Alfonso Aranda

Dr. Alfonso Aranda is a Term Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco, specializing in environmental justice and community engagement. As a scholar-activist, his work bridges academia with marginalized communities, particularly focusing on farmworker populations and unincorporated communities. He holds a PhD in Geography from UC Davis (2023), a BA in History (2016), and an AA in History (2013). His research emphasizes community-based participatory research (CBPR), environmental health disparities, and policy analysis.

Education:

• PhD in Geography, University of California, Davis (2023)
• BA in History, University of California, Davis (2016)
• AA in History, Sacramento City College (2013)

His research interests include transdisciplinary approaches to environmental justice, health geography, and addressing social and economic inequities through policy. Recent work highlights community-driven environmental health assessments and strategies to foster student belonging through scholar-activism.

Key Contributions:

• Principal Investigator of the Knights Landing Environmental Health Project
• Co-developed frameworks for sustainable community-university partnerships

Awards:

• Gerardo Marín Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022-2023)

Dr. Aranda’s teaching focuses on environmental studies and community engagement. He mentors students in fostering critical thinking and activism, emphasizing social justice in environmental policy and practice.