Lesli Michelle Hoey

Lesli Michelle Hoey is an Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan. She serves as Director of Doctoral Studies and focuses on food systems planning, policy implementation, and equity. Her research examines how socio-political and institutional factors influence the effectiveness of food policies, with comparative studies in Bolivia and Michigan. She holds a PhD and MS in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a BA in Psychology from Earlham College.

Education:

• PhD and MS in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University
• BA in Psychology, Earlham College

Research Interests: Hoey uses food systems as a lens to study urban planning challenges, including policy advocacy, multisectoral collaboration, and adaptive implementation strategies. Key areas include:

• Equitable food access and local food economies
• Land redistribution and urbanization impacts in Bolivia
• Wastewater infrastructure and circular nutrient economies
• Sustainable diets and global health equity

Grants & Collaborations: Co-recipient of a $6.75M NIH grant (2024) for health equity research. Active in the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative at U-M, emphasizing interdisciplinary solutions to food system inequities. Previously led evaluations of education and rural development programs in the US, Peru, Albania, and Bolivia.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies to advance food policy research and community-engaged projects.