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The Urban Planning Program at KU was built by retiring Professor Kirk McClure. Your donation honors him and supports the continued work of the Urban Planning program in training effective and caring planners, serving under resourced communities, and researching topics instrumental to people’s quality of life.
Kirk has been a key part of Urban Planning’s 46 year history. Over his 33 years at KU, Kirk has ‘built’ 560 Jayhawk Planners and bettered Housing and Development policy in the United States and internationally through his research and advocacy. Those of us lucky enough to have had Kirk as a professor know about his commitment to finding paid internships for students and teaching how to spot data that is being used in, perhaps, misleading ways, but we also know that he has been a good listener and cheerleader whenever we have needed an extra boost.
Your donation will help create the Urban Planning program’s first ever endowment account of its very own. In the past, donations have gone to the School in which we have been housed and then earmarked for Urban Planning, but if we raise at least $5,000 that account will be ours alone. With that account, we can do things like support students attending the National Planning Conference or other professional opportunities, bring in nationally/internationally known speakers to interact with students and practitioners, help under resourced communities participate in our implementation classes, and do lots of little things (that seem big when you do not have funds) like have food for new student orientations or graduation. Kirk and his mustache have been part of the program’s unique identity and nothing will replace that, but we can continue his legacy and do our best to live up to his high ideals.
If you have any questions please contact Bonnie Johnson - information below:
Bonnie J. Johnson, Ph.D., AICP, KU MUP ‘94
Director/Associate Professor, Urban Planning Program
School of Public Affairs and Administration
1460 Jayhawk Blvd., Snow Hall, Room 207
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-7147
bojojohn@ku.edu