Associate professor Haifeng Qian has been appointed as Director of the School of Planning and Public Affairs (SPPA), effective immediately.

Our new incoming students recently took a moment to follow our tradition and pose for a group picture during their orientation.

The University of Iowa’s master’s degree program in urban and regional planning at the School of Planning and Public Affairs (SPPA) is ranked 16th in the nation, according to the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs 2023 report.

Two SPPA public affairs students were selected by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) to take part in the annual policy simulation competition. The event took place at 13 US and international university sites as well as a virtual option.

SPPA alum, Frank Waisath, works for Seattle Public Utilities as a Planning & Development Specialist II. He is working on a 50-year plan titled "Shape Our Water: A 50-year Plan for Seattle’s Water Resilience."

Representatives from the Graduate College recent shared information with legislators at Hawkeye Caucus Day in Des Moines about the important work our programs and students are doing in the state of Iowa.

Samantha Zuhlke will participate in the Civil Society and Sustainability Conference to be hosted by the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University in late May, based on her designation as a “cutting-edge scholar.”

Getting her MPA degree brought Cami a wealth of new knowledge that significantly supplemented her nine years of experience as a current city administrator and 25 years in local government.

Land Use Planner and UI alum, Joe Wilensky, currently works as an Assistant Planner for Johnson County in Iowa City. He focuses on researching and reviewing development applications for Board of Supervisor action while also preparing policy proposals and measures for long term county land use planning.

Sepehr Yadollahi, master’s student in Urban Planning, has received a 2023 President’s Student Leadership Award from Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact for his curiosity, commitment, and talent of as an effective leader and public servant.