About this Event
The Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium (UURC) course instructors invite all interested mentors and mentees to attend to learn more about the course, pitch their projects, and meet potential mentors/mentees through this info session. Light lunch will be served, and you are welcome to bring your own lunches.
About
The Penn IUR Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium (UURC) facilitates undergraduate research on cities and urban issues through a semester-long, credit-bearing seminar (CPLN 5280/URBS 4280) combined with mentorship from faculty, professors, or doctoral students on a grant-supported, joint research project. The course is cross-listed between the Weitzman School of Design’s Department of City and Regional Planning and the School of Arts and Science’s Urban Studies program.
In the past, research projects have ranged from ethnographic studies of Philadelphia nightlife, to identifying barriers to walking in disadvantaged neighborhoods, to analyzing urban mass transit. UURC mentor-mentee collaborations have yielded publications in refereed journals, leveraged other research funding, and prepared undergraduates to pursue original research as an extension of the UURC project or in other areas.
Instructors for Spring 2027
Bianca Mers ([email protected])
Tiffany M. Tran ([email protected])
Grants
Up to ten grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to mentor-mentee teams to collaborate on a new or existing research project. Grants may not be used for direct compensation for mentees during the period of the course but may be used toward a stipend for mentees during any on-going summer research.
Eligibility and Requirements
Mentors: All standing faculty, adjunct, practice or clinical professors, and doctoral students in all schools are eligible.
- Mentors must identify mentee as part of grant application, facilitate and supervise mentee research, and participate in joint presentations throughout the semester
Mentees: Undergraduate students in all schools are eligible.
- The seminar meets once a week (day/time TBD)
- Please see a sample course syllabus here
Projects: Mentors and mentees are both welcome to submit new or ongoing research projects, such as faculty research, dissertation projects, or senior undergraduate theses. Projects must focus on cities and urban issues but can draw from a range of disciplines including, but not limited to: Anthropology, Art, City Planning, Demography, Design, Education, Economics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Finance, Geography, Governance, History, Law, Medicine, Natural and Applied Sciences, Public Policy, Real Estate, Social Work, Sociology, Urban Studies.
Event venue & nearby stays
Penn IUR Conference Room, Meyerson Hall, 210 S 34th Street, G12, Philadelphia, United States
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