Irene Aceituno, UCI Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) student, received the Malancha Ghosh Memorial Fellowship for her public service, academic achievements, and capstone professional report on homelessness. Subir and Susnata established the Malancha Ghosh Memorial Fund to honor the memory of their daughter who passed away from complications due to H1N1 flu virus at the young age of 27. Malancha, who received her UCI MURP degree in 2009 had a true impact on all those who were privileged to know her.
As part of the nomination for this fellowship, Dr. Karna Wong describes Irene’s successful journey to graduating from the UCI MURP program. “Irene has a strong commitment to promote equity and inclusion in planning,” Wong said. “Her professional report was on the topic of food and service provision for persons experiencing homelessness in the streets and public spaces in South Central Los Angeles. She completed an analysis of ordinances, fieldwork observations, and case study comparisons of other organizations providing assistance to unhoused persons. This document included an overview of contentious regulations regarding the unhoused, original photographs by Irene, and comprehensive and compassionate recommendations. She is an activist planner that advocates for marginalized and communities of color. As a former foster youth, she has achieved so much personally and professionally and deserves to be commemorated for her achievements.” (Photo by Patricia DeVoe, 2019)