Our Faculty and Staff
Amy Armstrong is the Communications and Policy Director for the Furman Center. Prior to joining the Furman Center, Amy spent more than two years at the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), working as Special Assistant to the Commissioner, and later as Director of Policy and Planning for the agency. Her work at SBS spanned press and communications, agency strategic planning and research, and policy development. Before landing in New York City, Amy worked on housing and community development issues on the west coast, including program development for the Portland Community Land Trust, an affordable homeownership non-profit in Portland, and serving as a Research Fellow for PolicyLink, a national advocacy organization based in Oakland, California. Amy holds a B.A. in Political Science from Reed College and was a New York City Urban Fellow.
Vicki Been, the Elihu Root Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and an Associated Professor of Public Policy at NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, is Director of the Furman Center. Vicki teaches courses in Land Use Regulation, Property, and State and Local Government, as well as seminars on The Takings Clause, Environmental Justice, and Empirical Issues in Land Use and Environmental Law. She also co-teaches an interdisciplinary Colloquium on the Law, Economics and Politics of Urban Affairs. She received a B.S. with high honors from Colorado State University in 1978 and a J.D. from the NYU School of Law in 1983, where she was a Root-Tilden Scholar. After graduation, Vicki served as a law clerk to Judge Edward Weinfeld, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from August 1983 to July 1984 and as a law clerk to Justice Harry Blackmun, United States Supreme Court from August 1984 to August 1985. She was an Associate at the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City for one year, then served as an Associate Counsel at the Office of Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra in Washington, DC. She joined Rutgers University School of Law in Newark as an Associate Professor in August 1988. She has written extensively on the Fifth Amendment's Just Compensation Clause, Environmental Justice, Impact Fees, Housing Affordability, "Smart" Growth, and other land use topics, and is a co-author of Land Use Controls: Cases and Materials (with Robert C. Ellickson) (2005, Aspen Law & Business).
Caroline Bhalla is the Associate Director of the Furman Center. Caroline earned her B.A. in Mass Communications/ Rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley. After graduation, she served for two years as an assistant account executive at Graham & Associates, a San Francisco public relations agency. Caroline received an M.A. in Culture and Communication from NYU's Steinhardt School of Education in 2004 and an M.A. in American Studies from NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science in 2008. Caroline served as an adjunct professor in NYU's Department of Culture and Communication, where she taught courses in Interviewing Strategies and Conflict Resolution. She has guest lectured in the Department on such issues as cultural identity, gender socialization, and Native American representation.
Kitty Kay Chan is a Research Fellow at the Furman Center. Kitty specializes in applied econometrics and game theory. Her research focuses on developing theoretical and econometric models to recover asymmetric information from financial statements for use in policy evaluation, litigation support, and strategy analysis. She has published on issues related to trade, regulation, foreign direct investment, consumer products, and public policy reform. Kitty has worked as an Economist specializing in anti-trust assessments for the United States Department of Agriculture, focusing on commodity market analyses, and the Federal Communications Commission. Most recently, she served as an associate for the Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm. Kitty received her B.S. in Business and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Southern California, where she also earned a Doctoral Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Engineering. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University and was a National Science Foundation Fellow at the University of Southern California and at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. She also co-taught Information Economics with Professor Jean-Jacques Laffont at the University of Southern California.
Ingrid Gould Ellen, an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Urban Planning at NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, is the Co-Director of the Furman Center. Ingrid teaches Microeconomics, Urban Economics, Housing and Community Development Policy, the Doctoral Research Colloquium, and co-teaches the Colloquium on the Law, Economics and Politics of Urban Affairs. Ingrid received a B.A. in applied mathematics from Harvard University in 1987, was the Herschel Smith Harvard Scholar in mathematics and science at Cambridge University (England) between 1988-89, received her M.P.P. from Harvard in 1991, and was then awarded a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard in 1996. In her Ph.D. program, Ingrid received a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Dissertation Grant, a Senior Research Fellowship with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, and a Fellowship with the Malcolm Weiner Center for Social Policy. Before joining the NYU Faculty, Ingrid served as a Lurcy Research Fellow at The Brookings Institution, a Research Consultant for the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Improving U.S. Cities Through Metropolitan Area Governance, a Visiting Scholar at The Urban Institute, a Research Analyst for Abt Associates in the Housing and Labor Economics Area, and as a Policy Analyst for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Solomon Greene is a Research Fellow at the Furman Center. He received his B.A. with honors and distinction from Stanford University, a Master of City Planning degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Prior to pursuing his graduate degrees, Solomon worked for several years with community organizations serving as a John Gardner Fellow in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing, as the Community Relations Director for Mission Housing Development Corporation, and as a founding Board Member of Hearth Homes Community Development Corporation. During law school, Solomon served as a Schell Human Rights Fellow at the World Bank Institute, a law clerk at the Federal Trade Commission, and an extern at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrant Rights Project. He also served as a Coker Teaching Fellow at Yale Law School and as a Senior Editor of the Yale Law Journal. While at Yale, Solomon also received the Edgar M. Mullen Prize for the best paper by a first-year student for his research on comparative welfare reform in Canada and the United States, and published on such diverse topics as the history of juvenile courts and slum clearance in developing countries. Before joining the Furman Center, Solomon clerked for the Judge Dorothy W. Nelson on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and worked as a litigation associate for Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles.
Josiah Madar is a Research Fellow at the Furman Center. He received his B.S.A.D in architecture from M.I.T. in 1997 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2002. Between his undergraduate and law school years, Josiah worked as an urban planner at Sasaki Associates in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he contributed to several college and university facility and transportation master plans. Before joining the Furman Center, Josiah was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell practicing corporate and real estate law for a variety of corporate and private equity clients and, on a pro bono basis, New York non-profit organizations.
Stephen Roberts is the Data Manager at the Furman Center. Steve received his Master of Public Administration degree from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and his B.A. in Economics from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Prior to Wagner, he worked in the technology field designing software to track charitable giving to non-profit organizations, analyzing and reporting on giving trends, and creating models to predict future giving. Stephen has also designed software to process real estate transactions for a repeat-sales home price index.
Research Affiliates
Jenny Schuetz is a Senior Research Affiliate with NYU's Furman Center. She received a B.A. with Highest Distinction in Economics and Political and Social Thought from the University of Virginia, a Master in City Planning from M.I.T. and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University. During her studies at Harvard, Jenny received fellowships from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, and the Urban Land Institute. Formerly, Jenny worked for the Public Housing Strategic Consulting group of Abt Associates and the research division of the Fannie Mae Foundation and was a Teaching Fellow and Instructor for economics and statistics courses at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her current research projects with the Furman Center include the effects of zoning on rental housing in Massachusetts, the effectiveness of various policy instruments in preserving open space, and the neighborhood impacts of foreclosures.
Ioan Voicu is a Senior Research Affiliate with NYU's Furman Center. He is currently a Financial Economist for the Risk Analysis Division of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currentcy. He received his M.A. in Economics from Rutgers University in 1996, and his Ph.D. in 2000. Ioan's dissertation was entitled "The Determinants and Effects of Foreign Direct Investment in Romania." He received an M.A. in Economics with Distinction from the Central European University in Prague, Czech Republic in 1994, and his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (with honors) from the Polytechnic Institute in Bucharest, Romania in 1988. At Rutgers, he won the Sidney Brown Prize in Economics for best student in first two years of graduate study, and the Peter Asch Memorial Prize for outstanding dissertation work. He also received a NAFSA Fellowship and a OSI-CEU Fellowship.
Ioan served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University from 1996-2000. At CUPR, he participated in the construction of the State of the Nation Cities Database, performed empirical analysis of: racial discrimination in the U.S. mortgage lending markets for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, studied the potential and limitations of mortgage innovation in fostering homeownership in the U.S. for the Fannie Mae Foundation, studied housing condition and rehabilitation needs for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and analyzed the self-employment patterns of immigrants in the U.S. As a Visiting Researcher for the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, in 1994 and 1997, Ioan performed econometric analysis of: determinants of location for high-growth industries in the US for the Austrian Business Agency and studied firm-level determinants of foreign direct investment in Romania. In addition to the many publications he has participated in at the Furman Center, he has published widely on the issues he studied at CUPR and the Institute for Advanced Studies.
Doctoral Candidates and Student Research Assistants
Orly Amir, a research assistant, is a student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Urban Planning Program. She graduated from Union College in 2003 with a B.A. in political science. Prior to Wagner, Orly worked in Capitol Hill on energy, environmental and transportation issues as a Legislative Assistant to Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12). Orly is currently studying environmental and transportation planning.
Sara Chang, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. She graduated with distinction from Stanford University in 2005, receiving her B.A. in Economics and Psychology. Prior to law school, Sara worked as a research assistant for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii, and also tutored underprivileged grade school students through a federally-funded supplemental education program. At the Furman Center, Sara is currently researching the effects of inclusionary zoning programs on housing markets in San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C.
Yun-chien Chang is a J.S.D. candidate at the Law School, and a Lederman/Milbank Law and Economics Fellow. He received his LL.M. in general studies at NYU Law, where he was a Law and Economics Fellow. His doctoral thesis compares compensation practices in Taiwan to those in the United States, and provides an empirical analysis of how close compensation paid in eminent domain proceedings comes to fair market value. Before coming to NYU Law, Yun-Chien got both his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from National Taiwan University, where he was an Outstanding College Youth, President’s Prizes winner, and recipient of various writing prizes and scholarships. He has published a dozen articles in Taiwan’s leading academic journals. In addition to working in Taiwan’s leading law firms and International Trade Commission, Yun-Chien was a pro bono legal consultant for several musicians and performing arts groups. He also was a co-scriptwriter and co-lyricist of a popular musical Butterfly Lovers, premiered at the National Theater Hall in Taiwan in 2003.
Michele Chirco, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law where he is the Frances Moelis Student Fellow and co-chair of the Real Estate and Urban Policy Forum. He received his BBA degree with high distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in 2005. Prior to law school, Michele worked with private firms involved in real estate development, commercial brokerage, and residential construction located in the metropolitan Detroit area where he grew up. At the Furman Center, Michele researched how state zoning enabling acts affects the use of affordable housing tools and foreclosures in the subprime mortgage market.
Sara Conrath, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. She graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. degree in English in 2002. Before law school, Sara worked as a sports writer as well as for the League of Women Voters, a good-government policy organization. She is currently taking the Brennan Center Public Policy Advocacy Clinic.
Caitlin Coslett, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. She graduated from Haverford College magna cum laude with High Honors from the Economics Department. Before law school, Caitlin worked for the Federal Reserve Board where she studied national mortgage lending trends and provided research assistance to Federal Reserve attorneys investigating banks’ lending practices. She interned with South Brooklyn Legal Services Foreclosure Prevention Project during the fall of 2007, and is now researching mortgage foreclosure related topics for the Furman Center.
Andrew W. Dansker, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago in 2006. Andrew has pursued his interest in real estate development through his work for Habitat for Humanity, as well as at the commercial mortgage lending arm of Intervest National Bank. At the Furman Center he researches the effects of New York City's recent re-zonings on development projects, the impacts of supportive housing on property values, and regulatory issues related to affordable housing.
Emily Deininger, a research assistant, is a second year student at the NYU School of Law. She graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude in 2004, with concentrations in public policy and finance. Prior to attending law school she spent two years as a stock analyst at Lehman Brothers. She is especially interested in urban housing policy and its interaction with economic development.
Lina Duran, a research assistant, is a first-year student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Urban Planning. She received her B.A. in Public Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from Florida International University in 2007. During her undergraduate program she served as a research assistant and project coordinator for the Metropolitan Center, the leading urban research center of Florida International University. She has experience with evaluation and appraisal reports, economic development studies, and data analysis and reporting. Upon finishing her degree she started her own research consulting company, Socha Urban Inc., where she is currently consulting on affordable housing studies for Florida International University. Her most recent projects include; Monroe County Housing needs assessment, City of Homestead Housing needs assessment, and Miami-Dade County housing needs assessment (in progress).
Eva Erlich, a research assistant, is a student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Urban Planning program. She graduated from NYU's College of Arts and Sciences in 2007 receiving a B.A. in Metropolitan Studies. She recently interned for Trinity Financial, a real estate development firm located in Boston specializing in mixed-income and affordable housing projects. She is interested in creating quality housing developments and homeownership opportunities for people in middle and low income communities.
Peter Feroe, a research assistant, is student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Urban Planning program. Peter graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 2002 with a B.A. in Public Policy and American Institutions. Immediately out of Brown, Peter worked for two years at The Cadmus Group, Inc., an environmental consulting firm specializing in drinking water and waste water policy. For the past three years, Peter served as Grants Coordinator and District Representative to Congresswoman Nita Lowey (NY-18). In that capacity, Peter worked on energy, environmental, transportation, homeland security, and business issues, as well as represented the Congresswoman throughout the district.
Michael Gedal is a doctoral student at Wagner. He has been with the Furman Center since 2005. He has been a key member of the team focused on supportive housing. He also was one of the authors of the analysis of the gap between housing supply and demand in New York City that was the core chapter in our State of the City’s Housing and Neighborhoods 2005. In addition to New York City, Mike’s work and studies have taken him to Atlanta, Boston, Argentina and France. Mike has a B.A. in economics from Emory University and a Masters in Public Administration from the Wagner School.
Peter James Kralovec is a second-year urban planning student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and manages the Furman Center's PlanNYC website. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2006 with a B.A. in Political Science and an interdisciplinary minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). Prior to Wagner, Peter traveled to Thailand to volunteer as a teacher in a rural orphanage and spent a summer as an advocacy intern in the Office of Peace and Justice in Chicago's Catholic Archdiocese. He has been an intern for New York City Council Member Gale A. Brewer, focusing on land-use related projects. Most recently, he interned for Representative Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, as a fellow of the Brademas Center for the Study of Congress at Wagner. A native of Chicago, Peter is especially interested in urban governance, affordable housing, and the politics of urban affairs.
Johanna Lacoe, a research assistant, is a second-year student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Public Administration program specializing in Public Policy Analysis. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Brown University in 2002. Before coming to Wagner, Johanna was a Policy Analyst at Social Policy Research Associates in Oakland, California, where she contributed to research and evaluation projects focusing on youth and workforce development, access to education, youth organizing, and racial and ethnic diversity. She then worked as a Program Analyst at Esperanza/Hope, an alternative-to-incarceration for juvenile offenders. Her research interests center on the impact of disproportionate minority contact with the juvenile and criminal justice systems on neighborhood and community well-being.
James Long, a research assistant, is a first year student at the NYU School of Law. Jim graduated with honors from The City College of New York with a B.A. in political science in 2007. Before returning to school to finish his undergraduate degree, he served as Vice-President of the Skillman Street Block Association in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and worked as an internet programmer in Newark, NJ and Brooklyn, NY. Jim's research interests include racial/economic segregation in housing and education, institutional reform litigation, and community organizing.
Zhimin Lin, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005, receiving her B.S. in Business Administration and B.A. in Economics. Prior to law school, Zhimin worked at an accounting firm where she primarily focused on tax projects and research. At the Furman Center, Zhimin is researching the use of transferable development rights as a tool in affordable housing.
Erin Longbothum, a research assistant, is a student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Urban Planning Program. She graduated from The University of Vermont in 2004 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and German. Her studies allowed her the opportunity to travel extensively in Latin America and Europe. Prior to Wagner, Erin worked for over two years as an executive assistant at Icahn Associates a hedge fund and private equity firm in New York City. She is particularly interested in affordable housing and community development.
Aaron Love, a research assistant, is a first-year student at the NYU School of Law. He graduated with highest honors from Rutgers College in 2006 with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in GIS and environmental monitoring. Before starting at NYU, Aaron split his time between the Center for Remote Sensing and the Coastal Geomorphology Lab at Rutgers, analyzing coastal change and mapping habitat and environmental resources on behalf of non-profit conservation organizations. Aaron is interested in land conservation and habitat protection law.
Jennifer Rose Lozano, a research assistant, is a student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Urban Planning program. She graduated from California State University Northridge in 2003 with a B.A in Urban Studies and Planning. Prior to Wagner, Jennifer was a Field Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Dennis P. Zine, where her work focused on community beautification, planning, transportation, and public policy. Jennifer is interested in addressing the inequalities impacting urban communities through Economic and Real Estate Development.
Carissa Mann, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. She graduated from Boston College summa cum laude in 2004, with concentrations in Computer Science and Communication. For two years before law school, Carissa was a consultant for an IT and marketing services consulting firm where she worked on projects for clients including Pfizer and Iron Mountain. Her interests at the Furman Center include researching the ability of major metropolitan areas to adopt inclusionary zoning as well as the effectiveness of such zoning.
Brian McCabe is a third-year PhD student in the Sociology Department at New York University. He holds a B.S. in International Affairs from Georgetown University and a M.Sc. in Geography from the London School of Economics. While studying in London, Brian worked at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London, and returned to New York City to work as a city planner with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. At HPD, he was involved in the development of affordable housing throughout Manhattan. As he finishes his coursework, Brian's interests lie broadly at the intersection of planning, urban sociology and political economy. He is also a walking tour guide with Big Onion Walking Tours.
Rachel Meltzer, a student Research Fellow for the Furman Center, is starting her fourth year in the doctoral program at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. Rachel graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2001 with a B.A. in Psychology and received her Master’s in Public Administration from New York University in 2006. Prior to joining NYU in 2003, Rachel served as a Mortgage Officer and Project Manager at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, where her work focused on rehabilitating low-income rental housing. While at the Wagner School, Rachel has tutored students in Statistics and Microeconomics, assisted in teaching Microeconomics, and currently teaches Statistics to graduate students. At the Furman Center, Rachel has worked on projects looking at the impact of Business Improvement Districts on property values in New York City and is currently studying the impact of Inclusionary Zoning on housing markets. In addition to her projects at the Furman Center, Rachel has also assisted in research projects on neighborhood change as a Taub Fellow.
Keren Mertens, received her masters in the Urban Planning program at Wagner, and is now in the Doctoral Program. Keren received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Before coming to Wagner, she worked on urban health issues in Philadelphia for a nonprofit called the Urban Nutrition Initiative, where she helped low-income high school and elementary school students improve their access to and knowledge of healthy foods. Keren then worked for The Reinvestment Fund, a well-known Community Development Financial Institution, where she focused on access-to-capital issues, working to improve nonprofit developers’ and small business’ access to bank and other mainstream financing. During her first year at Wagner, she interned at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, where she reviewed the effectiveness of HPD’s Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program. She is interested in urban housing and economic development issues.
Dacia Mitchell, a PlanNYC web designer, is a writer and visual artist who studied painting and biochemistry at Carleton College, where she earned her B.A. in Studio Art in 1998. She later received her M.A. in Visual Studies at the California College of the Arts (CCA) in 2003 where she wrote her thesis on representations of race in advertising. Dacia is a Ph.D. student in American Studies who's current research includes visual representations of race during the Enlightenment and the social and political role of the royal body.
Chris Narducci, a research assistant, is pursuing a Masters in Urban Planning at the NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and hopes to specialize in Urban Policy and Social Science Research. He earned a B.A. in History and American Culture Studies from Washington University. After graduating, he joined the Teach for America program in New Orleans and taught 9th Grade English for 2 years and co-developed a cross-cultural leadership program for public school students called Project Baobab. After Hurricane Katrina Chris began work with FEMA, assisting Hurricane evacuees with federal assistance programs and managing recovery centers throughout the New Orleans area. Chris is also trained in ESL instruction and has taught in Korea and Mexico.
Jennifer Perrone, a research assistant, is a student at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Public Administration program, specializing in Public Policy Analysis. She received her B.A. in Geography and Policy Studies, with a concentration in Environmental Policy from Syracuse University in December of 2006. Prior to coming to Wagner, Jennifer worked with the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, using GIS to assist with the research and planning of a “green” neighborhood revitalization project. Jennifer is also currently working as an intern with Living Cities: The National Community Development Initiative. She is interested in the use of sustainable development to improve urban communities.
Margot Pollans, a research assistant, is a J.D. student at the NYU School of Law. She is also pursuing a Masters in Public Administration in public policy and non-profit management from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. Margot received a B.A. in history and environmental science from Columbia University. Prior to entering law school, she worked for three years as a high school history teacher in Philadelphia, teaching United States History, Middle Eastern History, and World History. Margot is interested in urban land use and environmental issues and in urban agriculture systems.
Barbara J. Shulman, a research assistant, has practiced law for 24 years prior to enrolling in Wagner, mostly in the media business. Most recently, she served as General Counsel for CSTV Networks, a cable television and online company serving the college sports market. She has lived in New York City since 1980 and has followed, sometimes with delight, often with frustration and always with great interest, the cycles the city has experienced. By enrolling in Wagner, she is hoping to become a more active participant in New York City civic life. Barbara is married with two teenagers who are her pride and joy.
Ippei Shibata, a research assistant, is a first-year student pursuing a M.A. in NYU’s Department of Economics. He graduated magna cum laude from Soka University of America in 2007, receiving his B.A in liberal arts. During his junior year, he studied at Nanjing University, China. He witnessed the harsh reality of poverty and income inequalities while traveling across China, which inspired him to study economics and mathematics at a graduate level. Currently, he is also working as a tutor in the Departments of Economics and Mathematics for undergraduate students at NYU.
Christopher Terranova, a research assistant, is a second-year student at the NYU School of Law. He graduated from Cornell University in 2006, with a B.A. in Computer Science. Christopher is particularly interested in politically-feasible methods of increasing affordable housing in New York City. At the Furman Center, he is researching one potential solution to this problem, an expanded transferable development rights program.
Ben J. Winter, a research assistant, is pursuing a Masters in Urban Planning at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. He received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in International Studies and Hispanic Literature with a certificate in Global Cultures. Before moving to New York City, Ben worked as an immigration paralegal and office manager for a law firm in Madison while serving as co-chair for a neighborhood planning committee. He is currently studying economic development and affordable housing at Wagner and is a staff-writer for the Wagner Planner.
Courtney Wolf, a research assistant, is a student at NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in the Master of Urban Planning program. Courtney graduated magna cum laude from Boston College in 2001 with a B.A. in Communications. Before coming to Wagner, she worked at the Advertising Research Foundation in New York City where she was managing editor of the Journal of Advertising Research. She has also worked in the central communications department at New School University. Courtney is particularly interested in sustainable development, environmental policy and how land use affects resource allocation.