Melanie Z. Plasencia is a PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and will be graduating May 2022. She is also a César Chávez Predoctoral Fellow at Dartmouth College and will be a Postdoctoral Fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year. Melanie’s research examines how older Latina/o/xs in the U.S. negotiate the challenges of aging in the context of extreme poverty, deteriorating health, and diminishing government support. She is currently serving as the graduate student representative for the Aging and Lifecourse section of the ASA. Her research can be read in the Journals Social Problems and The Gerontologist, and has been supported by the AARP, Center for Race and Gender and the Ford Foundation. She has taught over fourteen courses for Universities on the East and West Coast. As a former Ronald E. Mcnair Scholar, Melanie enjoys giving back and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds in her areas of specialty. Her public scholarship can be read in the American Society on Aging’s journal, Generations Today, and Inside Higher Ed.
