Mary Edwards

Mary Edwards is an Associate Professor of Urban & Regional Planning and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's College of Fine and Applied Arts. She oversees student support initiatives, including academic advising, curriculum development, and career services. Edwards holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a focus on fiscal planning and public policy analysis, alongside master’s degrees in economics and urban planning.

Her research focuses on municipal annexation, fiscal impacts of development, and the integration of health into land-use planning. Recent work addresses aging-in-place policies in Midwestern communities. Edwards teaches courses on public finance, health planning, and professional practice. She has advised numerous graduate students on capstone projects and PhD committees, with notable topics including sustainable development, urban agriculture, and community revitalization.

Edwards is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP). Her publications span planning education, fiscal policy, and urban growth dynamics, emphasizing practical applications of research to improve local governance and community resilience.