Adriana Zunigaمشاهده پروفایل
پژوهشگر
Adriana Zuniga serves as an Assistant Research Scientist at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and faculty at the University of Arizona's College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA), conducting interdisciplinary research at the nexus of built environments, environmental policy, and social justice. Her academic credentials include: PhD in Arid Lands Resource Sciences with minor in Global Change (University of Arizona, 2015) MS in Architecture with concentration in Design and Energy Conservation (University of Arizona, 2010) Zuniga's research centers on human-landscape interactions through urban greenspace analysis, integrating urban design, water security, public health, and environmental justice frameworks. She employs participatory methodologies with diverse stakeholders across the urban-rural continuum, emphasizing community-driven solutions for resilient and equitable environments. Her work consistently bridges theoretical knowledge with actionable policy outcomes. Her publication portfolio reveals dominant themes in environmental justice within arid-region water systems, socio-ecological urban resilience, and transborder governance. Recent work demonstrates sophisticated integration of earth observation data with community engagement practices, particularly in U.S.-Mexico border contexts. She advances methodological innovations in vulnerability mapping while maintaining strong focus on marginalized communities' lived experiences. Zuniga actively mentors students through hands-on research initiatives like Tucson Verde para Todos, providing real-world learning in green infrastructure planning. She cultivates cross-institutional collaborations with Geography, Public Health, and Natural Resources departments to secure research funding and implement community-centered projects addressing systemic inequities. As core faculty in Udall Center's Environmental Policy Program, she develops decision-maker engagement frameworks that integrate built environment perspectives into water governance. Her team facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogues across the urban-rural spectrum, connecting local projects in Ambos Nogales and Las Cruces to national policy discussions on climate adaptation.
