Upon graduating from UB, I joined the department of City Planning and Design at the Jordan University of Science and Technology as an assistant professor. I also accepted a position as a research associate in an international project titled “Rethinking employment and social inclusion of Mediterranean youth through sustainable development– RESMYLE”, funded by the European Neighborhood Instrument, Cross Border Cooperation Mediterranean Sea Basin program (ENI CBCMED).

To research and teach urban planning in a country where urban planning education is limited, but urban planning challenges are plenty, has pushed me to reflect on my experience at UB and question my career goals as an urban planner and educator. Specifically, the commitment of the School of Architecture and Design at UB to be agents of change for the local community has shown me that planning schools should not only be incubators for scholarly activities, but also play a significant role in local community development.

As a result, I sought and received a grant to critically evaluate the gap between community development needs and planning education and research in Jordan. I have advocated for the development of the urban planning curriculum to incorporate issues of climate change, equity and justice, and to encourage further collaboration between the urban planning department and local community organizations. I also push my students to challenge and question how we plan for inclusivity, equity, and development.

Moreover, the significant work of the Resilient Buildings Lab, led by Prof. Rajkovich, and the Food Lab, led by Prof. Raja, has shown me what an inclusive research environment committed to improving quality of life can look like. As an early career researcher in Jordan working on curating similar collaborative research environments, such exposure has been very helpful.    

Overall, UB has taught me be to be critical of the spaces I occupy within academia and urban planning, and to continuously reflect on my position within academic and research spaces in Jordan. Indeed, the practice of “self-reflection” nurtured and encouraged by my advisor, faculty, and colleagues at UB has been key to my post-PhD journey.