Dr. AJ Kim (San Diego State University) has been selected to receive the 2026 Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award. The award is co-sponsored by SAGE and the Urban Affairs Association (UAA).
This annual award was established to highlight field-based urban scholarship and promote the dissemination of work by activist urban scholars. The inspiration for this award is the career of Dr. Marilyn J. Gittell, former Director of the Howard Samuels Center and Professor of Political Science at The Graduate School at City University of New York. Dr. Gittell was an outstanding scholar and a community activist who wrote seminal works on citizen participation and was founding editor of Urban Affairs Quarterly, (now known as Urban Affairs Review). Thus, the award seeks to honor the contributions of a scholar whose research record shows a direct relationship between activism, scholarship, and engagement with community(ies).
AWARD COMMITTEE ASSESSMENT
The Urban Affairs Association’s Activist Scholar Award Committee selects Dr. AJ Kim as recipient of the 2026 Marilyn J. Gittell Activist Scholar Award. The quality and relevance of their work illustrates a scholarly agenda of outstanding contributions to the pursuit of social justice. The profound integration of Dr. Kim’s experiences and identities with their pedagogy and research results in teaching and publications with exceptional impact.
Focusing on issues impacting minoritized and diverse communities, Dr. Kim’s work considers the challenges of disenfranchised and invisible groups within the practice and field of planning. From championing legislative progress to centering the narratives of immigrants and refugees, Dr. Kim has a robust record of advocacy and a multi-pronged approach to achieving substantive social change. Rather than cataloging the obstacles created by the persistent status quo, Dr. Kim’s scholarship argues why and how such communities are better sources to inform “best practices” than normative and “top down” methods.
Accordingly, Dr. Kim’s interactive ICE Detention Tracker provides information on the locations and number of detainees along with additional resources for those impacted by ICE activities. Importantly, it also illustrates the power of activist scholarship engaged in the realities outside of planning studios and publications.
AWARD RECIPIENT BIO
Dr. AJ Kim has worked with immigrant rights and environmental justice organizations nationally and internationally for over twenty years. They have a Ph.D. in Urban Planning (UCLA) and a Master’s degree in Ethnic Studies (UCSD). They conduct participatory planning activities in immigrant-dense cities and suburbs to co-create safer communities for all. They are an Associate Professor of City Planning, with affiliations in the Graduate School of Public Health and LGBTQ+ Studies at San Diego State University. AJ Kim is the Project Director and PI of “Geospatial Mapping for Alternative Health Assets”, funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and leads research teams for health equity with non-governmental partners, nationwide. Learn more at www.unauthorizedcity.com
AWARD PRESENTATION
The formal presentation of this award will be made at the upcoming International Conference on Urban Affairs in Chicago, Illinois. The theme of this year’s conference is No Little Plans: Realizing Urban Futures in Times of Crisis. The conference will convene over 1100 participants from 55+ countries and representing 20+ fields of study. All award recipients will be formally recognized for their achievements during the Awards and Recognition Program on April 29, 2026; 3:00 – 4:15pm.
SPECIAL CONFERENCE SESSION
There will be a special conference session reflecting on the work of Dr. Kim on Wednesday, April 29 at 4:30pm. The detailed conference program will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.
AWARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS
J.R. “Jones” Estes, Portland State University (Chair); Megan Heim LaFrombois, Auburn University; Angeline Johnson, C3S Consulting; Ana Paula Pimentel Walker, University of Michigan; Tyeshia Redden, University of Toronto
ABOUT THE URBAN AFFAIRS ASSOCIATION
The Urban Affairs Association (UAA) is an international professional organization for 1000+ urban scholars, researchers, policy analysts, & public service providers. UAA is dedicated to creating interdisciplinary spaces for engaging in intellectual and practical discussions about urban life. Through theoretical, empirical, and action-oriented research, UAA fosters diverse activities to understand and shape a more just and equitable urban world.
In addition to hosting an annual conference, UAA sponsors ongoing professional development opportunities; Upsilon Sigma: The Urban Studies Honor Society; and two peer-reviewed journals, the Journal of Urban Affairs and the Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City. You can find UAA on the web, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Facebook, and X.
