Dr. Omar Pérez Figueroa

Biography

Omar Pérez Figueroa is an Assistant Professor in Urban Regional Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of California, Irvine. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, in 2010. During his undergraduate studies, he received a Truman Foundation scholarship which he used to complete a Master’s degree in Water, Interdisciplinary Analysis, and Sustainable Management from the University of Barcelona. His dissertation, funded by the Ford Foundation, specializes in small water rural systems in Puerto Rico, focusing on understanding water governance problems and resilience in the face of extreme weather events. He has worked with local communities, federal and international governments, and private corporations. His research interests concentrate on understanding community-based movements among marginalized communities to address environmental inequalities, particularly regarding water issues. He has presented his research to diverse audiences, including government officials, politicians, United Nations officials, and K-12 students. A recent project investigates the impact of drought events on public health outcomes in rural Puerto Rican communities, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, titled "Cumulative Health Impacts at the Intersection of Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Vulnerable Populations."

Research Interests