Urban Studies Faculty Lead Five of PSU's Research Centers
Dr. Zapata is an Associate Professor of Land-Use Planning at Portland State University and Director of PSU's Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, a center dedicated to reducing homelessness and its negative impacts on individuals, families and communities, with an emphasis on communities of color. As an educator, scholar, and planner, Dr. Zapata is committed to achieving spatially - based social justice by preparing planners to act in the face of the uncertain and inequitable futures.
Dr. Greg Schrock is an Associate Professor and Director the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies, a center that serves as the “front door” to the Portland community through engagement, research, and convening. He explores how economic opportunity is shaped in the labor market. His research investigates regional economic change and its influence on local workforce outcomes and social inequality. He studies the effectiveness of programs and institutions for promoting inclusive and equitable economic development.
Dr. Dill is a professor of Land-Use Planning and Director of the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at PSU,a center that pulls together the voices and expertise of a wide range of backgrounds that collectively shape the ways we move through the world. She researches transportation decision-making processes and how those can inform policy and planning. Her recent projects focus on travel behavior, bicycling, shared mobility, transit-oriented developments, and health.
Dr. Jenny Liu
Northwest Economic Research Center
Dr. Jenny Liu is an environmental and transportation economist and the Assistant Director of the Northwest Economic Research Center, which provides analysis of policies with economic implications for the region; advances knowledge in applied economic research related to Oregon and Portland; provides high-quality, unbiased research and analysis; and facilitates dialogue among academic, business, and government institutions. Her primary research focus is on linkages between transportation, economic development and sustainability; economic issues and impacts of public policy; and human capital investments.
Dr. Ozcan Tunalilar is an Assistant Professor in the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning and at the Institute on Aging at Portland State University, a center dedicated to enhancing understanding of aging and facilitating opportunities for elders, families, and communities to thrive. His research examines the role of organizational, contextual, and socioeconomic factors that contribute to the reproduction of inequalities in access to high-quality long-term care and in residents’ experiences in the long-term care system.