Dr. Mark Ortiz

Biography

Mark Ortiz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at The Pennsylvania State University. Holding a PhD from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which he completed in 2022, he specializes in climate justice, youth social movements, and storytelling methods. Mark has developed significant expertise in the dynamics of youth politics and social movement studies. As the creator and director of the Global Youth Storytelling Research Lab (The GYSRL), he engages in collaborative research aimed at bridging youth-centered research, education, storytelling, and policy advocacy. His teaching encompasses both undergraduate and graduate courses focused on climate justice and youth geographies. Mark's research interests include transnational youth climate justice advocacy, the evolution of youth engagement with multilateral institutions such as the U.N., and environmental and climate justice particularly in the U.S. South. He has actively interviewed and collaborated with youth environmental and climate justice advocates across the globe, particularly in the Pacific and Southwest Asia North Africa (SWANA) region, as well as the U.S. South, emphasizing the importance of chronicling stories of advocacy from youth-led community organizations.

Research Interests