Christina Morrison

Senior Planner at Bus Rapid Transit Project Office, Metro Transit, and Macalester class of 2004.

Christina is the epitome of everything good about our department, both in terms of preparation for life after graduation and in terms of generosity of spirit.  After she graduated, she landed an internship with the City of St. Paul planning department and even though it is pretty much a basic requirement that planners have a master’s degree, she was indispensable to the agency and worked her way to the senior level without ever attending graduate school.  She was instrumental in the Green Line planning process, and after its completion she moved to Metro Transit as a Senior Planner.  She is now in charge of the planning process for the Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit route.

Because of her professional experience in the transportation field, she regularly visits Laura Smiths’ Transportation seminar, visiting almost every year that it has been offered since she graduated at least 8 times.  Christina presents to the class about working in the transit planning field and discusses with them career planning and advice, and then she leads a field study of Twin Cities transit (which is tailored to student interests and different every time).  Because of the popularity of her tours, we often bring along other students who are not enrolled in the Transportation seminar.  All of this is done without any compensation, besides tokens (e.g. pennant, keychain) from the Alumni Office.  She is amazingly generous in her giving back to the department.  She also regularly participates in career panels for both the Urban Studies Concentration and the Geography Department.

Finally, Christina has been a fantastic contact and mentor for recent students, and especially female students who are interested in entering the professional world of urban planning and transportation.  Many current and recently graduated students secured internships with Met Council and Metro Transit upon her advice and encouragement.  One year ago, Natalie Westberg interned with Christina at the Bus Rapid Transit office and has now been hired as a full-time employee (just as happened for Christina many years ago)!

Christina is a champion of Macalester geography and its students.  She is most deserving of the Crystal Globe award!!