Graduate students from the University of Georgia's Master of Environmental Planning and Design (MEPD) Program are working diligently under the direction of Dr. Jack Crowley - the principal planner of the Downtown Athens Master Plan, the MEPD program coordinator, and professor. He has directed metropolitan and local planning agencies and served as the Director of a State's Department of Transportation (DOT). As a senior real estate development executive in a large publicly traded corporation of more than $2 billion in urban mixed use projects in 5 metropolitan centers across the U.S. In planning and design education he has served as a professor, graduate program coordinator, design college dean as well as a position on the board of trustees for a university in Honduras. Jack has authored numerous downtown studies and plans and is nationally and internationally recognized for his work. Some of that recognition is evidenced by his election by two different national planning and design professions to their respective National College of Fellows. Sanhita Bhargva:
Sanhita Bhargva holds a Bachelor in Architecture from Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda, India. Before coming to UGA’s MEPD Program she spent 2 and half years at a professional architectural firm in Bangalore, India working on Institutional & Hospitality Projects. D." Cole:
Justin R. Cole, CDT, LEED-AP BD+C holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. Prior to enrolling in UGA’s MEPD Program, he was in professional practice as a member of a multidisciplinary landscape architecture and real estate consulting firm in Johnson City, Tennessee. Summer Constantino:
Summer holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design and a Master of Arts in Design for Sustainability, both from Savannah College of Art and Design. Most recently, as an MEPD grad student, she has interned with the Town of Bluffton, S.C.'s Growth Management Department. Justin Crighton:
Justin Crighton holds a B.S. in Community and Regional Planning from Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. Before coming to UGA’s MEPD Program he spent 5 years in professional practice in Augusta, GA. Sara Farr:
Sara has a BA in Urban Studies from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Before the MEPD Program she completed a Masters in Historic Preservation at UGA. Vivian Foster:
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Vivian holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from René Moreno University. Before enrolling in the MEPD program, she has worked Leadership and Marketing in Atlanta, Georgia. Zongni Gu:
Born in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China, Zongni Gu holds a Bachelor in Urban Planning from Nanjing Forestry University, China. During each summer vacation, he had internships in Design Company in Nanjing, China. Tunan Hu:
Born in Guiyang, Guizhou, China, Tunan holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Ocean university of China. Prior to UGA’s MEPD program, he had an internship in Academy of Environmental Sciences of Guizhou province. John Page:
Before enrolling in the MEPD program, John worked as a community outreach associate in Montana and a high school math and science teacher in Raleigh, NC. More recently, John worked on research and development for a downtown revitalization firm in Raleigh. John holds a BA from The University of the South (Sewanee) in History. Scott Pippin:
Born in Albany, Georgia, Scott Pippin graduated from the UGA Law School in 2006. He spent five years working as a local government attorney and environmental consultant before enrolling in UGA’s MEPD program in 2011. Wick Prichard:
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Wick holds an A.B. in History from the University of Georgia. Prior to UGA’s MEPD program, Wick taught ecology for ten years in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Maine. John Tankard:
John Tankard holds a B.S. in Architecture from Georgia Tech, studying abroad in Paris, France for his senior year. Prior to UGA’s MEPD program he has been involved in the local sustainable design community, as well as the local business advocacy community. Jordan Tubbs:
Jordan holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. Before enrolling in the MEPD program, he has worked in the fields of physical therapy and landscaping.
