OCS Conference Funding Submission

Event Photo:

Career Center at the NPC.

This learning session was styled as a game show, where professionals grouped into different "communities" and voted on the best response to questions about planning issues.

Name: Jason Ramel

Degree Program: MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING

Specialization: MUP-International Development Planning

Conference Host Organization/Institution: American Planning Association (APA)

Conference/Competition Name: APA National Planning Conference

Conference Term: Spring Conference Start Date: 2022-04-30 Conference End Date: 2022-05-03

What were your takeaways from this conference/case competition?
This conference exposed me to opportunities for learning and professional development in a planning-focused environment. I met many professionals who are active in the field and benefitted from their insights on career paths to follow. Many of the sessions presented novel connections between areas I hadn't though could be related. For example, the keynote speech given by architect Michael Ford explored the intersection of music and planning through his program Hip Hop Architecture Camp.

How will your participation in this conference/case competition support your professional development?
During the conference, I took advantage of every chance to network and engage in discourse with fellow professionals. I passed out business cards, found out about job opportunities, and met like-minded peers through the APA's interest divisions. After learning and working in virtual environments for more than a year, this conference reminded me how to interact with professionals in real life. It was a refreshing experience and I feel better prepared for the working world.

What are some next steps or action items this conference/case competition inspired?
This conference allowed me to engage with planning professionals and fellow students from around the country. I was sure to exchange contact information after every encounter, so that we could remain connected in the future. One of my first actions upon returning to NYC was to send requests to connect over LinkedIn, most of which have been returned. I've also started to follow up on the job opportunities I heard about during the conference. The material presented in many of the learning sessions was also highly interesting and I've begun conducting my own research into some of the topics.

What are some tips or best practices that you would like to share with other Wagner students who attend a conference/case competition?
First and foremost, I urge Wagner students to attend conferences. There are associations for nearly every profession and these conferences are a phenomenal opportunity to learn more about your field through conversation. Second, I highly recommend for them to bring business cards. I brought the box of cards that Wagner had distributed at the beginning of fall semester and gave about a third of them away over the course of the weekend. Finally, I would recommend for students to set the intention to be fully present for these conferences. Experiences I had outside the traditional sessions were highly enriching.

Wagner Areas of Impact: Cities, Education, Finance, Government, Health, Housing, Inequality, Race, and Poverty, Leadership, Nonprofits, Social Innovation, Transportation