, and conflict resolution.
Kayla Palmer
Mapping Climate & Social Vulnerability for Transportation Planning
Kayla is a Spring 2023 MURP graduate and will work for PBR Hawaii. She received her BS in Global Environmental Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her areas of interest are in transportation, coastal flooding, and social vulnerability mapping.
Sébastien Selarque
Advancing Community-Based Energy Planning in Hawaiʻi: Lessons from Molokaʻi Island
Sébastien is a Spring 2023 MURP Graduate and will work for the public-benefit corporation Shake Energy Collaborative. For the past 3 years he has been working at Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) as a research assistant. He also earned a graduate certificate in Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability in 2021. He received his BS in Electrical Mechanical Engineering Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology and served as a U.S. Peace Corps Education Volunteer in the Republic of Guinea. His interests are to advance clean energy goals alongside community development and social justice goals.
On behalf of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and its ‘ohana, congratulations on this momentous occasion! We are honored to have you all as DURP graduates and incredibly proud of your accomplishments. We hope you took away ideas, experiences, and relationships to cherish as you continue your journey, and your DURP years will be among the most memorable ones in your lives. Stay in touch!
Dr. Priyam Das,
Chair, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
University Students of Urban and Regional Planning Student Council (USURP)
The University Students of Urban and Regional Planning Student Council (USURP) is a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa departmental student council composed of Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) students. Our mission is to empower DURP students by improving student well-being and academic experience through peer support, extracurricular endeavors, leadership opportunities and a forum for innovative ideas.