Faculty, Lecturers & Staff

The City Planning and Urban Affairs degree programs are part of the Department of Applied Social Sciences at Boston University’s Metropolitan College. The key personnel responsible for program administration are Assistant Professor and Program Director Yeşim Sungu-Eryilmaz, PhD, and an Academic Program Manager, Kelly Adams, who are supported by various departments across Metropolitan College and the University.

The strength of Metropolitan College’s Master of City Planning and Master of Urban Affairs programs rests in large measure on the quality of its full-time faculty, affiliate faculty, and lecturers.

The faculty and lecturers come from diverse professional and academic backgrounds, with expertise in fields as varied as climate change, transportation, land reclamation, city finance, and urban design, to name a few. Aside from their award-winning teaching and research, our faculty members and lecturers share several important characteristics:

• Focus on the Student. MCP and MUA faculty members and lecturers take great pride in seeing, and treating, each student as an individual with unique academic and professional goals. The small size of our classes provides ample opportunities for personal interaction and attention, and helps to enhance our students’ overall learning experience. Our faculty and lecturers serve as academic and career mentors to the students in our program, providing a foundation for professional growth.
• Focus on the Practical. All of our faculty members and lecturers bring extensive professional and executive experience in different aspects of urban planning and management to their teaching and research. Our curriculum, as a result, emphasizes the skills required to put theory into action, while planning for efficient, sustainable, and just places.
• Focus on the Current. Our faculty members and lecturers, whether through their professional, research, or volunteer activities, are dedicated to addressing the most vital and current issues in the field. The foundation of our faculty and lecturer’s work rests on transforming the deep understanding that comes through their research and practice into effective practical change, so that cities and communities can plan and be prepared for the most pressing issues of our times, such as climate change and inadequate infrastructure and resources.