aspects of international relations and combine them with the local and federal level of urban studies to create this comprehensive lens to look at urban social problems to design space and see how people interact in that space.” With the guidance of Urban Studies’ Dr. Thomas and Dr. Stephen Ceccoli of the Department of International Studies, Cook created a solid foundation for his pursuit of a career in international real estate development and city planning. “I don’t have a specific concentration. But to be able to attack it from nine different ways—it was a lot of fun.” “Robbie took advantage of opportunities—and in some cases, created new opportunities—to extend his learning beyond the classroom,” says Dr. Thomas. Cook participated in the evaluation of HOPE VI, a federal public housing program, as a member of Professor Heather Jamerson’s research team. The team assessed the redevelopment of the Cleaborn Homes public housing area in Memphis. In addition to conducting data collection and analysis, Cook worked with a variety of stakeholders, including professional planners, city officials, and public housing residents. As a result of his contributions to the evaluation project, Cook was offered an internship position in the planning department of the Memphis-based architecture firm Looney Ricks Kiss. All of his hard work at Rhodes has paid off: “I got my dream job. May 15, two days after graduation, I went to work for a real estate developer in Fort Worth. I am a project manager for a build that’s practically in my backyard. Since high school, I’ve wanted to get in on this project. Now I get the chance to run the whole thing. I’m the happiest person in the world.”
36
SUMMER 2013 • RHODES
rhodes.edu