Vannessa Velez

Vannessa Velez is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in U.S. history at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences, researching the interplay of racial capitalism, science and technology studies, and urban environmental inequality in metro Atlanta's development.

Her work centers on historical analysis of how urban renewal policies from 1949 to 1996 propelled Atlanta's economic rise as a global 'Black Mecca' while systematically marginalizing vulnerable communities through environmental degradation. This interdisciplinary approach connects historical urban planning with contemporary environmental justice struggles.

Her contributions have been recognized through competitive fellowships:

• Stanford Humanities Center Fellowship
• Eisenhower Institute Fellowship
• Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship
• MIT SHASS Fellowship

As an active researcher without listed advisees, her funded projects examine structural inequities in urban development, with implications for policy reform in environmental and racial justice contexts.