HUD ANNOUNCES URBAN SCHOLARS FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS

WASHINGTON - The Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the ten recipients of its 2003 Urban Scholars Fellowships. The program encourages new scholars to undertake research now, and throughout their careers, on topics of interest to HUD.

To be eligible to apply, individuals must have received their Ph.D. no earlier than January 1, 1998, and hold an academic appointment at a higher education institution. The grants may total up to $55,000 for expenses such as salary for two summers, graduate assistants to work on research projects, partial cost of paying for replacements to cover a reduced course load, computer software, the purchase of data, and travel expenses to collect data and make presentations at meetings.

HUD received some 37 applications for the grants, which were reviewed, evaluated and scored based on the criteria in HUD's Notice of Funding Availability, published in October 2003. The program is administered by HUD's Office of University Partnerships.

The 2003 recipients are:

Scott W. Allard
Department of Political Science, Brown University, Providence, RI.
Title of Project: Access to Social Services in Urban America
Grant Amount: $54,590.

Pascale Joassart-Marcelli
Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Title of Project: Closing the Gap between Housing and Job Locations: The Role of Rental Assistance Programs
Grant Amount: $54,975.

Niki T. Dickerson
Department of Labor Studies and Employment, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Title of Project: Residential Segregation and Access to Economic Opportunity for Blacks and Latinos
Grant Amount: $ $52,920.

Tama Leventhal
Institute for Policy Studies, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Title of Project: The Influence of Neighborhood Transformation on Child and Adolescent Well-Being
Grant Amount: $55,000.

Cristopher DeSousa
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
Title of Project: Increasing residential development activity on urban brownfields: An examination of redevelopment trends, developer perceptions, and future prospects
Grant Amount: $51,084.

Nancy Theresa Kinney
Department of Political Science, University of Missouri at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Title of Project: Strengthening the Participation of Faith-Based Organizations in Community Development: the Promise and Peril of the Congregational Spin-off Process
Grant Amount: $55,000.

Casey J. Dawkins
Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA
Title of Project: Racial Gaps in the Transition to First-Time Homeownership: the Role of Residential Segregation
Grant Amount: $53,164.

Kristin E. Larsen
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Title of Project: Defining Characteristics and Implementation: Analysis of Housing Trust Funds With a Focus on Florida's SHIP Program
Grant Amount: $52,862.

Thomas Davidoff
Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Title of Project: Prospects for Expansion of the U.S. Reverse Mortgage Industry
Grant Amount: $50,492.

Stephanie Dyer
Sonoma State University, Davis, CA
Title of Project: Markets in the Meadows: How Suburban Shopping Centers Changed the American City, 1920-1980
Grant Amount: $53,276.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

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