Samina Raja

Samina Raja is a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University at Buffalo, and Director of the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab. She specializes in understanding the role of planning and policy in building sustainable food systems and healthy communities, with a focus on equity and inclusion. Raja directs the master’s specialization in Community Health and Food Systems, emphasizing hands-on engagement through graduate studios collaborating with local and global partners like the Massachusetts Avenue Project in Buffalo and Trivandrum, India.

Education: PhD in Urban and Regional Planning (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Master of Planning (Housing, School of Architecture and Planning, New Delhi), BSc in Civil Engineering (Jamia Millia University, New Delhi).

Research interests center on equitable food systems planning, community engagement, and policy design to address systemic inequities. Her work bridges academia and practice, advocating for marginalized voices in planning processes. Notable projects include the Food Lab’s initiatives in Buffalo and collaborations with the APA’s Food Interest Group. Raja’s scholarship highlights food systems as critical to urban sustainability and public health.

Awards include the 2017 GPSA Faculty Excellence Award and 2016 Excellence Award for University Community Partnerships. She has led over 30 food policy-related projects, including Buffalo-Erie Food Policy Council leadership. Grants and partnerships focus on mobile produce markets, refugee health summits, and equitable urban agriculture frameworks.

Labs/Teams: Director of Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, leading interdisciplinary research and community action. Active in Buffalo’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities coalition and global planning networks.