Ananya Roy will join the faculty of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and become inaugural director of the new Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, a multifaceted program of research, training and public outreach revolving around democracy, social justice and political participation. She will hold an endowed chair provided by Meyer and Renee Luskin. Her appointment, which is effective July 1, 2015, was announced by UCLA Luskin Dean Frank D. Gilliam Jr.
Roy comes to UCLA from UC Berkeley, where is a professor of city and regional planning and distinguished chair in global poverty and practice, as well as education director of the Blum Center for Developing Economies. With research interests ranging from social theory to comparative urban studies, Roy has dedicated much of her scholarship to exploring and understanding the formation of geopolitical hierarchies.
"I am thrilled to welcome Ananya to UCLA Luskin as the head of the institute," Gilliam said. "Her creativity, collaborative spirit and impeccable academic credentials are an exact match for the positive change inherent in this new endeavor, and I know she will serve as an inspiration to our faculty and students."
The Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy is a major initiative of the school's five-point strategic plan, which was adopted following the Luskins' $50 million naming gift to UCLA’s School of Public Affairs in 2011.
Learn more about Roy and the new institute at UCLA Luskin.
