Colleen Chiu-Shee
Hello everyone! My name is Colleen Chiu-Shee, and I will be joining UIUC’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning this fall. I am excited about working with faculty and students at Urbana-Champaign and connecting with members of the broader Illinois community.
I received training in creative practice and social science and find building interdisciplinary collaborations and contributing to diverse communities invigorating. My main research explores idea(l)s and action of socio-ecological futures of the city in response to the environmental crisis and social injustice. I have also worked on topics such as “eco” and “smart” urbanisms in developing countries, housing development and affordability, collective governance and urban resilience, and cross-cultural planning pedagogy.
I am a first-generation immigrant with deep gratitude for all the transformative experiences brought by my cross-border and intercultural experiences. My first trip to the U.S. was in July 2009, when I landed in St. Louis as an international student from China. The stark contrast between rapid urbanization in coastal China and decline and segregation in the Midwestern U.S. sparked my interest in cities and the mechanisms that shape them. I gradually expanded my studies from architecture to urban design at Washington University in St. Louis and further broadened my expertise in planning and urban studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During the pandemic, I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and witnessed how different governments and cultures responded to the global emergency amid changing geopolitics. I look forward to moving back to the Midwest and continuing my learning and growth in the Illinois community.
A fun fact about Colleen’s work
When I was a child, I aspired to be a musician and asked my parents for a piano. They immediately ordered a German piano, which costed them one year’s income, and found a great teacher for me. However, growing up during the Culture Revolution, my parents were particularly concerned about my survival. They asked me to follow three pieces of advice: first, do not become a musician or a creative professional; second, focus on technical skills and stay away from politics; and third, go abroad to see the world. I trusted their judgments and certainly followed the advice, but obviously some things went off track. I no longer think politics can be avoided and I would love to become an amateur pianist. My family is looking for a permanent home in Champaign and the next thing is buying a new piano.
Colleen Chui-Shee
Share a Picture Doing Something you Enjoy
A vendor in front of Duomo di Milano surprised me by stuffing my hand with seeds. He took this picture as I was laughing about the pigeons’ attacks. I visited Politecnico di Torino for a short academic exchange and used a spare day to tour Milan. I always enjoy visiting different cities, seeing new places, and learning from different people and cultures.
Any other things you’d like our community to know about you or your work.
I enjoy community-building activities and often used mealtimes to connect with other community members. One highlight of my time in Boston was being a Graduate Resident Advisor at MIT’s Random Hall for four years. Guided by social workers, I learned how to connect deeper with others. Mingling with our house team and students made Random feel like home to me. During final’s weeks, one of my duties was to scramble 80 eggs every morning. I also co-organized weekly workshops that brought together scholars in Greater Boston who studied urban China. We shared food during research presentations and provided feedback for each other’s work. In the future, I hope to contribute to community-building activities and be a dynamic member at UIUC.
Omar Perez-Figueroa
Hi everyone, my name is Omar Pérez Figueroa, and I am part of the new Assistant Professor cohort in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Urbana-Champaign. My family and I are very excited about this new opportunity. I am thrilled to be able to share my experience and research with the broad Illinois community and find ways to support the work that my colleagues are already doing.
I am from Puerto Rico, where I completed a BS in Social Sciences. Later I moved to Barcelona to continue my graduate studies in water management. After working with NGOs and federal government agencies for several years, I pursued a Ph.D. in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of California, Irvine. Given my international background, I am particularly interested in supporting communities in the global south and beyond, preparing to cope with extreme weather events, such as storms, floods, wildfires, and mudslides. I look forward to meeting everyone and building new partnerships and collaborations.
A fun fact about Omar’s work
Before starting my undergraduate studies, I had been accepted into a culinary program. I opted to pursue a BA in social science with a minor in geography instead. When I am not busy with work, I like to cook for friends and family. I like to uplift and share my Caribbean heritage through my culinary skills.
Omar Perez-Figueroa
Share a Picture Doing Something you Enjoy
This is a picture of me scuba diving in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. I like this picture because I like to remind myself that even when though the ocean is far, it is always a part of me.
Any other things you’d like our community to know about you or your work
An essential part of my work follows a community-based research approach as it sets the tone for collaborating with communities in an equitable way. I believe this approach offers an opportunity to actively engage and empower communities in the research process by fostering collaborative partnerships, and prioritizing the needs of the community for more impactful outcomes.
Rebecca Walker
Hello! My name is Rebecca Walker and I am thrilled to be joining the faculty in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Urbana-Champaign this fall. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the faculty, staff, and students in the department and to learning and exploring new ideas with you all. I love collaboration, both with colleagues and with my community, and I’m excited about building new collaborations in Illinois.
I grew up in Virginia, where I completed my undergraduate degree in environmental sciences and anthropology at the University of Virginia. Following this, I moved to California where I completed a masters degree studying ecology at the University of California, Davis. I am just wrapping up my Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. My research interests sit at the intersection of urban environmental planning and housing policy, with a focus on environmental justice. As a community-engaged scholar, my research is rooted in my relationships with community partners, and I can’t wait to build new relationships with environmental justice community organizations working in Illinois.
A fun fact about Rebecca’s work
Much of my dissertation research focused on the Minneapolis park system, which meant I got to do “fieldwork” for my research every time I went for a walk, played basketball, or rode my bike in one of the parks. I’m on a mission to visit all 228 parks in the Minneapolis park system, and so far, I’ve made it to over 170! I’ll be busy this summer crossing the rest off the list.
Rebecca Walker
Share a Picture Doing Something you Enjoy
This is a picture of me in my garden, admiring some peas. For the last four years, I’ve been gardening at a community gardening co-op in my neighborhood. I love getting to know my neighbors this way and to grow and share food with my community.
