Priyanka deSouza PhD, MSc, MBA, MTech

Priyanka deSouza is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Colorado Denver. Her research centers on building urban resilience to air pollution and climate change, strongly focusing on environmental justice. Priyanka’s interdisciplinary work spans three key areas:

1. Innovative Air Pollution Measurement: She develops cutting-edge methods to leverage low-cost sensors and satellite data for estimating air pollution levels in under-characterized regions, critically emphasizing accessibility and equity in technology use.
2. Health Impacts on Vulnerable Populations: Priyanka investigates the disproportionate health effects of air pollution and climate change on vulnerable and marginalized communities.
3. Political Economy of Air Pollution: She examines the systemic and governance barriers that hinder effective air pollution management in cities and offers insights into policy and institutional reforms.

Priyanka holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was a Presidential Fellow, an MSc in Environmental Change and Management, and an MBA from the University of Oxford, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. She earned her Bachelor's and Master of Technology degrees in Energy Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Before academia, Priyanka worked with the UN Environment and the World Health Organization, gaining invaluable experience in global environmental health governance.

Through her academic and professional endeavors, Priyanka is dedicated to advancing equitable and sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing cities today.

Website: https://priyankadesouza.org/