Karla Peña

Karla Peña is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban & Environmental Policy at Occidental University. She holds a B.A. from California State University Northridge, an M.S. from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. Her teaching and research focus on social movements, the political ecology of natural resource extraction, and environmental-climate justice across local and global contexts.

She is currently writing a book on banana sustainability, spanning Ecuador’s plantations to Los Angeles school cafeterias. As a faculty affiliate in Latino/a and Latin American Studies (LLAS) and Food Studies, she explores the local-global agri-food system. Courses taught include

• UEP 101: Environment and Society
• UEP/LLAS 390: Los Angeles and the Global Food Economy
• UEP 410: Controversies in Policy and Politics
• UEP 300: Environmental Law and Policy
• UEP 411: Applied Public Policy Practicum

Her work intersects environmental justice, sustainability, and policy analysis. She welcomes student engagement with these themes.

Scientific Awards:

• Graham L. Sterling Memorial Award