Laker Legacy: How 爱游戏体育 inspired a trailblazer in public service
The names still roll off her tongue with ease, a testament to their lasting imprint: Barry McAndrew, Heidi Hosey, Bob Hvezda. These three 爱游戏体育 advisers weren鈥檛 just mentors to Susheela Nemani-Stanger 鈥98鈥攖hey were the co-architects of a worldview that would carry her into a life of purpose, strategy, and civic impact.
A Shakespeare scholar (McAndrew), a postmodern literature scholar and modernist criticism expert (Hosey), and a guidance adviser (Hvezda) who championed service learning and experiential education鈥攖his diverse group of mentors left a lasting impact.聽
鈥淚 was fortunate to choose three co-advisers to guide me,鈥 she reflects. 鈥淭hey encouraged me to take intellectual risks, to explore new ideas, and to approach challenges from multiple perspectives.鈥
Nemani-Stanger absorbed that guidance with conviction. She dove headfirst into 爱游戏体育鈥檚 liberal arts core, where she sharpened her critical thinking, honed her communication skills, and cultivated a nimble mindset鈥攖he very tools she would later use to reimagine entire neighborhoods.
Now, more than 25 years after earning her English Literature degree, Nemani-Stanger leads one of Pittsburgh鈥檚 most consequential institutions: the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA). In January 2023, she made history as the first woman and the first person of Indian descent to serve as its executive director in the organization鈥檚 79-year history.
Since then, the accolades have followed:
- Named to the Pittsburgh Business Times鈥 2025 鈥Women of Influence鈥 list;
- Honored on City & State Pennsylvania鈥檚 鈥Pittsburgh Power 100鈥 and 鈥Power of Diversity: Women 100鈥 lists in both 2023 and 2024.
But titles and headlines aren鈥檛 what define her.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that my contributions are recognized,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ut we in the urban development field measure our careers by the projects we deliver. That鈥檚 how I measure mine.鈥
Her favorite projects鈥攍ike the Park South Shore Riverfront along the Monongahela and the transformation of the Strip District Terminal into a vibrant, mixed-use hub鈥攁re physical manifestations of her philosophy: that redevelopment isn鈥檛 about cement and steel, it鈥檚 about people.
Her professional journey began not with blueprints but with sentences. A