Jennifer Carrera

Jennifer Carrera is an Associate Professor at Michigan State University, jointly appointed between the Department of Sociology, the Environmental Science and Policy Program, and AgBioResearch. Her work bridges sociology and environmental health, focusing on community-driven solutions to environmental justice issues.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2014)

Research Interests:
Dr. Carrera employs Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and citizen science to explore environmental health disparities, particularly access to clean water and sanitation in marginalized communities. Her projects address institutional barriers to low-cost technologies in Lowndes County, Alabama, and water governance conflicts in Detroit, Michigan.

Scientific Awards:

• Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research Career Award (K01) from NIEHS/NIH (2018)

Community Engagement:
As a lead PI for MSU’s Global Water Initiative, she conducted a CBPR citizen science study on water quality in Detroit. Her work with Flint, Michigan partners aims to co-develop low-cost technologies for environmental risk mitigation.