Neighborhoods Now! graduate Katrina Mendoza Garcia's story demonstrates how community leadership and organizing can transform individuals and communities
When Katrina Mendoza Garcia joined the board of the West Side Community Organization (WSCO) in 2018, she couldn’t have predicted how it would shape not only her future but the landscape of tenant rights in Saint Paul. Shortly after joining the board, she was selected to participate in Neighborhoods Now!, a project of CURA’s Neighborhood Leadership and Organizing (NLO) program. The program creates spaces where…
Researcher: Ceema Samimi (School of Social Work)
Abstract: The Inclusion Project addresses the disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline that exacerbates educational inequities. Current policies often lack non-exclusionary alternatives, and the political climate, including increased immigration enforcement and reductions in disability protections, heightens these risks. In alignment with Saint Paul Public Schools’ mission to inspire students, this project will equip educators with tools to reform discipline policies and practices. Using a Critical…
Researcher: Sarah Hoffman (School of Nursing)
Abstract: Sexual and intimate partner violence directly or indirectly impacts a significant portion of the United States population. Structural inequities and systemic oppression challenge equitable access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) health services, which are critical for recovery and justice. Individuals with refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) backgrounds experience compounded barriers to forensic healthcare. Our project aims to address these disparities by leveraging…
Researcher: J'Mag Karbeah (School of Public Health)
Abstract: The United States is facing an urgent youth mental health crisis with nearly a third of youth reporting that they’ve experienced poor mental health (e.g. depression, suicidal ideation, and completed suicides) with the largest increases being increase in among Black girls ages 10-17. Research suggests that the association between experiences of racial discrimination and adverse mental health is often mediated by positive ethnic racial identity formation and socialization. To…
CURA is pleased to announce the recipients of this year′s Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs and Community Action Research Grant.
J'Mag Karbeah from the School of Public Health is the 2025-2026 Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs with this project, …
By James Miller
Surveying the Landscape
When Dr. Ceema Samimi first came to the University of Minnesota during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were eager to better understand the landscape of people and organizations cultivating meaningful change in the Twin Cities.
As a researcher, social worker, and actively-engaged community member, they were no…
Authors
Kenton Card, Evan Davis, Edward Goetz
Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota
Jeremy Schwartz
Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola University Maryland
Abstract
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CURA Director Edward Goetz
Professor Edward Goetz, director of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, has been selected to receive the 2025 Mary Helen Callahan Distinguished Service Award from the Urban Affairs Association (UAA).
This is the highest recognition granted by the UAA to individuals who have been inducted into the Distinguished Service Honor Roll and have continued to fulfill meaningful service roles within the organization. Recipients are selected based on exceptional service to the UAA, engagement outside academia, and distinguished professional service that advances the work of urban affairs practitioners.
Professor…
By Somayeh (Nikoo) Nikoonazari
A transformative project is underway at Theodore Wirth Regional Park in the heart of North Minneapolis. The Stories of Connection Project, led by the Loppet Foundation in partnership with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program, is working to bridge historical divides and create a more inclusive outdoor space for marginalized communities.
Uncovering Historical Barriers
The Stories of Connection Project emerged from crucial conversations with Black community elders in North Minneapolis. Despite…
Next Deadline for Spring Projects: March 15
The Kris Nelson Community-Based Research Program builds the power and capacity of community-based organizations to create social change through partnerships with the University of Minnesota. We match the research and technical needs of organizations with student research assistants to carry out community-defined and community-guided projects. CURA works with organizations selected for the program to create shared understanding and action based on the results.
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The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota supports applied research projects by faculty that actively involve community partners in the research process. These programs provide grants, technical assistance, or other support for applied faculty research projects.
The…
The Resilient Communities Project (RCP) is accepting proposals from local government agencies anywhere in Minnesota for 2025-2026 partnerships to address your community's research and technical assistance needs. Proposals must include a minimum of three discrete projects intended to advance community sustainability, equity, and resilience.
RCP partners with local government agencies to build resilience and spark positive change through the power of university research. Each year, we support projects that address a broad range of local issues and needs, involving any department or division in your…
The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) is pleased to announce the competition for the 2025–2026 Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs, and invites interested faculty from across the University of Minnesota to apply for this award.
The Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs provides one year of support for the research activities of a University of Minnesota faculty member on a project related to urban and regional affairs in Minnesota. Previous holders of the chair have used this support to complete projects on urban environmental policy advocacy in the Twin Cities, employee turnover and retention…
The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) invites proposals for our Community Action Research Grant (formerly the Faculty Interactive Research Program, FIRP). University of Minnesota faculty are critical resources in exploring issues and concerns important to Minnesota, such as the criminal justice system, demography, state or local economic development, education, employment, energy, the environment, health, housing, state and local government, welfare and…
By Cirien Saadeh, PhD
