Thiago Almeida isn’t afraid to embrace change.
In 2022, after finishing a six-year structure diploma, Almeida traveled over 3,000
miles away from his house in Brazil for a possibility to additional his training.
Making an enormous choice like this wasn’t straightforward, however after researching city planning
and design packages the world over, Almeida felt assured he discovered one which checked
all his bins.
And within the fall of 2022, he enrolled within the Grasp of City Planning and Design (MUPD)
program on the College of Georgia Faculty of Surroundings and Design.
Almeida selected to proceed his training on the CED for a number of causes, together with
having alternatives for hands-on studying. With Athens being so near Atlanta,
Almeida knew he would have entry to a burgeoning metropolis that will enable him to expertise
city planning in real-time.
“Gaining access to the Atlanta Metropolitan Space was an enormous think about my choice to
come to UGA,” he mentioned.
However there was extra.
Almeida was additionally intrigued by this system’s distinctive curriculum, which has a design
focus that prepares college students for careers in skilled planning.
“Within the city planning subject, having a design background is necessary so that you just
can create plans and insurance policies for most of the people to know,” he mentioned.
Almeida’s choice was additionally influenced by funding assist, which has helped offset
tuition prices. Almeida receives funding within the type of a design-focused assistantship
that permits him to work immediately with shoppers and college—resembling MUPD program founder
Jack Crowley—to create grasp plans for Georgia communities.
In his lessons, Almeida has made connections with college students from quite a lot of backgrounds,
which has been an enormous cause for his success in this system.
“My cohort consists of scholars with backgrounds in geology, structure, and even
engineering,” he mentioned. “It’s all very collaborative. We normally work in teams relying
on the category, and having college students from totally different backgrounds actually helps.”
That’s, studying in a collaborative setting encourages college students to share concepts
and data, which is invaluable in an city design setting.
After commencement, Almeida’s aim is to work for a design agency that makes a speciality of
housing, transportation or group growth. He’s wanting ahead to utilizing the
expertise he’s discovered in this system to assist communities design significant and accessible
areas.
Useful sources for present and potential worldwide college students will be discovered
by means of the UGA Workplace of International Engagement.
