Students should also regularly utilize the resources available through the Student Experience and Talent site at UWM. The center is about more than resume preparation. The career professionals there can help you identify your professional goals and teach you techniques (like informational interviewing and shadowing) to learn more about professional careers. They can also help you develop your job search strategy, help you locate an internship, or connect you with UWM alumni who may be able to provide you with information or advice in a particular industry or career.
Recent graduates of the major in Urban Studies work professionally in a variety of fields such as:
Panelists Included:
- Trevor Jung, BA, 2017
Title: Transit and Mobility Director, City of Racine
Trevor Jung is the Transit and Mobility Director at RYDE Racine, where he oversees the City of Racine’s public transportation system and leads modernization efforts, including fleet improvements, solar integration, touchless fare-payment technology, and regional partnerships that have driven ridership past one million annual rides. He has also advanced initiatives such as the Veterans RYDE Free program, automotive pre-apprenticeships with the Academies of Racine, and federal infrastructure investments to upgrade transit assets. Trevor earned a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and after graduation was twice elected to the Racine Common Council, where he chaired the Transit Commission. He was appointed by Governor Tony Evers to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, representing Racine County, and has served on the boards of the Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, and All Aboard Wisconsin.
- Patricia Najera, PhD, 2018
Title: Executive Director, Oak Creek Campus, MATC
With nearly 30 years in higher education, Dr. Patricia T. Najera has dedicated her career to fostering innovative partnerships between academia, industry, municipalities, schools, and community organizations. As the Executive Campus Director of Oak Creek—the second-largest campus of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)—Dr. Patricia plays a pivotal role in strengthening strategic collaborations. She actively engages with faculty, staff, and community partners, often described as approachable, communicative, and deeply invested in the voices of all stakeholders. The daughter of Colombian immigrant parents and a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Patricia understands the challenges and opportunities that come with navigating higher education.
- Kari Smith, PhD, 2018
Title: Real Estate and Development Manager, Department of City Development, City of Milwaukee
Kari Smith graduated with her PhD in Urban Studies in 2018 and has since worked in local, state, and federal government. Kari’s government work includes building a data set and assisting with open records requests with the City of Racine, managing a five-county demonstration project for the State of Wisconsin’s Bureau of Child Support, working in Community Planning and Development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and (currently) managing the City of Milwaukee’s inventory of tax foreclosed real estate.
- Nateya Taylor, MS, 2023
Title: Marketing and Communications Coordinator, City of Milwaukee Health Department
Nateya Taylor is a Milwaukee-based multimedia storyteller whose work sits at the intersection of health equity, environmental justice, and Black liberation. Through written and visual storytelling, she interrogates the anti-Blackness embedded in social systems and the internalized harms that accompany it, while illuminating the complexity, resilience, and wholeness of Black life. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Urban Studies with a certificate in Digital Cultures. Her academic research centers on residential segregation, Black geographies, and traditions of Black resistance. Grounded in this scholarship, Nateya weaves research and narrative to create stories that are both educational and transformative.
- Jonatan Zuniga, BA, 2015
Title: Program and Evaluation Analyst, Milwaukee County
Jonatan is a strategic and innovative public sector professional with a decade of experience in nonprofits and government. Prior to joining Milwaukee County, Jonatan held leadership roles at Loving Venti Consulting, the City of Milwaukee Election Commission, and VIA CDC, where he focused on operational efficiency, civic engagement, and community development. Born and raised on Milwaukee’s South Side, Jonatan’s commitment to equity and civic empowerment is deeply rooted in his lived experience. Jonatan recently joined Milwaukee County as a Program and Evaluation Analyst. In this role, he supports the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Evaluation Project, county-wide data collection systems, and provides technical assistance to internal departments.
Undergraduate Careers
Recent graduates of the major in Urban Studies work professionally in a variety of fields such as:
- Housing Rehabilitation Specialist at the City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation;
- Planning Commissioner for City of Racine;
- Community Outreach Manager for Layton Blvd. West Neighbors in Milwaukee;
- Assistant Planner for the Milwaukee County Transit System;
- Community Organizer for the Northwest Community Development Corporation in Milwaukee;
- Assistant property manager NAI MLG;
- Special Projects Coordinator in the City of St. Francis Planning Office;
- Community Engagement Coordinator for Visioning Racine
Graduate Careers
In addition, many graduates of the Urban Studies major have gone on to graduate studies in a variety of fields, from urban studies to urban planning to education to traditional social sciences program
Higher Education
- Professor, Public Policy, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- Professor, Dept. of Criminology, Law, and Justice at the University of Illinois – Chicago
- Professor, Community Development, Case Western Reserve University
- Professor, Wayne State University
- Professor, Community Health, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Professor, Social Work, UW-Whitewater
- Associate Professor, Urban and Regional Planning, University at Buffalo, SUNY
- Associate Professor of Women’s Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston
- Associate Professor, Social Sciences, SUNY-Cobleskill, NY
- Associate Professor, Dept of Women Studies, Cal State-Northridge
- Assistant Professor, Public Administration, U.W.-Oshkosh
- Assistant Professor, Urban Studies, Tennessee State University
- Lecturer, UW-Whitewater,
- Lecturer, UW-Extension. Racine, Wisconsin
- Director of Lake County Campus, Aurora University
- Administrative Program Manager, International Studies, UWM
- Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Baton Rouge
- Chair, Economics Department, Milwaukee Area Technical College
- Director, Corporate and Governmental Relations, St. Norbert College
- Senior Scientist, UWM Employment and Training Institute
- Associate Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
- Professor, College of Nursing, Marquette University
- Assistant Vice Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Program Coordinator, Center for Healthy Communities, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Associate Professor and Chair, Undergraduate Social Work Program, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois
- Assistant Professor, Journalism Faculty, Marquette University
Primary and Secondary Education
- Instructor, Department of Social Studies, Nicollet High School, Glendale, Wisconsin
- Instructor, Departments of English and Social Studies/World Affairs, Milwaukee Public Schools
- Instructor, Hayward School District, Hayward, California
Government
- Deputy City Manager, Takoma Park, Maryland
- Senior Advisor for the United Nations in the Latin American Region and for the President’s Social Cabinet in the Republic of Panama
- Urban Development Officer, Office of the Minister for Regional Affairs of Estonia
- Town Administrator, Town of Caledonia
- Field Office Director, Housing and Urban Development, Milwaukee, WI
- Milwaukee County Supervisor, 13th District
- CDBG Fiscal Analyst-Senior, City of Milwaukee Common Council
- Urban Development Director, City of Baton Rouge
- Policy Analyst, Center for Economic Development
- Regional Director, Wisconsin Division of Health, Bureau of Public Health
- Battalion Chief for the City of Milwaukee First Department
- U.S. Probation Officer, U.S. Department of Probation and Parole
- Senior Administrative Specialist, Community Block Grant Office, City of Milwaukee, Department of Admin
- Associate Planner, City of New Berlin Planning Department
- Housing Resource Specialist, City of Milwaukee, Department of Development
- Director of Development, Social Development Commission
- Technical Services Agent, 30th Street Industrial Corporation
- Chief, Local Transportation Programs, Wisconsin Department of Transportation
- Research Analyst, City of Milwaukee
- Senior Information Processing Consultant, UWM, Social Science Research Facility
- Director, Bureau of Highway Safety, Wisconsin Dept of City Development
- Historic Preservation Officer, Town of Princeton
- Special Agent, FBI
- Records Center Coordinator, Milwaukee County Records Center
- Transit Director, Waukesha Metro Transit
- Worker’s Compensation Manager, State of Wisconsin, Bureau of State Risk Management
- Assistant Housing Manager, NYC Housing Authority
- Assistant Director, UWM Center for Urban Initiatives & Research
- Director, Truancy Abatement and Burglary Suppression Program
- Associate Director, City of West Bend Housing Authority
- Deputy Chief, Bureau of Instruction and Training, Milwaukee Fire Dept
- President and CEO. Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council
- Claims Representative, Social Security and Disability Claims, Chicago, Illinois
- Director, Cati Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation, Racine County
- Executive Vice President, Executive Research, DHR International, Chicago, Illinois
- Specialist, Waste Reduction, Cedarburg and Jefferson County
- Director, Human Resources, City of Greenfield
- Program Manager, Department of Planning, City of Corpus Christi
- Executive Director, Housing Authority, County of Clackamas, Oregon
- County Supervisor, 8th District, Milwaukee County
- Regional Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, San Francisco, California
Non-Profit Organizations/Community Organizations
- Policy Analyst, Social Development Commission, Milwaukee, WI
- Development Director, Habitat for Humanity, Milwaukee.
- Executive Director of Latino Health Organization
- Project Manager for the Campaign for a Sustainable Milwaukee
- Program Manager, Main Street Program
- Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Housing Development Corporation, Inc.
- Executive Director, The Gathering of Southeastern Wisconsin
- Resource Center Coordinator, Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee
- Program Officer, Milwaukee Foundation
- Community Development Officer, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
- Manager, Hank Aaron Street Trail, Department of Natural Resources
- Coordinator, Southeast Region Trail, Department of Natural Resources
- Senior Researcher, Children’s Research Center, Sacramento, California
Health Care
- Senior Vice President and Chief Integration Officer, Aurora Health Care, Inc.
- Executive Director of Latino Health Organization
- Vice President of Marketing and Sales of Riverside Health Systems
- Insurance Verifier, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital
- Director of Program Evaluation, Milwaukee County Mental Health Division, Community Services Branch
- Outreach Coordinator, Wisconsin Women’s Cancer Control Program
- Bereavement/Volunteer Coordinator, Care United Hospice
- Manager, Geriatric Assessment Center, Aurora Healthcare
- Executive Director, Medical Services, U.S. Human Health
- Specialist, Ultrasound Sales, Amesham Health
- President and COO, Horizon Healthcare
Misc.
- Account Executive, Todd Robert, Murphy Marketing Communications
- Columnist, Chicago Sun Times
- Business and Governmental Relations Manager, Madison Gas & Electric
- Senior Staff Analyst, Compuware Corporation
- Development Director, Leaven, Inc.
- Project Director, VE Carter Development Group, Inc.
- Manager, Neighborhood Development Division, Ogden Corporation
- Public Relations Specialist, Wisconsin Electric
- Associate Pastor, Portview Christian Center Assembly of God
- Manager of Telecommunications, City of Philadelphia
- Specialist, Home Ownership, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- News Editor, Dow Jones Newswires, New Jersey
LinkedIn Urban Studies Group
Please join our LinkedIn Urban Studies Group so you can stay in touch with your classmates and continue to network. We also encourage you to sign up for Panthers Connect, UWM’s new online networking platform where current students can network with alumni from their field of interest, seek mentorship, find unique job opportunities and more!