معرفی
Dr. Kevin Mwenda is an Associate Professor of Population Studies (Research) at Brown University's Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC) and serves as Director of the Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences (S4). He maintains faculty affiliate positions at the Data Science Institute (DSI), Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES), and the Sociology Department, demonstrating his interdisciplinary approach bridging geography, demography, and public health through spatial analysis methodologies.
Dr. Mwenda's educational background includes:
- PhD in Geography (Geographic Information Science & Cartography), University of California, Santa Barbara (2018)
- MA in Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara (2014)
- BA, Dartmouth College (2010)
His research program investigates spatial disparities in health outcomes among vulnerable populations globally, with particular attention to environmental, climatic, and socioeconomic determinants. Dr. Mwenda develops innovative mixed methods for exploring, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data patterns to better understand human-environment dynamics at various scales. His methodological expertise in GIS and spatial statistics enables sophisticated analysis of complex health-environment relationships across diverse geographic contexts.
Dr. Mwenda's publication trajectory reveals a consistent focus on applying spatial methodologies to pressing global health challenges, with significant contributions in environmental health impacts across Africa, healthcare accessibility in conflict zones like Syria, pandemic mobility patterns, and frameworks for monitoring land degradation. His work demonstrates methodological rigor while addressing real-world problems affecting vulnerable populations in diverse settings including Africa, China, and the United States.
His scholarly contributions have been recognized with several prestigious honors:
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2023, Brown University)
- OVPR Research Seed Award (2023, Brown University)
- Excellence in Teaching Award (2017, Department of Geography, UCSB)
- Appointment as Associate Editor of Populations Journal (2025)
As Director of S4, Dr. Mwenda leads a thriving research initiative that advances spatial methodologies across social science disciplines at Brown. His teaching portfolio includes undergraduate and graduate courses in GIS and spatial analysis within the Sociology Department, for which he received Brown's highest teaching honor in 2023. Dr. Mwenda maintains extensive collaborative networks spanning Epidemiology, Health Services, Environmental Science, and Data Science departments, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work and institutional impact.
