Dr. Marisa Zapata Honored as 2026 CUPA Researcher of the Year

Portland State University's College of Urban & Public Affairs is proud to announce that Dr. Marisa Zapata, associate professor of Land-Use Planning and director of Portland State University's Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative (HRAC), has been named CUPA's 2026 Researcher of the Year.

Presented as part of Portland State University's annual Research Awards, the honor recognizes outstanding contributions to research, scholarship, mentorship, and community partnership. Dr. Zapata's work exemplifies PSU's commitment to research that advances equity and serves communities through public impact.

As director of HRAC, Dr. Zapata leads interdisciplinary efforts dedicated to reducing homelessness and its impacts on individuals, families, and communities, with a particular emphasis on communities of color. Her research explores how planners and civic institutions can create more just, equitable, and sustainable places in the face of uncertainty and rapid change. Across her scholarship, teaching, and community engagement, she has consistently championed spatially based social justice and collaborative regional planning.

Dr. Zapata has published extensively in journals including Planning Theory & Practice, International Planning Studies, Policy Studies, and Critical Policy Analysis. She is also co-editor of Engaging the Future: Forecasts, Scenarios, Plans and Projects, published in 2007 and recently translated into Chinese.

In announcing this year's university-wide honorees, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Rick Tankersley noted, "These awards reflect the breadth and depth of the remarkable work happening at Portland State. Each of this year's honorees embodies our mission to let knowledge serve."

The 2026 Research Awards Ceremony will be held Friday, May 8, from 3:00-5:30 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Zapata on this well-deserved recognition.