Omar Pérez Figueroa

Biography of Omar Perez Figueroa

Omar Pérez Figueroa is an Assistant Professor of Urban and 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 in 2010 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences general program from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. One year after completing his undergraduate studies, he obtained the Truman Foundation scholarship that 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 and how they understand water governance problems and resilience in the face of disasters and extreme weather events. He has worked with local communities, including federal and international governments, as well as with private corporations. His research interests focus on understanding how community-based movements and marginalized communities address environmental inequalities, with a special focus on water issues. Additionally, he has presented his research to diverse audiences, including government officials, politicians, United Nations officials, and K-12 students.  His most recent project focuses on understanding how drought events can impact public health outcomes of rural communities in Puerto Rico. This project is funded by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency title; Cumulative Health Impacts at the Intersection of Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Vulnerable Populations.