Melina Raquel Platas

I am an Associate Professor of Political Science at New York University Abu Dhabi, specializing in comparative and African politics. I have reported on and conducted research on politics, health, and education in Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Malawi, Nigeria, and the United States. My book, Culture and Mass Schooling: The Colonial Origins of Educational Inequality in Africa, examines the origins and persistence of the Muslim-Christian schooling gap in African countries, and is forthcoming at Cambridge University Press.

My current research focuses on air pollution and environmental politics in Africa, particularly Uganda. African countries experience some of the highest mean annual exposure to air pollution globally, but the extent of exposure and its health and economic consequences are not widely known among the public or among policymakers. My research documents low levels of air quality awareness, examines strategies to raise awareness and disseminate information about air pollution, and identifies policy solutions to reduce pollution, particularly in African cities.