Ana is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management. She was most recently the Director of the Energy and Environment Program at the Regional Plan Association where she oversaw a diverse portfolio of issues ranging from climate change to greenspace preservation across the New York metropolitan region. Prior to RPA, Ana was the Director of Environmental and Planning programs for the Ironbound Community Corporation for over seven years. At ICC she oversaw a wide range of environmental justice, community development and community based planning and research projects in her native Ironbound community in Newark, New Jersey. Ana grew up in the Ironbound where she was part of the environmental justice struggles that later shaped her professional and academic interests. Ana completed her Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey where she studied state level environmental justice policy implementation across the country. Prior to her doctoral research Ana was a Senior Environmental Planner for the State of Rhode Island’ Department of Environmental Management and she also served as a legislative liaison to Senator John Chafee. She received her Master’s degree from Brown University in Environmental Studies and has an undergraduate degree in Environmental & Evolutionary Biology as well as Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. Ana was a 2013 Gustav Heningburg Civic Fellow. She is a National Environmental Leadership Fellow, a member of the Coalition for Healthy Ports and a steering committee member of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance. She brings to the New School community a passion for social justice and community driven change. Ana served as an adjunct faculty with The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy from 2009 to 2014 and now serves as a full-time faculty member.
Also you can find the report Ana contributed to on Climate impacts to EJ communities that was part of the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance's recent report online at http://njadapt.rutgers.edu/resources/njcaa-reports