PGG Ph.D.: Urban & Environmental Design & Planning
The Ph.D. program in Planning, Governance and Globalization attracts students with widely differing backgrounds and interests. In order to accommodate this diversity, curriculum requirements are defined in two tracks with several thematic areas. For the UEDP track, these are:
- Metropolitan Development
- Community and Economic Development Planning
- International Development Planning
- Environmental Planning and Sustainability
- Landscape Planning and Analysis
- Transportation Planning
- Physical Planning and Urban Design
On entry into the program, students typically follow the recommended courses associated with one of the thematic areas within a track; see handbook for more details. For those students wishing to pursue research interests that cross thematic areas or tracks, it is possible to propose, in writing, an alternative plan of study to their program committee.
2020
Agnew, Jessica Lauren
Buying to Thrive: Exploring the Potential for Market-Based Approaches to Contribute to Increases in Diet Diversity in Mozambique
Committee: Kevin Boyle, Co-Chair; Ralph Hall, Co-Chair; David Bieri, Kathryn Hosig
Camacho Carvajal, Luis
Technology, Participatory Management Practices (PMP), and Dignity at Work: Negotiating the Use of Technology in a Plastics Packaging Firm
Committee: Ralph Hall, Chair; David Bieri, Daniel Breslau, John Provo, Joyce Rothschild
Cranwell, Lindy Bales
University Comprehensive Internationalization (CI): Faculty Meaning-Making, Motivations, and Perceptions for Engaging Globally
Committee: Max Stephenson, Chair; Denise Simmons, Co-Chair; Ralph Hall, David Knight
G.C., Raj Kumar
Exploring the Potential of Multiple Use Water Services for Smallholder Farmers in the Western Middle Hills of Nepal
Committee: Ralph Hall, Chair; Max Stephenson, A. Hammett, Shyam Ranganathan
Lu, Tianjun
New Opportunities in Crowd-Sourced Monitoring and Non-government Data Mining for Developing Urban Air Quality Models in the US
Committee: Steve Hankey, chair; Wenwen Zhang, Linsey Marr, Peter Sforza
McFarland, Christiana K.
Intra-Regional Economic Connectivity: The Role of Industry Clusters in Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide
Committee: Margaret Cowell, chair; John Provo, Thomas Sanchez, Anthony Tate
Moayerian, Neda
Exploring the Connections between Community Cultural Development and Sustainable Tourism in Central Appalachia
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Nancy McGehee, Anthony Harrison, Laura Zanotti
White, Daniel M.
Sport and Social Capital: Perceptions of Sport for Development Organization Leaders' in Kigali, Rwanda
Committee: Max Stephenson, Chair; David Kniola, Jocelyn Widmer, John Dooley
2019
Gupta, Khushboo
The Indian Perspective of Smart Cities
Committee: Ralph Hall, chair; Thomas Sanchez, Adam Eckerd, Wenwen Zhang, Shalini Misra
Le, Huyen Thi Khanh
Emotional Agents: Modeling Travel Satisfaction, Affinity, and Travel Demand Using a Smartphone Travel Survey
Committee: Ralph Buehler, Steven Hankey, co-chairs; Yingling Fan, Thomas Sanchez
Lyon-Hill, Sarah E.
A New Institutionalist History of Appalshop: Exploring the Agential Dynamics of an Appalachian Community Cultural Development Organization
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Kimberly Niewolny, Roberth Leonard, Anthony Tate
Mahdu, Omchand
The Impacts of Climate Change on Rice Production and Small Farmers' Adaptation: A Case of Guyana
Committee: Yang Zhang, Todd Schenk, co-chairs; Bradford Mills, Andrew Ellis
Wei, Rongrong
Local Fiscal Sustainability within American Federalism
Committee: Margaret Cowell, chair; Adam Eckerd, Brian Cook, Thorwald Tideman
2018
Elouardighi, Selma
Transfer of Environmental Best Practices from Developed to Developing Countries through Multinational Corporations
Committee: Ralph Hall, chair; Karen Hult, Deborah Gallagher, Edward Weisband
Izar, Priscila
Housing Provision through Real Estate Development: adopting Public-Private Partnerships for affordable housing delivery in Brazil
Committee: Giselle Datz, David Bieri, co-chairs; Margaret Cowell, Mariana Fix, Derek Hyra
Kirk, Kristin Cherish
Assessing Nonprofit Websites: Developing an Evaluation Model
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Alan Abrahams, Thomas Sanchez, Jason Kelly, Christopher Zobel
Smirnova, Vera
On the Land, Territory, and Crisis Triad: Capitalist Appropriation, Border Materialities, and Enclosure of the Russian Land Commune
Committee: Paul Knox, chair; Tim Luke, Samarth Swarup, David Bieri
Walter, Caitlin Siobhan
Metropolitan Areas in 1990 vs. Today – How Different Are They? An Examination of Changes in Built Form and Resident Characteristics
Committee: Margaret Cowell, chair; Lisa Sturtevant, Thomas Sanchez, John Provo
2017
Erwin, Anna Elizabeth
Participation in a shifting global context? A case study of labor and faith in the American South
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Barbara Smith, Andrew Scerri, Kimberly Niewolny
Fialkoff, Marc Richard
Assessment of the Jones Act on Freight Transportation Networks Experiencing Disruption and Critical Infrastructure Resilience
Committee: Ralph Buehler, Ralph Hall, co-chairs; Jonathan Gutoff, Henning Mortveit, Kathleen Hancock
Hamre, Andrea Katherine Marie
A Transport Justice Evaluation of Employer-Provided Transit Benefits
Committee: Kris Wernstedt, chair; Adam Eckerd, Pamela Murray-Tuite, Thomas Sanchez, Margaret Cowell
LeFurgy, Jennifer Beth
Staying Power: Aging in Community and the Village Model
Committee: James Bohland, chair; Stephen Golant, Karen Roberto, Rosemary Blieszner, Charles Koebel
Mbeky, Morgan
Assessing the Effectiveness of the Microcredit and Integrated Asset Building as a Social Approach to Poverty Reduction in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Committee: Thomas Sanchez, chair; Frank Martin, Joyce Rothschild, Diane Zahm
2016
Adames, Maria
Revitalization in the Neighborhood of San Felipe de Neri in the Historic District of Panama (City), Panama
Committee: Joseph Scarpaci, chair; Diane Zahm, A. Hamett, Humberto Rodriguez-Camilloni, Sonia Hirt
Aleyao, Binioube
An Investigation of NGO-Government Partnerships for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS and Malaria in the Maritime Region of Togo
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Devi Gnyawali, Ioannis Stivachtis, Laura Zanotti
Back, Donald Ray
Neoliberalism, Academic Capitalism and Higher Education in Developing Countries: The Case of Iraqi Kurdistan
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Laura Zanotti, Timothy Luke, Joan Hirt
Flanery, Trevor H.
Planning Local & Regional Development: Exploring Network Signal, Sites, and Economic Opportunity Dynamics
Committee: John Randolph, chair; Madhav Marathe, John Provo, Shalini Misra
Licher, Monica Katherine
Estimating Post-Construction Costs of a Changing Urban Stormwater Program
Committee: Jesse Richardson and Stephen Stephenson, co-chairs; David Sample, John Randolph, Yang Zhang
2015
An, Yehyun
The Operationalization of Capacity Development: the Case of Urban Infrastructure Projects in India
Committee: Ralph Hall, chair; Michael Garvin, Yang Zhang, Guruprasad Ghosh
Barry-Murphy, Emily Cheryl
Democratizing Refugee Governance Through Critical Reflexivity
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Grant Anderson, Patricia Nickel, Katrina Powell, Laura Zanotti
Brown, Timothy G.
The News Media, Environmental Collaborations and Accountability: A Survey of the EPA’s Roster of Environmental Conflict Resolution Professionals
Committee: John Randolph, chair; Rachel Holloway, Richard Rich, James Bohland
Halg Bieri, Anja Kerstin
Walking in Late Capitalism – Dialectic of Aestheticization and Commodification
Committee: Paul Knox, chair; Brian Britt, Sonia Hirt, Simone Paterson
2014
Carlet, Fanny
Understanding perceptions and adoption of green stormwater infrastructure
Committee: Kris Wernstedt, chair; Charles Koebel, John Randolph, Ralph Buehler, Michael Mortimer
Hodges, Eric Brandon
Creating Better Citizens? Investigating U.S. Marine Corps Basic Training’s Didactic Aspirations, Pedagogical Strategies and their Implications for Citizenship
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Bruce Pencek, James Dubinsky, Karen Hult
Lintz, Cynthia Ann
Understanding the Construction of National and Regional Identity: Perceptions of One Another along the Bulgarian-Macedonian Border
Committee: Sonia Hirt, chair; Derek Hyra, Petko Hristov, John Browder
Yavorosky, Bart Mykolas
Comparing Apples: Predicting the effect of public comments on administrative rules
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Dennis Medina, Timothy Luke, Anne Khademian
2013
Al-Daily, Wafa Mohsen Saleh
An Exploration of State and Non-State Actor Engagement in Informal Settlement Governance in the Mahwa Aser Neighborhood and Sana\'a City, Yemen
Committee: Max Stephenson, Kathleen Parrott, co-chairs; Sonia Hirt, Karen Till
Arroyave, Veronica Margoth
Networks in the Global Health domain and Disaster Response: A case study of The Partnership for Quality Medical Donation’s response to the 2010 Haitian Earthquake
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Laura Zanotti, Ioannis Stivachtis, Yang Zhang
Brink-Halloran, Brendan Jon
Agency and Citizenship in the Barrio: Exploring the Intersection of Participation, Politics and Urban Development in Guatemala City
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Laura Zanotti, Karen Hult, James Dubinsky, John Browder
Christensen, Rachel Atkin
Beyond Antagonistic Nonprofit Accountability: A Case Analysis of Practitioner Responses to the Contracting Regime
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Alnoor Ebrahim, Larkin Dudley, Charles Good
Heck, Allison Jane Abbott
Producing Authenticity: The Process, Politics and Impacts of Cultural Preservation in Washington, DC
Committee: Derek Hyra, chair; Elizabeth Morton, Margaret Cowell, Elizabeth Fine
Sanderford, Andrew R
Bridging the Diffusion of Innovation Chasm for Green Housing
Committee: Charles T. Koebel, chair; Jesse Richardson, Andrew McCoy, Annie Pearce, George Overstreet
Van Houweling, Emily Anne
Gender, water and development; the multiple impacts and perceptions of a rural water project in Nampula, Mozambique
Committee: Ralph Hall, chair; Keith Moore, Brett Schadle, Maria Elisa Christie
2012
Bukvic, Anamaria
Climate change relocation as an adaptation strategy: from taboo to opportunity
Committee: John Randolph, chair; Yang Zhang, Ralph Hall, Kris Wernstedt
Sanderlin, Nicole Paulette
Motivations for Faculty Engagement in Internationalization: Learning from Champions and Adocates
Committee: Max O. Stephenson, Jr., chair; Carol A. Bailey, Anne H. Moore, Josiah S. Tlou
Wei, Fang
Neighborhood change in metropolitan America
Committee: Paul L. Knox, chair; Sonia Hirt, Pang Du, Thomas Sanchez
2010
Boshoff, Brian
Conceptualizing Sustainability: the Case of Johannesburg and Water
Committee: Max O. Stephenson, chair; Bruce Goldstein, Sonia Hirt, Kris Wernstedt
Gervich, Curt Dawe
Exploring the Dynamics of Decision-Making in an Organic Farming Cooperative Amidst Competing Frames of Sustainability
Committee: Max O. Stephenson, Marc Stern, co-chairs; Carol Bailey, Larkin Dudley
Bieri, David Stephan
Location Choice, Linkages and the Spatial Economy: Essays on Theory, Evidence and Heterodox Assessment
Committee: Paul Knox, chair; Casey Dawkins, Heike Mayer, Bradford Mills
Cooper, Tracy Lee
Exploring a Disaster Management Network in the Caribbean: Structure, member Relations, Member Roles, and Leadership Styles
Committee: Max O. Stephenson, chair; Russell Cargo, Angela Eikenberry; Joel Peters, Patrick Roberts
Fisher, Mary Caperton
Aging America: Essays on Population Aging and the Physical and Economic Landscapes in the United States
Committee: Casey Dawkins, chair; C. Theodore Koebel, Heike Mayer, Jesse J. Richardson, Karen Roberto
Rosbach, Derren Thompson
Building a Transdisciplinary Trading Zone: Knowledge Sharing and Integration in Heterogeneous Milieu
Committee: Max O. Stephenson, chair; Anne Khademian, Marie Paretti, Kris Wernstedt
Schnitzer, Marcy Hammet
Actually Existing Democracy and Energy Justice: The Case of the Coalfields Delegation to the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development
Committee: Max O. Stephenson, chair; Carol Bailey, Wolfgang Natter, Richard Rich
2009
Butler, William
Planning for Water: Statewide Approaches to Watershed Planning and Management
Committee: John Randolph, chair; Bruce Goldstein, Bruce Hull, Max O. Stephenson
Pitt, Damian
The Diffusion of Climate Protection Planning among U.S. Municipalities
Committee: John Randolph, chair; Casey Dawkins, Richard Hirsh, Richard Rich
Tucker, Adrienne Janel LaBranch
Water Supply Planning for Landscape Irrigation in Virginia
Committee: Jesse Richardson, Eric Ervin, co-chairs; Tamim Younos, Anne Moore
2008
Becerra-Cordoba, Nancy
Modeling land-cover change in the Amazon using historical pathways of land cover change and Markov chains: A case study of Rondõnia, Brazil
Committee: John O. Browder, chair; Casey J. Dawkins, Darrell Bosch, Joel A. Nachlas, Randolph H. Wynne
Mitchell, Kimberly J.
Whose Choice Is It Really? The Impact of Property Profitability, Owner Strategies, & Perceived Majority Tenant Prejudices on Housing Choice Voucher Acceptance
Committee: C. Theodore Koebel, chair; Casey J. Dawkins, Max O. Stephenson, Jr., Rosemary Carucci Goss
Oner, Asli Ceylan
Locational Distribution of Global Advanced Producer Service Firms in the Polycentric US Metropolis
Committee: Paul L. Knox, chair; Casey J. Dawkins, Heike Mayer, Peter J. Taylor, Robert E. Lang, Edward Weisband
Reany, Candace Hall
The Sound of Silent Partners: A Study of Charitable Choice and the Perceptions of Nonprofit Leaders Regarding the Effects of Government Funding on Religiously-based Nonprofit Organizational Mission
Committee: Max Stephenson, chair; Casey Dawkins, Ted Koebel, Joyce Rothschild
Summers, Percy Manuel
The Post-frontier: Land use and social change in the Brazilian Amazon (1992 to 2002)
Committee: John O. Browder, chair; James R. Bohland, Alnoor Ebrahim, A.L."Tom" Hammett, Randolph H. Wynne
Danielsen-Lang, Karen A.
Lifestyle Neighborhoods: The Semi-Exclusive World of Rental Gated Communities
Committee: Thomas W. Sanchez, chair; Arthur C. Nelson, Paul L. Knox, Edward J. Blakely
2007
Bailey, Cara. L.
Understanding the Meaning of Community Engagement for Aging in Place within a Social Capital Framework
Committee: James R. Bohland, chair; C. Theodore Koebel, Rosemary Blieszner, Karen Roberto, Carol A. Bailey
Chance, D. R.
A Behavioral Theory of Planning
Committee: Jesse Richardson, Diane Zahm, co-chairs, Rachel Holloway, Ted Koebel
Guthrie, Dwayne Pierce
Understanding Urban, Metropolitan and Megaregion Development to Improve Transportation Governance
Committee: Arthur C. Nelson, chair; Elizabeth Morton, Robert E. Lang, Thomas Sanchez
Poley, L. D.
Community and the Habits of Democratic Citizenship: An Investigation into Civic Engagement, Social Capital and Democratic Capacity-Building in U.S. Cohousing Neighborhoods
Committee: Max O. Stephenson Jr., chair; Heike Mayer, Cornelia Flora, Joyce Rothschild
Medearis, Dale Garner
Considerations Concerning the Transfer of Urban Environmental and Planning Policies From Germany to the United States
Committee: Arthur C. Nelson, Chair; Timothy Beatley, Anne Khademian, Robert Lang
Admissions
PGG has established a highly selective Ph.D. program. Applicants should have master’s degrees in closely allied fields, such as Planning, Landscape Architecture, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Geography, and Economics, among others. Applicants without a conferred master’s degree will be directed to apply for one of our master’s degree programs.
Admission to PGG program is based on a combination of five criteria:
- Performance in Master’s program/Academic Transcript
- Letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose/interest in program
- Professional background and experience
- The availability of funding to support the applicant
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are available each year, and awarded only to applicants seeking entry in the Fall. Students wishing to be considered for one of these assistantships should apply by January 15. Full-time PGG students are required to have funding, whether it is departmental support or support from an external source (e.g., the student’s home government). Part-time students are not eligible for departmental support but may self-fund or seek external support.
The graduate admissions committee will carefully screen all applications and invite those shortlisted to participate in interviews. Each candidate will be interviewed by a member of the admissions committee and the candidate’s potential advisor(s). At least one faculty member must agree to supervise any applicant whose record meets admissions requirements and that is approved by the admissions committee before they will receive a formal offer of admission.
Information about the UEDP track, process for transfer courses, and degree requirements and milestones, can be found in the PGG Handbook.
Students apply online through the Graduate School website.
What to Submit:
- An Academic and Professional Goals Statement which addresses the following:
a. Start by identifying the broader field or academic literature in which you are interested and your educational and professional experience related to that area of inquiry.
b. Suggest the larger questions that interest you and thereafter note your specific research interest(s) and they relate to the umbrella concerns you have identified.
c. Your statement should describe your academic or professional research and research-related experiences (e.g., research projects in which you have been engaged and/or publications, conference presentations, and investigative collaborations in which you have been involved). Please be sure to indicate clearly how those experiences helped you develop knowledge and qualities that help to make you a competitive candidate.
d. Finally, please describe the future trajectory of your research. What questions do you want to address? How do you intend to address these questions? How can our institution help you in that process? Which faculty members’ work aligns with your research interests and how? What are the broader implications of your proposed research? Make sure that the research ideas/ projects that you propose can be conducted in our program. - A professional resume.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Proof of English Language Proficiency (if applicable). Learn more about this requirement here.
- Because we require that students have an awarded master’s degree before beginning their studies in PGG, we do NOT require GRE scores.
- Transcripts: Find important information about providing transcripts on the Graduate School’s application site.While completing your online application and prior to submitting it, you will be required to upload one copy of your scanned official transcript from each institution from which you have earned or will earn an undergraduate or graduate degree. Do not send transcripts for community college attendance or from any institution where you enrolled in classes but did not earn a degree. Please do not mail your official transcripts to us until you have received an offer of admission from Virginia Tech. Please note that non-legible scans will not be accepted. Make sure that all critical and identifying marks have been scanned and are legible.
For additional information or questions, please contact:
Kelly Crist
Manager of SPIA Faculty and Student Affairs
Planning, Governance, and Globalization Ph.D. Program
School of Public and International Affairs (0113)
220 Stanger Street, Suite 229
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
telephone: 540-231-2291
email: kcrist@vt.edu
You may also direct questions to the Graduate School:
Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown (0325)
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061
The following application deadlines have been established for the upcoming entry terms:
DEADLINES FOR EACH ENTRY TERM |
FALL |
SPRING (Part-Time/Self Funding Only) |
Domestic Applicants apply by |
January 15 |
January 1 |
International Applicants apply by |
January 15 |
September 1 |
Funding decisions are generally made by the end of March.
Short-listed applicants will be invited to participate in a virtual interview as part of the admissions process.
Please also see the Graduate School’s site for other available funding.
Students applying to the PGG program should meet the following academic standards:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in your Masters program
- TOEFL: minimums internet-based: 100; computer-based: 250; paper-based: 600.
OR
IELTS: minimum 6.5 (Neither TOEFL nor IELTS is required of US permanent residents or US naturalized citizens; can be waived by the Graduate School if student attended a university where English is the language of instruction) - GRE is optional