The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) awarded Lisa Schweitzer, Associate Professor at the Sol Price School of Public Policy, the 2015 Marcia M. Feld Leadership Award at the ACSP 55th Annual Conference in October in recognition of her outstanding leadership to the organization as a member and former chair of the ACSP Faculty Women’s Interest Group (FWIG).

The ACSP is a consortium of urban and regional planning schools and departments that strives to promote education, research, service, and outreach in North America and globally. FWIG is a formally approved interest group of the ACSP that aims to support and encourage women faculty and graduate students Professor Schweitzer chaired FWIG from 2010 to 2013, and during that time energized the organization “through her outreach to younger scholars and a commitment to honoring the founding FWIG members,” as noted in her nomination, “She is a strong voice for women in planning and academia and richly deserving of this award.”

Schweitzer acknowledges that the current situation of women in urban planning and the academy has improved, but warns that it still needs work. She noted that when FWIG was founded there were only 12 members, now the number has increased to over 200, but “still only about 30% of university faculty are women,”  She compares this struggle to those of race and ethnicity, and its import motivates her to strive to keep improving the situation. On a positive note, she shares that USC “Price (School) is a good environment for promoting women involvement in planning and the academy.” 

Schweitzer appreciates this award as recognition of her efforts in helping build FWIG and her dedication to the organization for the past 10 years. “It is a reminder that service is important,” she remarked. She feels privileged to hold the positions of influence she does, and intends to continue encouraging and empowering more women to enter the academy and the field of planning. 

Wenhao Zhang

Wenhao Zhang is a second-year Master of Planning student at the USC Price School.  He is interested in topics such as urban design, sustainable planning, and public transportation.  His expected date of graduation is May 2016.  He can be reached at [email protected].