Jean Carmalt

Jean Carmalt is an Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, affiliated with the Law and Society Department and the Earth and Environmental Sciences faculty at CUNY’s Graduate Center. Her expertise spans international law, human rights, climate change, disaster response, and urban development. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Washington (2010), a J.D. from Cornell University Law School (2003), and a B.A. in Geography from Vassar College (1996).

Her research focuses on critical geographies of human rights, analyzing spatial dimensions of injustice, environmental disasters, and economic/social rights. Key areas include participatory action research, urban inequality, and international legal frameworks. Notable works include studies on Myanmar’s Rakhine State, New Orleans post-Katrina, and U.S. healthcare inequities.

Awards include the 2016 Kwando Kinshasa Mentor Award and AAUW Dissertation Fellowship. She teaches courses like International Human Rights, Critical Geographies of Human Rights, and Law and Society research methods. Professional memberships include the American Association of Geographers and the Law and Society Association.