WSU Urban Studies Blog

Dr. Murphy’s Human Identity class wrapped up the semester with a party/creative writing workshop. With the knowledge gained from the course about the diversity and complexity of human experiences and identities, the students collaborated to write and present fictional stories about how a significant event can impact a person’s life and identity. Considering this stellar bunch of students who created such a warm and welcoming classroom environment, it was not surprising that the stories they produced were sophisticated, creative, serious, and playful. Congratulations on a terrific semester, Students!   

Between March 6-9, Urban Studies faculty, past and present, shared their research at this year's Eastern Sociological Society annual meeting in downtown Boston. Dr. Timothy Murphy, Dr. Danielle Morales (now at UMass Boston), and Dr. Adam Saltsman were all at the conference. Dr. Murphy presented his paper, "At Home in Bohemia: Queer Belonging among Migrants in Amsterdam and São Paulo." Abstract Newcomers to cities often seek belonging with other urban residents along a variety of lines of identification, whether it be shared beliefs, ethnicity, regional identity, gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, profession, hobby etc. This paper examines how middle-class migrants in pursuit of greater freedom of self-expression and a better quality of life establish a queer sense of belonging through bohemian spaces and networks in two major cities that are rarely analyzed together: Amsterdam and São Paulo. Previous research has evidenced ...

 This December, Urban Studies Associate Professor Dr. Adam Saltsman congratulated three of our majors on completing their rigorous capstone research and writing work with a traditional lunch at the Boynton. Left to right: Skylar Adcock, Melody Byrne, Morgan Mercadante, Adam Saltsman Here are their titles and abstracts: Skylar Adcock Mental Health Resources for Transition-Aged Unhoused Youth: A Case Study of Worcester County, MA Access to mental health resources is a significant factor in supporting transition age homeless youth, a population which is affected by mental health concerns and challenges. There are potential barriers such as financial and language barriers, which may be difficult to get access to these resources. I will be researching what social barriers transition age homeless youth face in seeking and receiving mental health service. Interviews and surveys were conducted with professionals in the field in Worcester County and research from databases. The study reveal...

On November 12, the Urban Action Institute and the Urban Studies Department held our annual Empty Bowls fundraiser to raise awareness of food insecurity on our campus and in the broader Worcester community. The fundraiser is the culminating experience for students enrolled in the Urban Studies SNAP practicum, also known as the Hunger Outreach Team.  Our students worked so hard this year! They chose the theme: "Celebration of Fall", cooked desserts, chose playlists, and solicited prizes from businesses all over the greater Worcester area to raffle off at our event. Chartwells--the dining service provider at WSU--supplied delicious soups and Panera donated heaps of bread.  We raised over $1,100 from this year's fundraiser! And thanks to funds from the Student Government Association to help cover the costs of the event, we were able to donate the whole amount. Embodying the students' focus on the interconnections between hunger on our campus and hunger in the broader co...

Students in Dr. Conroy's  Worcester: A City & Its People class ( UR 312)  took to the city for a second time this semester to do some fieldwork. The first trip was to North Main Street --  this one was to Coes Pond and Webster Square. Here they are on the eastern edge of the pond along the boardwalk.  The student field packets contained old maps and images of city buildings and spaces at various historical points. For example, the packets contained plates from the 1896 and 1911 Worcester Real Estate Atlases as well as pictures of the "old" Webster Square Cinema when it was in operation, the "old" Stop'n Shop that's not the Asian Market, the Coes Wrench Factory, and the Roller Skating Arena that is now called Arena Plaza (where a Little Caesars is located). Students located the sites along the way and compared the old images and maps to what remains of them today. Then they were encouraged to speculate about the changes before they dug into source mat...

During his sabbatical last spring, Urban Studies Associate Professor Dr. Timothy Murphy, built a user-friendly website to help students develop their qualitative research skills. The site is called "Wonderful Ethnography" , because it emphasizes the importance of wondering when conducting ethnographic research. The site's three main sections - Wondering, Observing, and Asking - teach students how to stay open and curious about whatever arises during the research process and being slow to jump to conclusions, how to conduct observations, and how to engage people in interviews. The site's two additional sections - Examples and Resources - provide images, videos, field notes, and links to give students some real examples of what ethnographic research can look like as well as additional resources for students who want to learn more. Check it out!

The Urban Studies faculty is proud to present the department's 2024 Academic Achievement Award winners and newest inductees into Upsilon Sigma, the Urban Studies Honor Society.  UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS   The Jake Powers Award -- Skylar Adcock Urban Studies student who is an innovative, original thinker, whose time in the department has emboldened them to pursue personal and professional opportunities they may not have previously considered, and to achieve them with determination, grit, and courage. The Maureen Power Service Award -- Lamar Brown-Noguera Presented to students with an impressive track record of service and who can best articulate why service is significant to them and their academic/professional careers, and how it advances the mission of the department. Department Academic Award (Top GPA) -- Elizabeth Stone Given to the highest-ranking senior in Urban Studies who best represents the mission of the Foundation. Standard Bearer for Undergraduate Commencement -- ...

  As the warm breeze of spring ushers in a new season, the time to roll up our sleeves and lend a hand to nurture our environment has come. On Monday, April 22, 2024, Earth Day, from 1 pm to 3 pm, we gathered at the Worcester State University (WSU) Teaching Garden for a community event like no other. This Earth Day, volunteers from Bet Shalom, alongside students and faculty came to the garden and assisted in clearing away debris to prepare the soil for planting. The day did not end with just cleaning and clearing. As a special treat for the volunteers, succulent plants are given away, a small token of appreciation from the garden manager, Isabel Bartlett. Succulents, known for their resilience and beauty, are the perfect addition to any garden. Not only do they add aesthetic appeal, but they also symbolize the strength and endurance of our community as we come together to create positive change. More than just a gardening event, this is an opportunity for connection and collaborati...

front, l-r: Elizabeth Stone, Abigail Holden back, l-r: Dr. Conroy, Kael Briesacher, Dr. Briesacher WSU students Elizabeth Stone '24 (Urban Studies/Environmental Science) and Abigail Holden '24 (Sociology) presented their recent research at the Eastern Sociological Society national conference in Washington DC. Their qualitative project is a deeper look beyond an earlier  quantitative report  on Advanced Placement Exam participation and performance at Worcester Public Schools that showed since AY 2007, and amid a 300% increase in AP test taking, WPS students fail more than half of their AP Exams. On average over that period, 62.2% of students outright failed their exams (scored a 1-2) with some years reaching 68%. Furthermore, another 20.6% of test takers earned scores of 3, which are also not worth college credit at a growing list of the nation's higher education institutions. Supported in part by a Summer Undergraduate Research Grant from the WSU Foundation, Liz, Abby, and ...