Regular Faculty
Bhavna Shamasunder, Chair
Associate Professor and Chair, Urban and Environmental Policy; Co-Chair, Public Health
B.S./B.A., UC San Diego; M.ES., Yale University; Ph.D., UC Berkeley
Bhavna Shamasunder teaches and conducts research at the intersection of environmental health & justice with a focus on inequalities in chemical exposures faced by low-income communities and communities of color who live and work in urban and/or industrial environments.
Mijin Cha
Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.S., Cornell University; J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law; LLM, Ph.D., University of London
J. Mijin Cha's research and teaching interests are in the areas of climate justice, environmental justice, labor movements, and the intersection of labor and climate justice. Dr. Cha is a fellow at Cornell University's Worker Institute, where she works on the Labor Leading on Climate initiative. Her recent research is on "just transition," how to transition workers and communities equitably into a low-carbon future. Dr. Cha is on the board of the Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment and a member of the California Bar.
Peter Dreier
E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics; Professor, Urban & Environmental Policy
B.A., Syracuse University M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago
Peter Dreier has been involved in urban policy as a scholar, government official, reporter, and advocate for 30 years.
Martha Matsuoka
Associate Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy
A.B., Occidental College; M.C.P., UC Berkeley Ph.D., UCLA
Martha Matsuoka ’83 focuses her teaching and research on issues such as metropolitan regionalism, sustainable community development, social movements, and environmental justice.
Seva Rodnyansky
Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., Northwestern University; Ph.D., University of Southern California
Seva Rodnyansky’s research focuses on urban policy related to housing, transportation, residential mobility and neighborhood change. Read his Oxy Story profile.
On Special Appointment
Jeremiah Axelrod
Director of the Institute for the Study of Los Angeles; Non-Tenure Track Associate Professor, History
B.A., Williams College; Ph.D., UC Irvine
Jeremiah Axelrod has taught courses in urban history, restaurant culture, and "Disneyland and Urbanism," among others.
Janis Breidenbach
Non-Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., M.A., UCLA; Ph.D., Prescott College
Steve Zimmer
Non-Tenure Track Instructor, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A. Goucher College; M.S. CSU Los Angeles
Advisory Committee
Bevin Ashenmiller
Associate Professor, Economics; Advisory Committee, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., Princeton University; Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara
Bevin Ashenmiller is an Environmental Economist whose research falls into three areas: recycling, evaluation of environmental programs, and energy and climate policy.
Elizabeth Braker
Professor, Biology; Advisory Committee, Urban and Environmental Policy; Affiliated Faculty, Latino/a and Latin American Studies
B.A., Colorado College; Ph.D., UC Berkeley
Elizabeth Braker teaches courses in conservation biology, animal behavior, and biodiversity.
Regina Freer
Professor, Politics; Advisory Committee, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., UC Berkeley; Ph.D., University of Michigan
Regina Freer’s research and teaching interests include race and politics, demographic change, urban politics, and the intersection of all three in Los Angeles.
Jan Lin
Professor, Sociology; Advisory Committee, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., Williams College; M.S., London School of Economics and Political Science; Ph.D., New School for Social Research
Jan Lin's teaching areas are in urban sociology; sociological field methods; globalization; mass media and consumer society; senior seminar; introduction to sociology and a freshman course on Los Angeles.
Gretchen North
John W. McMenamin Endowed Chair in Biology; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry; Advisory Committee, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., Stanford University; M.A., University of Connecticut; M.A., College of William and Mary; Ph.D., UCLA
Gretchen North investigates how plants cope with physically challenging conditions.
James Sadd
Professor, Environmental Science
B.S., University of Southern California; M.S., University of Texas; Ph.D., University of South Carolina
Dr. Sadd teaches courses in Geographic Information Systems in which students evaluate many types of information using spatial analysis and statistical tools.
