In honor of the late Esther Wattenberg, the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) will host the 2019 Inaugural Esther Wattenberg Policy Forum.

John Adams, professor of geography, planning, and public affairs and chair of the Department of Geography, was named the first Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs in June 2000. At the time of his appointment, Adams was engaged in research with the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies on land-use and transportation issues in Minnesota's major urban areas. He used the resources provided by his appointment to revise and update Minneapolis–St.