Melissa Espinoza, PhD

Dr Melissa Espinoza completed her PhD from the Institute of Social Policy, Housing, Inequalities Research at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. She is a specialist in comparative public policy and the impacts of racial inequalities. Her professional experience in North America centres on racial inequalities within housing and homeless urban policies. She has extensive research experience in the United Kingdom, studying and evaluating homelessness programmes in Greater Manchester, Newcastle, and Birmingham. She has published research on ageing populations' housing needs and other anti-poverty work. Melissa's PhD research focuses on Indigenous peoples' homelessness experiences in Seattle, USA. 

In her spare time, she is heavily involved in supporting movements that help to elevate and promote Black, First Nations, Latinx and other people of colour voices. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Economic Lead,  an award-winning and first-of-its-kind BAME/BIPOC-founded research company in Scotland.  She also volunteers year-round for Minga Indigena, a movement that elevates First Nations voices and knowledge in climate change negotiations.

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Most recently, she project managed and strategically planned the local logistics, venues, and community rapport during COP26. She continues to support the facilitation of higher education access for Indigenous youth.