Melanie Ford is a sociocultural anthropologist and an Adjunct Assistant Professor with the Humanities and Sciences Program at ArtCenter College of Design.

Her research studies the lived experiences of climate change and urban development, focusing on people’s own lived experiences and community organization. She’s interested in the politics of architecture, design, and urban planning; state and municipal governance; social movements and environmental justice; as well as technology, infrastructure and disaster across the Américas. In particular, she moves between Guatemala and the United States.

Melanie’s work has been funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, as well as interdisciplinary research centers and fellowships at Rice University. Her writing has been featured in public facing outlets as well as academic journals and university presses. She received her BA from the University of California-Riverside, and her MA and PhD from Rice University.