Introducing the Inaugural Lawrence C. Nussdorf Student Award Recipients

Penn IUR awarded Ayina Anyachebelu, Dennis Gallo, and Daniel Ruiz de la Concha the 2022 Lawrence C. Nussdorf Student Award. The award, named in honor of the late Lawrence C. Nussdorf, an early champion of Penn IUR and a founding Board member, recognizes students who have demonstrated an interest in urban issues through involvement in the Fellows in Urban Leadership (FUL) program or the Undergraduate Urban Research Colloquium (UURC) and who wish to continue pursuing urban scholarship.  

Melanie Nussdorf presented the students with their awards on April 20, saying “It is with great pleasure and a real feeling of honor and privilege that I award you the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Student Award. You have earned it. You’ve made Penn proud …  We see limitless possibilities for you.”

For the award’s inaugural year, Penn IUR selected three exemplary students, all of whom are current of former Fellows in Urban Leadership. “We’re very proud to be able to support these students in their development as urban leaders,” said Penn IUR Co-Director Susan Wachter. “The remarkable work they’ve accomplished as undergraduates demonstrates their future great promise.”

Ayina Anyachebelu, a 2020-21 Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership,  is a senior in the Huntsman Program in International Studies & Business, a program jointly administered by The Wharton School and the College of Arts & Sciences that prepares undergraduates to become global leaders. Anyachebelu, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, has always been fascinated by cities and urban and economic development.  During her freshman year, she researched social urbanism and inclusion in Colombia and, as a 2019-20 Perry World House fellow, she recommended policies for more effective use of remittances in the Philippines. Last spring, she studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain, where she researched the effect of tourism on city life.

Dennis Gallo is a current Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership. A senior from Managua, Nicaragua in the College of Arts Sciences, Gallo is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Urban Real Estate and Development. His academic interests lie in urban development and real estate projects that consider both political and social issues. On campus, Gallo is the President of Wharton Latino and a member of the Wharton Real Estate Club. This summer, he is joining Blackstone in their real estate practice. 

Daniel Ruiz de la Concha is also a current Penn IUR Fellow in Urban Leadership. A senior majoring in International Relations and Urban Studies and minoring in Latin American and Latino Studies, he hopes to use his knowledge of urban planning and international diplomacy to help foster education and the protection of the rights in Mexico, where he grew up. Last year, he worked for the Organization of American States, which promotes diplomacy, security, prosperity, and human rights in the Americas. 

“We were able to establish this award in recognition of Larry’s leadership with the generosity of the Nussdorf family,” Penn IUR Co-Director Eugénie Birch, referring to the award’s namesake. “These students exemplify the dedication and passion for which Larry was famous. I think he would be very happy to know that his inspiration and generosity are supporting these students.”

The Lawrence C. Nussdorf Student Award is one part of the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Program, which also supports the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize (an expansion of the award formerly known as the Penn IUR Urban Leadership Award). Visit the Penn IUR website to read about this year’s winners of the Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize.