Kevin Ward has been appointed director of Georgia State University’s Urban Studies Institute in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, effective Oct. 1.

An internationally recognized scholar of urban geography, Ward brings to the role a distinguished record of research, leadership and collaboration that bridges public policy, planning and community-engaged scholarship.

“I’m honored to join Georgia State and the Andrew Young School, where the Urban Studies Institute is tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today,” Ward said. “Together, we have a powerful opportunity to shape urban research that is globally engaged, locally grounded and responsive to the needs of communities in a rapidly changing world.”

Ward joins Georgia State from The University of Manchester in England, where he has served as a professor of human geography since 2007. He directed the Manchester Urban Institute through a period of major growth and global visibility, helping to shape it into a leading center for interdisciplinary urban research. He also currently serves as editor-in-chief of Urban Geography, one of the field’s top peer-reviewed journals.

Ward’s scholarship spans more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and over a dozen authored or edited books. His work, cited nearly 20,000 times, explores how cities are governed, how policy travels across borders and how place-based research can inform equitable urban development. He is also the founder of the Summer Institute in Urban Studies, which has trained and connected emerging scholars from across Europe, North America and Asia.

Ward will lead the Urban Studies Institute at a pivotal moment in its evolution, working in close partnership with stakeholders to strengthen the institute’s academic programs, research portfolio and public impact. He will be charged with implementing the college’s strategic plan in alignment with Georgia State University’s BluePrint to 2033: Our Place, Our Time. Key priorities include expanding the institute’s undergraduate and graduate programs, advancing innovative pathways for lifelong learning and cultivating partnerships with the City of Atlanta and other regional stakeholders to expand community-engaged research.

“Dr. Ward brings a unique blend of visionary scholarship and collaborative leadership to Georgia State,” said Thomas J. Vicino, dean of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. “His commitment to interdisciplinary urban studies research and his global perspective align well with our mission to drive public impact and community engagement in the digital age.”