Michigan State University Urban & Regional Planning

Not one, but five college awards and recognitions were brought to SPDC by our faculty and students, reflecting the excellence, leadership, and impact of SPDC across teaching, research, service, and culture, access, and belonging.

To learn more about these 2026 CANR Awards, visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/facultystaff/awards_nominations/

Congratulations to the 2026 Master of Urban & Regional Planning (MURP) cohort, who celebrated their commencement on Friday, May 1st at the Breslin Center!

SPDC is proud of their hard work and commitment to our shared values. We're excited to see the impact each will make on the world and in their community!

With the academic year ending, we want to highlight one of SPDC's biggest end of the year events, the 2026 SPDC Awards Ceremony!

This annual event brings together students, faculty, staff, and our supporters and donors to recognize the excellence of SPDC's students.

It's always great to end the year celebrating our students' accomplishments and the impact our supports and donors have on their academic and professional success.

Congratulation to all scholarship and award winners, and thank you to our supporters and donors.

Enjoy these highlights of the evening, and be sure to stay connected with SPDC to learn how you can impact SPDC's ability to continue educating tomorrow's leaders and innovators!

Congratulations to all SPDC graduates!

It's impossible to condense years of hard work into one post, but here are some commencement highlights.

The celebration is well earned and we can't wait to see the impact you all will make in the world. Proving SPDC is the home of Spartans, BUILT TO LEAD!

At the 4th annual SPDC Awards Ceremony on April 9th, 2026, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources' Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Dr. Antomia Farrell, joined us to give a special address to our students and supporters!

The event is a special way to celebrate SPDC's student scholarship recipients, as well as honor those generous donors whose contributions significantly enhance their education and enrichment.

Thank you for joining and inspiring us, Dr. Farrell!

Please join us in congratulating our scholarship and award winners, and thanking SPDC's supporters and donors.

Enjoy these highlights of the evening, and be sure to stay connected with SPDC to learn how you can impact SPDC's continued success!

Spartans attending the 2026 APA Conference should be sure to join the official URP Alumni reception, Sunday night!

The reception will be held at The LOVE Building - 4731 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208 - on April 26th, from 6:00 to 9:00PM with complimentary food and drinks from Detroit's finest bars and restaurants.

Please RSVP by Thursday, April 23rd to help us plan food and beverage using this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/msu-urban-planning-alumni-reception-tickets-1987425776999?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Don't miss this chance to build and grow the community of Spartan planners!

Planning in Action: URP Students at MSU Partner with Michigan Communities to Shape Real-World Solutions

Each spring, students in Michigan State University’s Urban and Regional Planning Practicum step beyond the classroom and into the communities they aim to serve. This practicum experience brings together undergraduate and graduate students to work directly with city partners on pressing planning challenges, producing not hypothetical ideas, but actionable strategies grounded in real conditions, real data, and real relationships.

Read more about the 2026 Planning Practicum Projects at:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/planning-in-action-urp-students-at-msu-partner-with-michigan-communities-to-shape-real-world-solutions

Congratulations to this years winners of the SPDC School Awards!

These awards are nominated by SPDC students, faculty, and staff and highlight the exceptional performance of our entire school at every level.

The award winners are:

SPDC Outstanding Undergraduate Student Leader
Julia Sesi (ID), Melanie Macias (CM), Daniel McNamara (CM), and Benjamin Mitchell (CM)

SPDC Outstanding Graduate Student Leader
Grace Densham

SPDC Outstanding Instructor
Prof. Daniel Bollman

SPDC Outstanding Mentor
Academic Advisory, Hannah Brodhead

SPDC Outstanding Support Staff
Janelle Curtis
Erin Mulligan

Congratulations to all award winners!

On April 9th, 2026 MSU's School of Planning, Design and Construction hosted our 4th annual SPDC Awards Ceremony!

This event celebrates our student scholarship recipients from the endowments and gifts that allow SPDC to train future industry leaders and innovators. It also honors those generous donors whose contributions significantly support and enhance the education and enrichment of our students.

It was a wonderful evening spent highlighting the educational excellence of our entire school, from students to alumni, and faculty to staff.

Congratulation to all scholarship and award winners, and thank you to our supporters and donors.

Enjoy these highlights of the evening, and be sure to stay connected with SPDC to learn how you can impact SPDC's continued success!