Dr. Deyanira Nevarez Martinez is an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on housing justice, homelessness, and the role of the state in housing precarity and informality. She
conducts interdisciplinary research centered on vulnerable populations. Dr. Nevarez Martinez has also served as an expert witness in legal cases concerning homelessness and housing rights. In 2021, she was recognized as an Emerging Poverty Scholar by the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Nevarez Martinez has attended the Urban Affairs Association (UAA) conference since she was a graduate student, gaining valuable insights from the academic community and professional development opportunities it provides. Her mentor, Dr. Vicki Basolo, who served on the UAA Board and as editor of the Journal of Urban Affairs, instilled in her a strong commitment to the mission of UAA. Through the organization, Dr. Nevarez Martinez has developed professional relationships that have greatly shaped her career.
Dr. Nevarez Martinez is eager to contribute to UAA’s continued success by serving on the Board. She aims to support UAA’s mission of fostering urban research that informs policy and practice, with a focus on housing justice and social equity. As a first-generation scholar and Latina in academia, she is committed to promoting inclusivity within the organization and ensuring that future scholars benefit from UAA’s resources.