Note from the Program Manager
July 28, 2022
Dear BU URBAN Community,
It is with a heavy heart that I announce my departure from Boston University and the BU URBAN Program. My last day will be September 22, 2022. It has been an incredible honor working with and for all of you, and in particular our inspiring and passionate URBAN Trainees. Our world is in desperate need of a new generation of researchers and practitioners with the skills, knowledge, and most importantly the heart, to tackle urban environmental challenges with fresh ideas and interdisciplinary thinking. I feel grateful to have played a small role in recruiting, mentoring, and supporting so many URBAN Trainees to engage in this work with rigor and care.
Looking back, I am proud of my contributions to growing the program, from developing new approaches to broadening participation, to collaborating on workshops and initiatives with partners on- and off-campus, to most recently bringing a group of 11 trainees to Washington DC to learn about science policy through meetings with congressional staff and NGOs. Similarly, I am proud of the ways I’ve grown professionally and personally in this role, and appreciate the opportunities I’ve had to coach PhD students through their internship and job searches, hire and manage undergraduate student staff, and center diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program policies and operations. I’m especially thankful to Pam, Jon, and Lucy, for their leadership and vision for BU URBAN, their mentorship over my professional growth, and their support for my ideas (and especially my commitment to alliteration).
Looking ahead, I am pleased to share that I have been recruited to join MXM Research Group, a small social impact consulting firm that offers services in design, strategy, and evaluation, and I am excited to contribute to their projects related to community health, youth development, and education, while building out their climate and environment portfolio. I am thankful that I will continue to stay on as Program Manager until September 22, so I can kick off the new academic year and ease the transition to new management.
As such, we would appreciate your help in sharing the job description for BU URBAN Program Manager (you can view it here). Please share the post widely and consider those in your network who may be a good fit for the role.
I’m looking forward to staying in touch with you all during and beyond this transition. If we aren’t already connected on LinkedIn, you can add me here.
Thanks again for making this job so worthwhile and fulfilling.
Sincerely,
Evan Kuras
BU URBAN Program Manager
