Year Entered Program
2023
Biography
Valentina, originally from Colombia, is a PhD student with an academic background in Psychology. Her research interests revolve around immigration, ethnicity, and urban sociology. Having obtained her bachelor's degree in 2016, she moved to Colorado, where she pursued a master's degree in Sociology at the University of Colorado Denver. During this time, Valentina contributed as a Research Assistant (RA) to an NSF funded study, collaborating with residents of North Denver who reside in the most polluted zip codes in the United States.
Valentina's research primarily focuses on housing insecurity, gentrification, and the experiences of undocumented Latino immigrants. Furthermore, she investigates the impact of neighborhood dynamics and environmental pollution on the well-being and health of Environmental Justice (EJ) communities. Valentina is motivated to deepen her understanding of political sociology and gain valuable insights into immigration enforcement within the United States.