Dr. Ming-Han Li, Executive Director
Dr. Ming-Han Li is the dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington as well as executive director of the Institute of Urban Studies. Previously, he served as director of the School of Planning, Design and Construction at Michigan State University. A fellow of both the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, he has authored, co-authored and edited more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. He has also served on the Transportation Research Board Committee AKD40 Landscape and Environmental Design. Li was once honored as one of the top 25 most admired design educators in the US by DesignIntelligence. In 2023, Li received the prestigious Texas A&M School of Architecture Outstanding Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Texas A&M School of Architecture upon its alums.
Dr. Li’s unique strength is his interdisciplinary professional background. He is a certified planner, professional engineer and professional landscape architect, with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural engineering (National Taiwan University), master of science in civil engineering (The University of Texas at Austin), both master of landscape architecture and PhD in urban and regional sciences from Texas A&M University (TAMU).
Dr. Hannah Lebovits, Interim Director
Dr. Hannah Lebovits is an applied urban scholar living in Dallas, TX. She currently serves as the interim director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington where she works on addressing real-world problems in local communities across the North Texas region. Her work has appeared in academic publications, technical reports and local and national media outlets including Rolling Stone, ESPN, Bloomberg CityLab, South-by-Southwest, Dallas Magazine, Dallas Observer, Cleveland Scene, Haaretz, and others.
Previously, Hannah was the assistant director at the Institute and, before then, she was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs. While in that role, she taught hundreds of graduate students and earned recognition as an emerging voice in the field of urban governance. Hannah continues to serve as an adjunct professor teaching courses in digital governance, ethics in public administration, and intergovernmental relations.
Email Hannah: hannah.lebovits@uta.edu
Wanna Smith, Coordinator
Wanna Smith has spent nearly a decade dedicated to ensuring that the Institute of Urban Studies runs like a well-oiled machine. As the Institute’s primary special programs coordinator, Wanna is responsible for the day-to-day administrative efforts of the IUS. With training in applied technology and performance improvement as well as a background in public affairs, Wanna’s unique skill-set has contributed to the high-quality completion of dozens of IUS projects since 2015.
Email Wanna: wanna.smith@uta.edu