Dr. Marisa Manheim
Marisa Manheim’s research sits at the intersection of environmental health, sustainability transitions, and community engagement, with a focus on how people experience and respond to environmental risks and proposed interventions. Trained as an interaction designer, she investigates how embodied approaches paired with participatory governance can support more equitable and effective responses to environmental challenges.
Manheim uses interviews, workshops, and design-based fieldwork to better understand how people navigate environmental risks in their daily lives. She co-leads the Urban Soil Co-Lab, which partners with community organizations to develop practical and creative ways to address soil pollution. Her earlier work examined why households and organizations may hesitate to adopt drinking water recycling and circular sanitation systems, showing how collaborative planning and hands-on experience can support more resilient water and food systems.
Dr. Lourdes Vera
Lourdes Vera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Department of Environment and Sustainability at UB. As an environmental sociologist and civic scientist, she works with communities living near oil and gas development to monitor their air for contaminants. She also serves on the coordinating committee of the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, envisioning and building digital tools and research infrastructures for environmental data justice. Her interdisciplinary work spans environmental science, social science, and critical theory with articles appearing in Atmospheric Environment, Engaging Science, Technology and Society and Mobilization.
Dr. Alexandra Judelsohn
Alex Judelsohn’s research, teaching, and service center on addressing structural drivers of inequities. She pursues community-based research at the intersection of urban planning, public health, and environmental studies, centering the voices of community members. Her interests are around how cities facing austerity urbanism market themselves to potential residents, and her current research examines the role of refugee-led community organizations in U.S. refugee resettlement and the gaps these organizations fill in delivering services.
Leila Tufekci
Leila is a PhD student in the UB Department of Sociology and Criminology. Leila’s research focuses on comparative histories of lead industries and public health policies on lead poisoning.
Leila’s main roles in the Urban Soil Co-Lab include assisting with qualitative research design and implementation and surveying Buffalo’s industrial history.
Lily Zent
Lily Zent is an undergraduate student at the University at Buffalo studying Environmental Sustainability. She is interested in environmental justice and the impact of community engagement on environmental policy. Her role as a Research Associate in the Urban Soil Co-Lab centers around lead-related policy analysis and community understanding of soil contamination and remediation.
Dominic Tubiolo
Dominic Tubiolo is an undergraduate student at the University at Buffalo studying Earth Sciences. He is interested in soil science and how to remediate urban soils. His role as a Research Associate in the Urban Soil Co-Lab centers around taking soil samples and analyzing soil samples.
Faculty Collaborators
Dr. Lacey Carpenter, PhD., Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology.
Community Partners
