Virginia Benson

Virginia O. Benson is an Associate Professor at the Levin College. She received her Ph.D. in Geography from Kent State University. She has taught courses in urban design, planning, real estate development, and historic preservation. She served on the Boards of Trustees of North Coast Harbor, Inc., the downtown lakefront developer, the Cleveland Restoration Society, and is currently a member of the Ohio Historic Sites Preservation Advisory Board (OHSPAB). She has published in The Appraisal Journal, Growth and Change, and The Gerontologist and Real Estate Issues. She authored the chapter "An Urban Geographer's Perspective on the Plight of Urban Sacred Landmarks" in Which Future for Which Churches published by the University of Quebec in Montreal, 2006. Dr. Benson has co-authored two books, Introduction to Urban Studies and Historic Preservation for Professionals (with Richard Klein), forthcoming, August 2007, Kent State University Press. Her current research interests include urban revitalization through faith-based organizations, preservation of sacred landmarks, and waterfront development.

Sample Syllabi:

• UST 290 Urban Geography
• UST 301 Urban Spatial Structures (summer 2004)
• UST 420 Urban Design Seminar
• UST 410/PAD 510 Proposal Writing and Program Development (summer 2004)
• UST 608/PDD 608 Urban Design Seminar
• UST 478/578 Sacred Landmarks