Yolanda Valencia

Yolanda Valencia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography & Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Washington (2019). Her research focuses on Latinx migration geographies, critical race theory, and feminist methodologies. Currently on research leave (2022-2023), she explores transnational community organizing and epistemologies of the Global South.

• Education: Ph.D. Geography, University of Washington (2019)

Her work examines displacement in Mexico, racialized urban segregation in the U.S., and how marginalized communities resist systemic oppression through grassroots knowledge systems. Key themes include:

• Colonialism and modernity's impact on agrarian communities
• Racial capitalism and immigration law
• Survival strategies among undocumented migrants

Recent research emphasizes intimate community organizing in U.S. cities and plans to study elders in Mexican rural communities confronting health inequities. She has received prestigious awards including the Mellon Career Enhancement Fellowship and Excellence in Research Award from UMBC's LHFA.

• Grants: Antipode Foundation grant ($10k), Mellon Fellowship ($35k)