Dr. Kevin Ward at the 2025 American Association of Geographers meeting in Detroit.
Kevin Ward has been appointed Professor and Director of the Urban Studies Institute in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS), according to an announcement made by the AYSPS Dean, Thomas Vicino. Ward is currently a Professor of Human Geography and the Director of the Manchester Urban Institute, both at the University of Manchester. Ward is a world-renowned Geographer, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications and nearly 20,000 citations.
Ward joins the Urban Studies Institute at an exciting time as it evolves from a new unit and he will be working to strengthen the academic programs, research portfolio, and public impact. Ward says he “is looking forward to discovering how the world looks from Atlanta.”
Johannes Nijman will continue to lead the Institute until Ward’s arrival, slated for October 1, 2025. “As the Founding Director, Dr. Nijman laid the foundation for a high-impact academic unit with local and global impact,” said Dean Vicino. Nijman will be continuing as a Distinguished Professor with the Urban Studies Institute and Geosciences.