Laier-Rayshon Smith, a degree candidate in Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Master in Urban Planning program, has been named one of five honorees of the American Planning Association’s (APA) Foundation scholarships program. According to the APA, the APA Foundation has awarded $90,000 in scholarships since 2015 to “deserving planning students who will be leaders and advocates in their communities.”
2019 marks the first year in which the APA Foundation has offered Foundation scholarships, in addition to the APA’s long-standing Charles Abrams Scholarship and Judith McManus Price Scholarship. APA Foundation scholarship recipients were selected by the APA Foundation’s seven-member grant-making committee.
Smith’s vision for equitable communities includes working at the intersections of social interaction, policy, design, and the decision-making processes that formulate the built environment. Living in Pittsburgh and working at non-profit organizations in the city helped to shape this vision.
Learn more about APA Foundation’s scholarships and Smith’s co-winners via the APA’s announcement.