2025 PlaceWorks Scholarship Recipients

We’re pleased to announce this year’s scholarship recipients—Conrad Alumia and Luis Valente!

The PlaceWorks Scholarship Program, which is now in its 5th year, was established to provide financial assistance to individuals from historically underrepresented groups pursuing degrees in planning, urban design, architecture, environmental planning, landscape architecture, and related fields.

Conrad Alumia is a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles, and is pursuing a Master of Urban and Regional Planning with a dual concentration in Transportation Policy & Planning and Design & Development. Conrad’s interests lie at the intersection of public transit, active transportation, and public space. Upon graduation, he hopes to pursue a career focused on improving pedestrian mobility and public transit access.

Luis Valente is also a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student with a concentration in Transportation Policy & Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. Motivated by his own experience relying on public transportation systems in Southeast Los Angeles, Luis is interested in how these systems provide a lifeline and gateway to opportunities and resources. He plans to work with communities to enact policies, practices, and projects that address mobility and help make these systems more reliable, safe, and efficient for those who rely on them.

Please join us in congratulating Conrad and Luis!