At UNCW she leads the urban planning concentration in the Master of Public Administration program. Kinzer’s research explores the role of public participation in planning implementation. Her current research project focuses on public engagement before and after the adoption of sustainability plans in American cities. Kinzer received her PhD in City and Regional Planning from PennDesign. She holds a Master in City Planning from MIT and a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University. Kinzer previously worked as a city planner in Salem, Massachusetts, as an urban planning consultant in Portland, Oregon, and with several non-governmental organizations.