Jonathan Alexander Newby (He/They) is a graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Tech. Jonathan hails from Virginia, was raised in Chesterfield and attained a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William & Mary, where he majored in both American Studies (with honors) and Digital Studies. He also holds a Master of Arts in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Jonathan's primary research interests center around public transit reform; affordable housing; equitable economic development; and higher education administration.

Highly engaged with his community, Jonathan is a dedicated advocate for marginalized people. He is a consistent voice for Black and Queer communities, using his connections and research expertise to educate all people on the need for authentic inclusion in all human endeavors. He is also active in his religious communities as a progressive Christian and a Unitarian Universalist, acting as a modern-day evangelist for culturally- and theologically-diverse spirituality.