The University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning has received $1.35 million from retired urban planner and Taubman alumni David Lepo '78. The gift adds to the David A. Lepo Urban Planning Scholarship Fund, which he established in January 2022.

The scholarship supports students with financial needs in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program. It also places a special focus on students from Ohio, which is where Lepo is from. 

“I've had a very fortunate life, and that includes the opportunity to attend Taubman College,” said Lepo. “Some people don't have as easy a way as I did. I was very fortunate. I was an out-of-state student and could still afford to go to Michigan. I want everybody to have that chance because there's no reason not to allow everybody to rise to their best.”

Lepo worked extensively throughout California, serving as the planning director for Newport Beach, California. He also worked for the cities of Los Alamitos, Signal Hill, and Bellflower. As detailed in the University of Michigan’s press release, Lepo’s work in Signal Hill focused on "economic development, environmental cleanup, and diversifying from oil." The area that was once defined by oil derricks, oil servicing yards, and car-wrecking yards became an economically diverse community with residential activity and picturesque views. 

“Planners play a vital role in helping our society make the changes we need to thrive,” said Taubman College Dean Jonathan Massey. “This includes reclaiming sites of fossil fuel extraction for cleaner and more sustainable jobs and communities, as David did in Signal Hill. His career exemplifies the power of urban planners to improve lives and create better cities. We thank David for demonstrating the power of planning, and for making a Taubman College education available to future generations so that they, too, can build better futures.”