Miranda Martinez

Miranda Martinez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University, serving as Director of Graduate Studies and a 2023-24 GAHDT Society of Fellows Faculty. Her research focuses on Latino and Puerto Rican Studies, urban sociology, and economic sociology, with expertise in gentrification, financial systems, and community resilience.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, New York University
• B.A. in Geography (cum laude), Clark University

Research Interests: Professor Martinez explores the intersection of race, public policy, and urban development. She authored Power at the Roots (2010), examining community gardens and gentrification in New York’s Lower East Side. Her current work investigates Puerto Rico’s credit union movement post-Hurricane Maria, emphasizing economic and climate justice. She also studies racial biases in financial systems and local responses to predatory economies.

Awards:

• GAHDT Society of Fellows Faculty (2023-24)

Teaching and Service: She teaches Latinx studies, urban cultural studies, and Race and Public Policy (cross-listed with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs). She directs graduate studies in her department, fostering academic mentorship and program development.

Research Collaborations: Her work integrates ethnographic methods and interdisciplinary approaches, focusing on marginalized communities’ resistance strategies to systemic inequities in urban and financial contexts.