STAFF919-962-3077
Brohe@unc.edu
Dr. William M. Rohe received his Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University in 1978. In 2005 he was awarded a distinguished professorship by the university contributions to scholarship in the field of city and regional planning. He now holds the title of the Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of City & Regional Planning. Professor Rohe specializes in housing and community development planning and policy.
Dr. Rohe is a widely-published author. His books include Planning with Neighborhoods (University of North Carolina Press), Chasing the American Dream: New Perspectives on Affordable Homeownership (Cornell University Press), and The Research Triangle: From Tobacco Road to Global Prominence (University of Pennsylvania Press). He has also published over sixty refereed journal articles on the topics of housing and community development policy and practice, as well as numerous research reports for federal, state, and local government agencies and major foundations. Dr. Rohe has received best article awards from both the Journal of Planning Education and Research and the Journal of the American Planning Association and he has conducted sponsored research for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Ford Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and many other organizations. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Urban Affairs and Journal of Planning Literature and is an associate editor for the journal Housing Policy Debate.
Dr. Rohe's current projects include: an evaluation of the Charlotte Housing Authority’s Moving to Work Demonstration and its Boulevard Homes HOPE VI project. He is also conducting a long-term assessment funded by the MacArthur Foundation of the impacts of individual development accounts on homeownership, total wealth, education attainment, and psychological health being.
TODD OWEN
Associate Director919-962-3076
towen@email.unc.edu
Todd Owen joined the CURS staff in April 2005 after working for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management for over six years. He served in a variety of capacities there, most recently overseeing several grant programs focused on natural hazards mitigation. Todd has also coordinated outreach efforts for the Massachusetts Low Level Radioactive Waste Management Board. He co-authored numerous reports on family policy issues when he was the program coordinator for the Family Impact Seminar, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group. Todd received his MRP in land-use and environmental planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998.
As the Associate Director, Todd is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Center, including helping researchers seek and secure research funding, assisting faculty in managing research projects, and facilitating interdiciplinary dialogue on issues of interest to the Center staff and Faculty Fellows. He is currently working on a project to develop a hazard mitigation plan for UNC-CH.
MARY DONEGAN, MCRP
Research Associate919-962-0122
mdonegan@live.unc.edu
Mary Donegan is a Research Associate at the Center for Urban and Regional Studies where she is working on an evaluation of the Charlotte Housing Authority's (CHA) Moving Forward Program and an evaluation of the CHA HOPE IV Project. Mary's research interests focus on economic development, workforce development, and the creative city.
BRIAN MORTON, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate919-962-8847
bjmorton@email.unc.edu
Brian's research interests center on landscapes, transportation, air quality, and the effects of corporations on communities. His specialization is public policy toward regional and urban air pollution.
Brian recently received a $649,995 grant from the Transportation Research Board to study the impacts of land use strategies on travel behavior in small communities and rural areas. Morton and City and Regional Planning professors Daniel Rodriguez and Yan Song will develop methods and provide an assessment of the impact of land use, development patterns, and the associated economic activities on travel behavior in small communities and rural areas. For more information contact Brian Morton at bjmorton@email.unc.edu
Over the past 20 years, Brian has worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Defense Fund, and several consulting firms. He holds the Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.
JENNIFER PETERSON
Public Communications Specialist
919-843-9708
jlpeters@email.unc.edu
Jennifer Peterson overseas the Center's communications, including the website, publications, and media relations. Jennifer's past work experience has included communications and marketing at Triangle Land Conservancy, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, and the University of Northern Iowa.
HOLLY MCPHERSON
Grants Manager
919-962-5302
Holly_McPherson@unc.edu
Assists faculty fellows and students with the preparation and submission of research proposals. Oversees and routes various pieces of the grant proposal packet to the appropriate Center staff members and offices external to CURS (IRB, Dean's Office, Contracts & Grants, Research Services). Serves as primary point of contact for principal investigators for administrative matters regarding contract administration. Maintains and revises Center's marketing materials. Serves as the Center's Human Resources Facilitator.
JUDITH BUKENYA
Accounting Technician919-962-3075
bukenya@email.unc.edu
Provides accounting, financial and budgeting assistance to the principal investigators of Center research projects. This includes preparing budgets in both UNC and funding agency format and financial tracking and reporting throughout the lifetime of the research project. Also manages Center's state account, trust fund and overhead receipts accounts.
LINDA COMER
Processing Assistant919-962-3074 (main line)
lcomer@email.unc.edu
Prepares all payroll, travel, personnel and purchasing transactions for staff, students, and faculty fellows. Shepherds grant proposals through the University system. Answers main telephone line and routes requests for information to appropriate Center staff members. Serves as editor of CURS Update the Center's bi-annual newsletter.
