Marcela Nava

Dr. Marcela Nava is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses on health equity, political economy, and immigrant communities, leveraging community-based participatory approaches. She holds a PhD in Public Policy and Political Economy from UT Dallas and advanced degrees in Social Work. Nava is affiliated with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a Health Policy Research Scholar and leads initiatives addressing health disparities through cross-sector collaboration. Her work emphasizes marginalized groups, particularly Latinx immigrants and communities of color.

• Education: PhD (Public Policy & Political Economy, UT Dallas, 2021), MPP (UT Dallas, 2018), MSW (UT Arlington, 2009), BSW (Texas Christian University, 2006)
• Research Interests: Immigrant health, health policy, political economy, community engagement, health disparities

Her publications explore survival strategies among undocumented immigrants during the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy interventions, and collaborative health assessments. Nava has received awards including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar designation and the Presidential Scholarship from AcademyHealth. She actively participates in over 20 committees and boards, including the United Way Health Council and Tarrant County Community Engagement Alliance. Her teaching spans health policy, social work research methods, and immigration policy.