Jess Linz

Jess Linz is an active researcher specializing in urban geography, critical theory, and affect studies, with a focus on gentrification, displacement, and emotional labor in Global South contexts. Holding a PhD in Geography from the University of Kentucky (2022), her work intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals through analyses of social exclusion and urban crises.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy, Geography, University of Kentucky (2022)
• Master of Arts, Geography, University of Kentucky (2016)

Linz's research interrogates the emotional landscapes of urban displacement, particularly how women navigate eviction and post-disaster gentrification in Mexico City. Her work synthesizes critical geography, gender studies, and affect theory to expose power dynamics in urban crises, emphasizing social exclusion and emotional labor as mechanisms of marginalization. She explores theoretical concepts like impasse, mastery, and ambivalence to challenge neoliberal urban governance.

Recent publications (2021-2023) reveal consistent engagement with Mexico City's urban transformations, combining empirical fieldwork with theoretical innovation. Her scholarship spans cultural geography, political theory, and disaster studies, characterized by interdisciplinary methodologies that bridge social sciences and humanities. Key trends include analyzing post-earthquake gentrification, gendered displacement, and the affective dimensions of urban crisis.

Grants and Collaborations:

Linz serves as Researcher on the active project "Urban Crisis: Public Health at the Intersection of Economic & Social Change" (2021-2025), investigating compounding crises in economic recession, public health, and social wellbeing across Global South contexts. This collaborative work has garnered significant academic attention, including citations, media coverage, and social media engagement.