Maria Isabel Espinoza

Maria Isabel Espinoza is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University (MSU), affiliated with the College of Social Science. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Rutgers University (2023), with a dissertation on climate-sensitive diseases in Peru. Her research focuses on environmental communication, climate change sociology, and the intersection of climate and public health. She has published in journals like Social Science & Medicine and Climatic Change, and co-authored the award-winning book *A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of Environmentalism* (Oxford UP, 2022).

Dr. Espinoza’s work examines media framing of climate-sensitive diseases (e.g., dengue in Peru), the role of public relations in shaping climate policies, and the governance challenges in climate adaptation. She has secured multiple grants, including awards from the National Science Foundation and Rutgers University. Her teaching spans courses on health inequality, environmental sociology, and research methods.

Her current research explores climate adaptation strategies in Andean countries and the intersection of gender/race with climate perceptions among Latin American migrants. She has presented at major conferences like the American Sociological Association and the Social Science History Association, and her work has been featured in *The Nation* and *The Washington Post*.