Dr. Fonna Forman

Biography

Fonna Forman is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and the founding Director of the UCSD Center on Global Justice at the University of California, San Diego. She is internationally recognized for her revisionist research on Adam Smith, focusing on the ethical public dimensions of his thought. Forman has served as the Editor of the Adam Smith Review and engages with the intersection of ethics, public culture, and urban policy, with a special focus on climate justice and border ethics. Her current projects include a book on cross-border citizenship, studies of Adam Smith’s legacies in Latin American development, and NSF-funded research on climate risk vulnerability among underserved communities in California. Forman collaborates closely with the visual arts, merging fields such as political theory, urbanism, public culture, and urban policy. She has contributed to civic urban initiatives in San Diego and has led the UCSD Community Stations, emphasizing research on poverty and social equity. Her work has been featured in prominent publications and exhibited at major venues like the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Furthermore, Forman serves on multiple advisory boards, including the UC Global Climate Leadership Council, where she advises on climate sustainability policy and education.

Research Interests