Regular Faculty

Bhavna Shamasunder

Bhavna Shamasunder, Chair

Associate Professor and Chair, Urban and Environmental Policy
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.
Claire Cahen

Claire Cahen

Assistant Professor, Urban & Environmental Policy
B.A., Pomona College; M.Phil, Ph.D., Graduate Center, CUNY, New York
Claire Cahen is an urbanist, researcher and educator who studies municipal austerity and public sector union renewal.
Professor Peter Dreier

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

Martha Matsuoka

Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy; Executive Director, Urban & Environmental Policy Institute
A.B., Occidental College; M.C.P., UC Berkeley Ph.D., UCLA
Martha Matsuoka ’83 focuses her teaching and research on community-based organizing and social movements for environmental justice, particularly in planning and policy. 
Karla Pena

Karla Peña

Assistant Professor, Urban & Environmental Policy
B.A., California State University Northridge; M.S., University of Michigan; M.S., Ph.D., Cornell University
Karla Peña's teaching and research involves developmental sociology and natural resources and environment.
Professor Seva Rodnyansky

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.

Non-Tenure Track Faculty

Janis Breidenbach

Visiting Assistant Professor, Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., M.A., UCLA; Ph.D., Prescott College
SC

Sharon Cech

Visiting Instructor, Urban & Environmental Policy
B.A., Bard College; M.A., UCLA
Sharon Cech (she/her) is a Program Director at the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College (UEPI). With over a decade of experience working to advance farm to school, farmers…

Jordanne Dervaes

Visiting Instructor, Urban & Environmental Policy

Joshua Nicholas McGuffie

Visiting Instructor, Urban & Environmental Policy
B.A, University of California, Los Angeles; M.Div., Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary; M.A., Oregon State University; P.h.D., UCLA (in progress)
RR

Rosa Romero

Visiting Instructor, Urban & Environmental Policy
B.A., UCLA; MEd., UH Manoa
Rosa Romero is a Program Director at the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute (UEPI) at Occidental College. Rosa specializes in Farm to Preschool, Garden and Health curriculum development and…
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