Expand Image
First-year Master of City Planning students Brianna Belo and Sarah Curry have been selected for the Moelis Scholars Program in the Department of City & Regional Planning. They join second-year students Jared Jackson and Samantha Shasanya in receiving full-tuition scholarships and additional support.
"The Moelis Scholars Program was created to encourage students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to pursue a career in housing, community and economic development, or public/private development," says Assistant Professor of City & Regional Planning Akira Drake Rodriguez. "Scholars have the opportunity to study equitable development in marginalized communities, and they receive full tuition, research assistantship, and summer stipend support so they can obtain summer internships in organizations with high needs but few resources. The program began in 2019 and has already produced a robust cohort of alumni working across the world in a range of career fields."
The Moelis Scholars Program was established by Ron Moelis (C'78, W'78), the chairman and co-founder of L+M Development Partners.
Brianna Belo, Class of 2025
Brianna Belo is a Philadelphia native with a health focused background and strong interest in human-centered design. She attended American University in Washington D.C where she obtained her undergraduate degree in public health and a masters degree in health promotion management. Brianna's professional career spans the private, government and non-profit sector. Broadly, during her time in the workplace Brianna has engaged in work that has focused on capacity building, organizational development, strategic planning, change management, as well as instructional design and facilitation. Subject matter Brianna is experienced with includes health equity, home based care, chronic conditions, sustainability, and DEI. Brianna, also known as Bri, aspires to build a career that reconciles individuals' relationships with themselves, others, and their surrounding environments. She envisions building communities that create space for individuals to live their highest quality of life and reach their full potential.
Sarah Curry, Class of 2025
Originally from Atlanta, Sarah Curry moved to Philadelphia in 2020 to work as an architectural designer and continue her passionate involvement in community-led organizations. A graduate of Auburn University (B.Arch) and the Rural Studio, and a past National President of the American Institute of Architecture Students, Sarah's experiences have instilled in her a deep belief in the built environment's role in and ability to solve the most pressing issues of our generation. She looks forward to investigating at a graduate level the policies and designs that support both human rights and human's responsibilities surrounding accessible and equitable architecture as well as conserved and protected land. She endeavors to accomplish that life-long work through architectural planning, serving the public, and civic engagement. When not pursuing this mission, Sarah recharges through volunteering, crafting, writing, reading, and running. She currently serves as a Co-Chair of AIA Philadelphia's Women in Architecture Committee and as an active member of PhilaNOMA.
Jared Jackson, Class of 2024
Jared Jackson is pursuing a Master of City Planning with a concentration in Public and Private Development. Jared is from Baltimore, Maryland and recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the largest HBCU in the nation, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Throughout his undergraduate career, Jared has immersed himself in the field of city planning by participating in two internships, in both the private and public sectors of planning and development. He collaborated with senior management on multiple functions including transportation planning, research design, and field inspection. Jared also created criteria for prospective low-income housing locations and evaluated socioeconomic and political advantages and disadvantages.
A proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Jared has served as the International Collegiate Member At-Large for his organization where he developed strategic plans to ensure members exceeded all academic and community service requirements and expectations from the organization as well as collaborated with board members, professionals, and other organizations to formulate relevant and productive events and opportunities for the members throughout the organization.
Jared’s mission is to develop communities in need that have experienced historical economic neglect, without displacing current members of those neighborhoods. “Ideally, I would love to become a Real Estate developer and create generational home ownership opportunities, local business growth, diverse economic integration, and community acceptance of affordable housing in higher income neighborhoods.”
Samantha Shasanya, Class of 2024
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Samantha Shasanya is an eternal optimist who always looks for strengths and potential in people, places, and things. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Howard University and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania, Samantha spent more than 20 years working in education in a variety of roles in the public-school systems of Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
