Annie Cruz-Porter is a Community and Regional Development Specialist at the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD). She has worked in the urban planning field for over 10 years with the majority of her experience concentrating on environmentally sustainable forms of transportation planning in Great Britain.

Annie’s work at PCRD integrates the social dimensions of communities and regions within economic development plans. She is involved with the Defense Manufacturing Assistance Program (DMAP), the EDA’s University Center project and the recent e-strategies program. Prior to joining PCRD, she has been working toward a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of Sheffield in England. Her Ph.D. research seeks to understand how the use of social media amplifies the relationship that citizens have at the regional and local levels. She has earned a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Ball State University and a Master’s degree in Geography from Royal Holloway College, University of London. She is currently a member of the American Planning Association and American Institute of Certified Planners.