Joining or creating an URBAN Node gives you the opportunity to bring community-engaged researchers and community leaders together locally and as a part of a national network where scholars, students, community members, activists, and artists can learn, share resources, discuss pressing issues of the processes and implications of engaged research.
Chapters of URBAN categorized by discipline.
URBAN chapters, known as Nodes, come in two forms: Theme Nodes and Local Nodes. Theme Nodes are organized by academic disciplines, such as Sociology, Education, and Urban Studies, or intentionally focused themes such as Philanthropic Intersections; while Local Nodes are based on geography, including states like New York or Utah, and cities like Los Angeles or Philadelphia. Both types of Nodes offer unique opportunities to connect with others who share common interests and contexts, while contributing to URBAN’s broader mission of community-engaged scholarship and civic action.
Join a dynamic national network that connects community-engaged researchers, leaders, students, activists, and artists committed to advancing critical, community-based scholarship. As an official URBAN node, you gain access to a collaborative platform for sharing resources, exploring pressing social issues, and participating in national initiatives, conferences, and decision-making. Together, we build stronger communities through shared values and engaged research.
URBAN Nodes play a vital role in the organization, and all official nodes are represented in the organization’s steering body, the National Planning Team.
Theme Nodes connect members across regions around common areas of study, creating space to exchange ideas, advance research, and build collaboration beyond geography.
Being an official node provides local and discipline specific group access to a network of public scholars who are at the forefront of critical community-based scholarship and critical civic engagement.
EDUCATION
Ana Antunes, University of Utah
Joy Howard, Appalachian State University
SOCIOLOGY
Rebecca London, UC Santa Cruz
Steve McKay, UC Santa Cruz
URBAN PLANNING
Michael Johnson, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Celina Su, City University of New York
EDUCATION
Erin Kenney, Hartwick College
SOCIOLOGY
Darío León, UC Santa Cruz
URBAN PLANNING
TBA
COLORADO
Antwan Jefferson, University of Colorado, Denver
Ben Kirshner, University of Colorado, Boulder
CONNECTICUT
Angela Frusciante, Knowledge Designs for Change LLC
NEW YORK
Michelle Fine, CUNY Graduate Center & University
Brett Stoudt, City University of New York
Maria Elena Torre, City University of New York
UTAH
Ana Antunes, University of Utah
Adrienne Cachelin, University of Utah
LOS ANGELES, CA
José Z. Calderón, Pitzer College
Alvaro Huerta, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
SANTA CRUZ, CA
Chris Benner, UC Santa Cruz
Steve McKay, UC Santa Cruz
Rebecca London, UC Santa Cruz
BOSTON, MA
Michael Johnson, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Laura Grattan, Wellesley College
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Kristen Goessling, Philly Participatory Research Collective
Edwin Mayorga, Swarthmore College
COLORADO
Marlene Palomar
CONNECTICUT
TBA
NEW YORK
Shibani Chakravorty, City University of New York
UTAH
Blanca Yagüe, University of Utah
LOS ANGELES, CA
Jennifer Lopez
SANTA CRUZ, CA
Darío León, UC Santa Cruz
BOSTON, MA
Imen Ameur, UMass, Boston
PHILADELPHIA, PA
TBA
A Node is a chapter of URBAN separated by either discipline or location.
You can join a Node by first joining URBAN. You can do so on our “Join Urban” page.
We plan to have our individual Node webpages up by the end of Summer 2026.
Bring together researchers and community partners.
Share knowledge, methods, and opportunities across the network.
Turn collaborative inquiry into community-centered action.
If your place or field is not yet represented in our Network, bring the right people together and build the next URBAN Node.