The Annual Student Research Forum
For over 15 years, Urban Studies Programs has organized its annual spring student conference, The Student Forum. The Forum provides a comfortable venue for students, alumni, and faculty to come together to investigate and discuss the complexities of the urban milieu. Organized by graduate students in the Urban Studies Programs, the Forum reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the curriculum as well as the varying interests of a diverse student body. Graduate students from urban studies, as well as other disciplines such as sociology, history, geography, political science, urban planning, architecture, education, and social work, present their research on contemporary and historical urban issues.
The Forum gives students the opportunity to sharpen their presentation skills and to receive constructive feedback from other scholars who share an interest in the urban environment. Master’s and Doctoral students present their research—class papers, theses, or dissertation chapters—in the professional, yet relaxed, atmosphere of the Forum. The Student Forum is structured around panels of two to three presenters grouped according to topic that include a faculty discussant and graduate student moderator. Morning sessions typically include a set of workshops or alumni panel, and the conference culminates with a keynote presentation from a distinguished scholar in the field followed by a reception.