Student Spotlight: Gabriel Negrón Torres (MUP 2026)

In celebration of the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re shining a light on the Association of Latinx Students and Allies in Public Service (ALAS)—a student-led organization at NYU Wagner that builds community and advances professional development. In this spotlight, meet Gabriel Negrón Torres, the new ALAS Chair, who shares how his experiences in public service have shaped his vision for making ALAS a welcoming space for all.

What drew you to Wagner, and what are you focusing on in your MUP program?
I came to Wagner because I wanted to study urban planning in a city where the stakes and possibilities are both so high. New York City is the perfect place for that, and Wagner—being a public service school that also happened to be the top-ranked in urban policy—was the clear choice to continue my path. I initially focused on transportation and urban policy in the MUP program, but over time, I’ve broadened my interests as new opportunities have come my way in areas like zoning and housing policy.

You’ve worked in transportation in the DC metro area, in land use at the NYC Council, and now at the MTA’s Fleet Technology Office. What lessons have you taken from these experiences that shape how you approach planning?
Working in different regions and across various areas of planning has helped me understand how crucial it is to tailor policies and practices to the local context. Every place is unique—the challenges in DC aren’t the same as in New York—but each can offer lessons that might benefit the other. This matters deeply to me because one of my long-term goals is to be part of the decision-making process in Puerto Rico, where I hope to apply what I’ve learned at Wagner and in New York while honoring the island’s local context and adapting those lessons to its realities.

Last winter, you volunteered in Puerto Rico’s elections. With NYC elections coming up, what advice would you give peers who want to get more involved?I’ve always believed political engagement starts with small conversations. Fortunately, the Wagner student body shares a strong commitment to public service, which makes those conversations easy to have. If you feel like a complete stranger to NYC politics, you’re not alone (I was there just two years ago). Don’t be afraid to ask questions around the Wagner building; many students have been deeply involved in local processes for years, and in my experience, they’re always willing to share what they know.

Congrats on stepping up as ALAS Chair after serving as Secretary last year! What motivated you to take on this leadership role, and what’s your vision for ALAS this year?
Thank you, it’s truly an honor! Taking on this role feels like a way to give back what the organization has given me over the past two years. Living away from home has made me realize how central my latinidad is to my identity, and ALAS has been the welcoming space where I’ve felt free to embrace that. My hope is that it continues to be that same kind of space for others.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your Wagner experience so far?
Wagner has been an incredible experience in so many ways that it’s hard to choose just one "most rewarding part." The classroom learning, the chance to connect with passionate faculty and peers with the same sense of commitment to public service, the professional opportunities that have opened up to me, the sense of family within ALAS, and the friendships I’ve built here (and that I will carry with me for life)—all of it has shaped me. More than anything, it’s left me deeply inspired and reminded me that I’m part of something much bigger than myself.