Taubman College Taubman College students Jessica Hobbs, M.U.R.P. ’24, and Andy Larsen, M.U.R.P. ’24, have been named 2023 – 2024 student representatives to the Michigan chapter of the American Planning Association (MAP). Hobbs and Larsen will serve a one-year term on the student board.
Each year, MAP selects two students from one of four Michigan universities with accredited planning programs to hold positions on the Student Board. This year is the University of Michigan’s turn. The student representatives’ primary responsibility is to organize the Student Michigan Association of Planning (SMAP) Conference, which Taubman College will host next winter. The conference is an opportunity for planning students at universities throughout the state to learn about new planning research and best practices, get career advice, and network with planning professionals.
On receiving the role, Larsen shared, “I am honored and thankful to be chosen for the role. I am excited to be able to represent fellow planning students at such a level.”
“As a future planner in the state of Michigan, I am very excited about the opportunity to work closely with capable, experienced professionals who are passionate about our field,” said Hobbs.
The student representative role was introduced to the MAP board in 2012 to connect the Association’s student membership to their leadership. As the largest state chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), MAP aims to achieve a desired quality of life through comprehensive community planning that includes opportunities for a variety of lifestyles and housing, employment, commercial activities, and cultural and recreational amenities.
