Anne Taufen, Ph.D., MGA

Anne Taufen joined the Urban Studies faculty at University of Washington Tacoma in 2008, and was tenured in 2015. Her research focuses on equitable governance, port city infrastructures, and the social-ecological networks of urban regions.

Dr. Taufen was hired to implement the BA degree in Sustainable Urban Development, the first of its kind in the US. As part of the successful launch of this degree, she created the Urban Studies Forum in 2010 (https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/urban-studies/urban-studies-annual-forum).

Building on this commitment to engaged pedagogy and equitable development, Dr. Taufen led creation of the MA in Community Planning, in 2015. This graduate program trains students to be change agents and leaders in creating just, livable, and inclusive communities, in the South Sound and beyond. You can read more about the MACP here (https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/urban-studies/master-arts-community-planning) and you can view some of the first studio projects here (https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/urban-studies/community-planning-studio-reports). Dr. Taufen currently serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator, and enjoys keeping in touch with our growing ranks of alumni, who are working in local and regional non-profits, in research and advocacy, and at all levels of government.

In 2017-2018, Dr. Taufen agreed to serve as a faculty co-director for the UW Livable City Year program during its partner year with the City of Tacoma. In this role, she made sure that UWT faculty and courses remained visible, helping to match nearly half of the projects with Tacoma faculty, and drawing attention and resources to what would become the Office of Community Partnerships. You can read more here (https://www.washington.edu/livable-city-year/2017-2018-projects/).

Dr. Taufen represents the UW on the Steering Committee for the Sustainable Cities and Landscapes hub (https://apru-scl.uoregon.edu/about/) of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), where she has led a working group on port city waterfronts since its inception. Currently she is co-editing a Handbook of Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Pacific Rim (Routledge, forthcoming 2021) (with Yizhao Yang, University of Oregon), and is an instructor for the Asia-Pacific Mayors’ Academy (https://www.asiapacificmayorsacademy.org/), a partnership between APRU and UN-ESCAP.

Beyond her academic commitments, Dr. Taufen serves on the board of Citizens for a Healthy Bay (CHB), which for 30 years has led community advocacy for the health of South Sound marine waters, and takes a strong stance for climate justice and racially, culturally inclusive waterway development; she is also an active volunteer with Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (T.U.P.A.C.), a Black-led classical arts and youth education organization.