Faculty Affiliates by Research Theme

Welcome to the Sustainable Global Cities Initiative Faculty Affiliate Directory!  Are you looking for a researcher or topical expert in urban sociology, engineering, history, policy, health, or any other cities-related field? Browsing the SGCI’s list of Faculty Affiliates — all of whom are UConn researchers who specialize in urban topics — is the best place to start. We hope this Directory will help facilitate connections both among UConn researchers and between scholars and members of the general public who are seeking expertise on a wide variety of urban topics.


The SGCI uses six broadly-defined Core Research Themes, pictured at right, to better categorize UConn’s research capacity on topics involving cities.  Our Faculty Affiliates are grouped according to these six themes.  Affiliates self-select one primary Research Theme that best represents their research and scholarship, and — since cities-related research is often interdisciplinary — they typically select one or more secondary themes as well. 

This page shows all SGCI Faculty Affiliates sorted by their self-selected primary Research Theme.  To view all Faculty Affiliates who study any given research theme (as a primary OR secondary focus), or to view all Faculty Affiliates alphabetically by last name, please use the links located in the sidebar.

Click on any Faculty Affiliate name to see a detailed profile, including contact information, research interests, recent cities-related publications, useful links, and more.

You can learn more about the SGCI’s Faculty Affiliate program here.

SGCI Faculty Affiliates Sorted by Primary Research Theme

Built Environment

List of People
PhotoNameTitleEmail
Carol Atkinson-PalomboDirector, Environmental Studies Program
Associate Professor, Geography
carol.atkinson-palombo@uconn.edu
Phil Birge-LibermanAssociate Professor-in-Residence, Urban and Community Studies
phil.birge-liberman@uconn.edu
Maria ChrysochoouDepartment Head and Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
maria.chrysochoou@uconn.edu
Ken FooteDirector, Urban and Community Studies
Professor, Geography
ken.foote@uconn.edu
Mark HealeyDepartment Head and Associate Professor, History
Faculty Affiliate, El Instituto
Mark.Healey@uconn.edu
Kerry L. MarshProfessor, Psychological Sciences
kerry.l.marsh@uconn.edu
James O’DonnellExecutive Director and Professor, Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation
james.odonnell@uconn.edu
Cathy J. Schlund-VialsDirector, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute
Professor, English and Asian and Asian American Studies
Cathy.Schlund-Vials@uconn.edu
Jin ZhuAssistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
jzhu@uconn.edu

Economic and Community Development

List of People
PhotoNameTitleEmail
Mohamad G AlkadryProfessor and Department Head, Department of Public Policy
mohamad.alkadry@uconn.edu
Mostafa AnalouiExecutive Director, UConn Venture Development and Technology Incubation Program
mostafa.analoui@uconn.edu
Laura BrownLaura E. BrownAssociate Extension Educator, Community Economic Development
laura.brown@uconn.edu
Fred V. CarstensenDirector, Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis
Professor, Finance, School of Business
fred.carstensen@uconn.edu
Jeffrey P. CohenProfessor, Real Estate and Finance at UCONN’s Center for Real Estate
Dean’s Ackerman Scholar, School of Business
jeffrey.cohen@business.uconn.edu
Ryan Scott ColesAssistant Professor, School of Business
ryan.coles@uconn.edu
Mary DoneganAssistant Professor In-Residence, Urban and Community Studies
mary.donegan@uconn.edu
Nathan FialaAssistant Professor, Agriculture and Resource Economics
nathan.fiala@uconn.edu
Timothy Bernarr FoltaDirector, Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Professor and Wolff Family Chair in Strategic Entrepreneurship
timothy.folta@uconn.edu
David GarveyDirector, Nonprofit Leadership Program
Adjunct Professor, Public Policy
d.garvey@uconn.edu
Nishith PrakashAssociate Professor, Economics and Human Rights
nishith.prakash@uconn.edu
Christopher R. VialsAssociate Professor, English
Director, American Studies
christopher.vials@uconn.edu
Robert H. WilsonDirector, Sustainable Global Cities Initiative
Visiting Professor, Department of Public Policy
robert.h.wilson@uconn.edu

Governance and Social Services

List of People
PhotoNameTitleEmail
Prakash KashwanAssociate Professor, Political Science
prakash.kashwan@uconn.edu
Kristin KellyAssociate Professor, Political Science
k.kelly@uconn.edu
Mark RobbinsProfessor, Department of Public Policy
mark.robbins@uconn.edu
Louise B. SimmonsProfessor, School of Social Work
Chair, Urban Issues in Social Work
Louise.Simmons@uconn.edu
Tanya Rhodes SmithDirector, Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work
Instructor-in-Residence, Social Work
tanya.smith@uconn.edu

Healthy Cities

List of People
PhotoNameTitleEmail
Rob AseltineChair and Professor, Behavioral Science and Community Health
aseltine@uchc.edu
Mary BernsteinProfessor, Sociology
Mary.Bernstein@uconn.edu
Phil Birge-LibermanAssociate Professor-in-Residence, Urban and Community Studies
phil.birge-liberman@uconn.edu
Alaina BrenickAssociate Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences
alaina.brenick@uconn.edu
Xiang (Peter) ChenAssistant Professor, Geography
xiang.chen@uconn.edu
Kristen Cooksey StowersAssistant Professor, Allied Health Sciences
kristen.cooksey@uconn.edu
david embrickDavid G. EmbrickDirector, Sustainable Global Cities Initiative
Associate Professor, Sociology and Africana Studies
david.embrick@uconn.edu
Ken LachlanDepartment Head and Professor, Department of Communication
kenneth.lachlan@uconn.edu
Wizdom A. PowellDirector, Health Disparities Institute
Associate Professor, Psychiatry
wpowell@uchc.edu
Beth RussellAssociate Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences
beth.russell@uconn.edu
Marlene SchwartzProfessor, Human Development and Family Sciences
marlene.schwartz@uconn.edu
Sarah WillenDirector, Research Program on Global Health and Human Rights
Associate Professor, Anthropology
sarah.willen@uconn.edu

People and the City

List of People
PhotoNameTitleEmail
Jorge AgueroAssociate Professor, Economics and El Instituto
jorge.aguero@uconn.edu
Edith BarrettCLAS Associate Dean
Program Director, Urban and Community Studies
Professor, Public Policy
edith.barrett@uconn.edu
Alexis BoylanDirector of Academic Affairs
UConn Humanities Institute Associate Professor, Art + Art History Department and Africana Studies Institute
alexis.boylan@uconn.edu
Eric BrunnerMPA and MPP Program Director
Professor, Department of Public Policy
eric.brunner@uconn.edu
Meina CaiAssistant Professor, Political Science and Asian and Asian American Studies
meina.cai@uconn.edu
Scott CampbellAssociate Professor, English
scott.campbell@uconn.edu
Katharine CapshawProfessor, English
capshaw@uconn.edu
Milagros Castillo-MontoyaAssistant Professor, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Education
milagros.castillo-montoya@uconn.edu
Noel CazenaveProfessor, Sociology and Urban and Community Studies
noel.cazenave@uconn.edu
Jason Oliver ChangDirector, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute
Associate Professor, Asian American Studies and History
Jason.O.Chang@uconn.edu
Thomas CookeProfessor, Geography
thomas.cooke@uconn.edu
Debanuj DasGuptaAssistant Professor, Geography and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
debanuj.dasgupta@uconn.edu
Shardé DavisAssistant Professor, Communication
Faculty Affiliate, Africana Studies Institute and Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy
sharde.davis@uconn.edu
Manisha DesaiDepartment Head, Sociology
Professor, Sociology and Asian and Asian American Studies
manisha.desai@uconn.edu
Morgaen DonaldsonDirector, Center for Education Policy Analysis
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership
Coordinator, Learning, Leadership and Education Policy Ph.D. Program (Leadership and Education Policy Concentration)
morgaen.donaldson@uconn.edu
Anne GebeleinAssociate Director, El Instituto
Associate Professor-in-Residence, Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Anne.Gebelein@uconn.edu
Matthew HugheyAssociate Professor, Sociology
Adjunct Faculty, Africana Studies, American Studies, Race, Ethnicity, and Politics (REP), Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP)
matthew.hughey@uconn.edu
Tamika P. La SalleAssociate Professor, Educational Psychology
tamika.la_salle@uconn.edu
Samuel MartinezProfessor, Anthropology
samuel.martinez@uconn.edu
Glenn MitomaAssistant Professor, Human Rights and Education
Director, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
glenn.mitoma@uconn.edu
Melanie NewportAssistant Professor, History, American Studies, Urban and Community Studies
melanie.newport@uconn.edu
Anne Oeldorf-HirschAssistant Professor, Department of Communication
anne.oeldorf-hirsch@uconn.edu
Mark Overmyer-VelazquezDean and Chief Administrative Officer, UConn Hartford
Professor, History, Latino and Latin American Studies
Mark.Velazquez@uconn.edu
Melina PappademosAssociate Professor, History
Melina.Pappademos@uconn.edu
niralee patel-lyeNiralee K. Patel-LyeAssistant Professor, Neag School of Education
Associate Director of Teacher Education
niralee.patel-lye@uconn.edu
Kim Price-GlynnAssociate Professor, Sociology
kim.price-glynn@uconn.edu
Bandana PurkayasthaProfessor, Sociology and Asian and Asian American Studies
bandana.purkayastha@uconn.edu
Tracy RittenhouseTracy RittenhouseDirector of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center
Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
tracy.rittenhouse@uconn.edu
Stephen RossProfessor, Economics, Urban and Community Studies, and Public Policy
stephen.l.ross@uconn.edu
Rachel R. TamblingAssociate Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences
rachel.tambling@uconn.edu
Jennifer TerniAssociate Department Head and Associate Professor, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages
jennifer.terni@uconn.edu
Charles R. Venator-SantiagoAssociate Professor, Political Science, El Instituto
charles.venator@uconn.edu
Fiona VernalAssociate Professor, History and Africana Studies
Fiona.Vernal@uconn.edu
Cristina WilsonAssociate Professor and Research Director, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
cristina.wilson@uconn.edu
Ruodan ZhangAssistant Professor, Department of Public Policy
ruodan.zhang@uconn.edu

Social-Ecological Systems

List of People
PhotoNameTitleEmail
Juliana BarrettExtension Educator, Connecticut Sea Grant
juliana.barrett@uconn.edu
Ross BuckProfessor, Department of Communication
ross.buck@uconn.edu
John CooleyAssistant Professor-in-Residence, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
john.cooley@uconn.edu
Andrew DeenerAssociate Professor, Sociology
andrew.deener@uconn.edu
Robert T. FaheyAssistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
robert.fahey@uconn.edu
Mariana FragomeniMariana B. Alfonso FragomeniAssistant Professor, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
mariana.fragomeni@uconn.edu
Kim M. GansProfessor, Human Development and Family Sciences
kim.gans@uconn.edu
James O'Neil KnightonAssistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
james.knighton@uconn.edu
Kathryn LibalDirector, Human Rights Institute
Associate Professor, Social Work
kathryn.libal@uconn.edu
Jiff MartinJiff MartinAssociate Educator, UConn Extension, College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources
jiff.martin@uconn.edu
Peter MiniuttiAssociate Professor, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
peter.miniutti@uconn.edu
Michael O'NeillAssociate Dean and Associate Director, UConn Extension, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
mp.oneill@uconn.edu
Eleanor OuimetAssistant Professor-in-Residence, Anthropology
eleanor.ouimet@uconn.edu
Sohyun ParkAssistant Professor, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
sohyun.park@uconn.edu
Farhed A. ShahAssociate Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics
farhed.shah@uconn.edu
Nathaniel TrumbullAssociate Professor, Geography
trumbull@uconn.edu
Michael R. WilligExecutive Director, Institute of the Environment
Director, Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
michael.willig@uconn.edu
Chuanrong (Cindy) ZhangDepartment Head and Professor, Geography
cindy.zhang@uconn.edu