First Cooper Scholarships Awarded to Urban Planning Students at Texas A&M
The future careers of two urban planning students are being supported by a new scholarship created in honor of John T. Cooper Jr. ’92, who is widely considered a leader in the fields of city planning, public engagement and community development.
Windya Weideniya ’25 and Jaelin Lopez ’26 are the first “Cooper Scholars” or recipients of the Texas Target Communities (TxTC) John T. Cooper, Jr. Foundation Excellence Award.
“I am driven by a desire to create equitable, resilient and thriving communities where everyone could succeed,” said Welideniya, a Master of Urban Planning student and one of the recipients. “I am truly honored to be a Cooper Scholar, and this scholarship will significantly support me in achieving my educational and career aspirations. It has given me the confidence and resources to continue striving toward these goals.”
Inspired scholarship
Recognizing his lasting impact on Texas Target Communities, a nationally recognized initiative at Texas A&M focused on providing technical assistance to rural counties and small cities across Texas, colleagues of former director Cooper established a scholarship in his honor. The program, housed within the Texas A&M University College of Architecture, partners with local governments and stakeholders to build sustainable, equitable and resilient communities.
“When he joined in 2012 to revitalize the program, he was the visionary behind a new approach to partnering with communities,” said Jaimie Masterson, current director of TxTC.
Cooper says that while the scholarship has his name on it, it is really a “reflection of the inspiration and a manifestation of the encouragement I received from my parents and grandparents, mentors, community elders and ancestors.”
“These students were impressive both on paper and in person,” Cooper said of the first cohort of recipients. “I’m proud they’ll represent this scholarship.”
Cooper Scholar Lopez, a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning student, said she’s excited to continue to learn and grow in her education.
“The upcoming generation, my generation, is the future,” said Lopez. “The cities we plan to develop and design are fundamentally based on the people they serve.”
Cooper’s legacy
Organizers say the scholarship was created to recognize and support the next generation of leaders in city planning and community development.
Cooper has a strong commitment to education which he said is deeply rooted in his family’s legacy of valuing learning.
He is a two-time A&M graduate with degrees in economics/finance and urban planning, and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He joined the faculty in 2012, became director of Texas Target Communities in 2013 and moved up to be assistant vice president at Texas A&M in the former Office of Public Partnership and Outreach. He currently serves as a professor of the practice in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning in the College of Architecture.
Coming from a long line of educators and scholars, he said he often reflects on the influence of his great-uncle Maurice Smith, who dreamed of becoming a veterinarian from a young age. When Smith’s mother, Margarette Dangerfield-Smith, wrote to Texas A&M’s veterinary school, they were turned away because the university did not admit African American students at the time.
In 1988, when Cooper was admitted into Texas A&M as an undergraduate student, he said his uncle was very proud. Years later, Smith was one of the first people Cooper called when he accepted a job as professor of the practice at Texas A&M.
“Uncle Maurice was one of my biggest supporters with regard to my pursuit of an education,” said Cooper. “He was a role model for me; an intellectual, a gentleman and a man of style. When you see me in a suit and tie or wearing a fedora like the logo of the Cooper Scholarship, just know I’m imitating my Uncle Maurice.”
Cooper said he hopes the scholarship will continue to grow and create a network of students that will serve as a legacy at Texas A&M.
Information on giving to the Cooper Scholars award or scholarships at the College of Architecture can be found here.
