Peter Huu Tran

Peter Huu Tran (PHT) serves as the Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Academic Administration at NYU Tandon’s Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP). In this role, Peter supports academic program development, student engagement, curriculum innovation, and experiential learning initiatives. They work closely with students, faculty, university leadership, and external partners to strengthen academic pathways, support student success, and connect interdisciplinary education with real-world urban challenges.

Peter brings a multidisciplinary background in higher education administration, workforce strategy, organizational development, coaching, and community engagement. Their professional experience includes residential life, institutional assessment, student leadership development, and academic administration. Before joining NYU, Peter worked at Stony Brook University and the University of Southern California, where they contributed to student affairs and campus community initiatives. Across their work, Peter focuses on strengthening institutional systems, expanding educational and professional opportunities, and using data-informed approaches to improve student experiences and organizational outcomes.

Peter is also a PhD candidate in Urban Systems at NYU Tandon, where their research examines universities as anchor institutions and their influence on surrounding urban communities. Their scholarly interests include institutional urbanism, spatial inequality, workforce development, studentification, and the relationships between university development, neighborhood change, and access to opportunity. Drawing on GIScience, spatial analysis, and institutional research, Peter explores how institutional decisions and investments shape urban environments and how universities can better understand their relationships with neighboring communities.

Peter holds a Master of Science in Human Capital Analytics and Technology from New York University, a Master of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Literature–Comparative Literature from the University of California, Riverside. Their interdisciplinary educational background informs an approach to higher education that connects institutional strategy, human development, technology, and urban systems.

Outside of their professional and academic work, Peter enjoys exploring New York City's comic book scene, tracking down sample sales, and discovering the many experiences that make the city unique. As an enthusiastic urban explorer, they create their own map of interesting places, events, and hidden gems to share with CUSP students and faculty. For Peter, exploring the city is both a personal interest and another way to build community, spark curiosity, and connect people with the urban environment around them.