Urban planning and sustainability students share their summer stories

Students in the Department of Geography's urban planning and sustainability program were busy this summer. With help from grants provided through the Office of Experiential Learning, they participated in internships, research and international travel.

Below, eight students share their stories of a summer spent interning, learning and exploring.

Honors Tutorial College environmental studies major; urban planning minor

"I spent this summer applying course learning to the real world by participating in a summer internship through the Cleveland Foundation. I spent 11 weeks as the community outreach coordinator at a food and environmental education organization called Food Strong, which works to expand access to nutrition, gardening, and culinary knowledge. When not attending community meetings in Cleveland’s Ward 8, I spent the summer coordinating the Care-A-Van outreach events which bring a free produce pantry, live music, free goods, and community resources to Food Strong’s Superior farm site. I had a great time applying classroom concepts about urban inequality and urban economies to the task of effectively coordinating a food access outreach event. When not helping out with outreach at Food Strong, I spent my summer on early work for my HTC thesis on the Cleveland public transit system. My thesis will examine policy decisions by and narratives around the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, and compare them to the lived experiences of transit riding and inequality by Clevelanders. I’m excited to continue to apply concepts from my urban planning courses to hands-on research and job experience!"

Urban planning major

"This summer, I had the privilege of working with ARCADIS Cincinnati as a land surveying intern. I developed skills in AutoCAD, as well as many practical skills in the field. I got to travel to various sites around Ohio, performing data collection and analysis. I gained experience with Trimble GNSS survey equipment—specifically, the R980 for GPS base and rover functions—and a C10 laser scanner for 3D modeling of survey sites."

Honors Tutorial College geography major

"Over the last few months, I had my first opportunity to apply the skills I developed through my geography and GIS coursework at Ohio University during my full-time summer internship with the City of Canton, Ohio’s water department. Going into this internship, I was initially concerned about my preparedness to take on a professional role; however, after completing my onboarding and asking questions of my supervisor, I quickly became more confident in applying and building upon what I had learned through my coursework. During my internship, I gained practical GIS experience while developing a new understanding of water distribution networks and the data involved in managing a city's water system. The GIS team at the Canton Water Department was extremely helpful throughout my experience, providing valuable guidance and being great teammates on projects we collaborated on together. The tasks I worked on at the water department included creating and updating maps, managing various databases, and collecting GPS data in the field. Overall, this internship provided exactly what I hoped to gain from my first professional experience in the GIS field. It showed me how problem-solving and workflows differ between an academic setting and the workplace while bolstering my technical and communication skills. I was also able to build relationships with the professionals there who valued my contributions and are willing to serve as references as I pursue future opportunities."

Honors Tutorial College geography major

"I traveled to Inglewood, CA and attended the Iran v. New Zealand FIFA World Cup 2026 game. I spent a week in the city, using it as a case study for my mega-sporting events senior thesis. Each day, I walked through different parts of the city until I created a full mental map of the region. I took photos and videos to document my experience. I also interviewed around ten locals, asking them about their lived experiences regarding how World Cup development affected their day-to-day lives. My main takeaway was that Los Angeles is split into many smaller, isolated regions, meaning that only those who lived directly in Inglewood felt that they were affected in any way. Even locals from neighborhoods less than ten miles away held the general opinion that recent sporting developments had no obvious impact on their lives. This isolation extended to their opinions on surrounding neighborhoods, especially those they considered 'ghetto,' such as Inglewood. In my experience, Inglewood is not 'ghetto' at all and seems to have grown exponentially in recent years. This observation lends itself to a greater conversation surrounding development, possible gentrification, and reputation vs. reality, topics I will continue to research with my Inglewood experience as their basis."

Honors Tutorial College environmental studies major; urban planning minor

"This summer, I had the chance to explore how technology, environmental work and policy intersect through my position as a technology intern at American Electric Power (AEP). Working across AEP’s IT/GIS and Environmental teams, I observed these different sides of the utility industry firsthand while also getting to know the people behind our energy infrastructure.  I supported environmental compliance by reviewing transmission site plans for alignment with U.S. EPA oil spill prevention and containment regulations and elevated my perspectives in the field, where I assisted with transmission forestry inspections from a helicopter. I also led GIS projects leveraging automation to improve utility operations, from developing an enterprise-wide geocoding service to designing workflows to automate the triaging of incidents and continuous improvement tasks. Beyond the technical side, I explored utility policy and stakeholder engagement through the Women’s International Network of Utility Professionals, AEP’s Political Action Committee, and Government Affairs. I discussed community engagement approaches with members of Ohio’s Energy Committee, helped to facilitate PAC stakeholder events, and spoke with AEP leaders at the federal level about corporate political strategy and building resilient relationships and policies. I ended my time in person by shadowing AEP Ohio’s government affairs manager, participating in a legislative meeting with an Ohio representative focused on the localized impacts of new infrastructure."

Honors Tutorial College geography major

Sophia Kuhar spent her summer working as the local government city planning intern for the City of Circleville through MORPC. Under guidance of City Planner Hannah Wynne, Sophia immersed herself in a variety of tasks, including proposing text amendments to the city's zoning code before the Planning and Zoning Commission and starting a Parks Master Plan to envision the future maintenance, programming, and improvements for the city’s park and trails systems. She also took charge of city communications such as the monthly Loop newsletter and weekly Q&A publications; utilized GIS for the public service and safety departments; and created a parks and recreation guide for the city’s facilities and events. Through MORPC, Sophia was additionally able to attend the Mobility Exchange hosted by MORPC, an economic development mixer, and multiple professional planning office tours. Throughout her internship, Sophia practically applied her coursework, learned the value of coupling public communication with education, and deepened her respect for public service. She thanks her teams at MORPC and the City of Circleville for such enthusiastic support. Funded by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, this internship will be available again through MORPC beginning December 1, 2026.

Urban planning major (Savannah) and communication studies major; urban planning minor (Celeste)

"This summer, we went to Edinburgh, Scotland. While abroad, we studied the city's infrastructure, history, and relationship with the surrounding natural environment.  This month-long experience was a part of Ohio University's annual "Scotland: Edinburgh - City and Place" study abroad program. As urban planning students, we loved exploring the differences between Edinburgh’s iconic Old Town and New Town all while getting to ride the public transit system. The public transit system has been called one of the best in the world, so getting to travel hundreds of miles solely by train and bus was a highlight. Additionally, we learned about the importance of amenities in public parks by completing five Edinburgh greenspace surveys. In these surveys, we evaluated amenities like trash receptacles and restrooms and determined whether the area was being used by mostly tourists or local families. Making these observations allowed us to see how small details such as these can have big effects on the community. We have brought these new perspectives home with us and will continue to apply them to our class discussions and everyday life."

Urban planning major; president of OHIO's Urban Planning Student Association

"Over the summer, I interned with the City of Athens Planning Department on the comprehensive plan update. The comprehensive plan is a goal document that the city will use to outline needs, wants, and goals for what residents want the city to look like for the next 30 years. I also support the Athens Municipal Arts Commission with administrative tasks by creating an online survey to connect with local artists, which will be published in the coming months. Throughout the city's various departments, I also help lead a communications initiative. I will continue this internship through the school year until I graduate in the Spring."