Image of glasses resting on book

Dr. Marcos Luna
Geography & Sustainability
Salem State University
352 Lafayette Street
Salem, Massachusetts 01970-5353
Phone: (978) 542-6487
Fax: (978) 542-6269
mluna@salemstate.edu
Office: Meier Hall 326F
Office Hours: As Posted or By Appointment

About Me

I am a Professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainability, and the Geo-Information Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator at Salem State University. My research focus is on environmental justice and applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to the analysis of social and environmental inequities. In addition to academic research, I work with community groups throughout the greater Boston region on issues ranging from transportation equity to voter outreach and climate change adaptation.

I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in GIS, as well as courses on environmental justice, energy and the environment, and weather and climate. I received my Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware, with a focus on Technology, Environment, and Society. I am originally from Alhambra, California (5 miles east of Los Angeles). I currently live in East Boston with my wife and cats.

Education

Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy: Technology, Environment and Society, University of Delaware, 2007
Dissertation: "The Biomedicalization of Public Health and the Marginalization of the Environment: From the Environment to the Hospital and Back Again. A Policy History."
Marvin B. Sussman Dissertation Prize for Most Outstanding Dissertation 2007

M.A. in Geography, California State University, Los Angeles, 2000
Thesis: "PM10 and Traffic on Fremont Avenue: An Issue of Environmental Justice"

Current Activities and Research

My research focuses on environmental justice and applications of geospatial analytic techniques to social and environmental inequities. I have published research on the inequities of drinking water contamination, housing discrimination, natural gas leaks, urban noise, transit, energy, air pollution, and environmental policy.

I work with community organizations and policy makers on issues including environmental justice, housing and segregation, transportation, and climate change adaptation. I am an appointed member of a committee on environmental justice mapping for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. I am a governor-appointed member of the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Council. I serve on the Board of Directors for GreenRoots, an environmental justice community based organization serving Chelsea and East Boston in Massachusetts, as well as the Board of Directors for Comunidades Enraizadas Community Land Trust in Chelsea. I serve on the Education Committee for the Boston Public Library Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center's Board of Directors.

Selected Publications

Kim, M., R. De Vito, F. Duarte, K. Tieskens, M. Luna, A. Salazar-Miranda, M. Mazzarello, et al. 2023. "Boil Water Alerts and Their Impact on the Unexcused Absence Rate in Public Schools in Jackson, Mississippi." Nature Water, April, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00062-z

Luna, Marcos, and Dominic Nicholas. 2022. "An environmental justice analysis of distribution-level natural gas leaks in Massachusetts, USA." Energy Policy 162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112778

Estrella-Luna, Neenah, Nancy S. Lee, Marcos Luna, Jim DiGiulio, Darliya Bennett, and Denice Villar Amparo. "The City of Boston's Role in Racial Discrimination in Home Buying." StarLuna Consulting, LLC. 2022. https://www.oppcommunities.org/hfe-reports

Lee, Nina F., Jonathan I. Levy, Marcos Luna, Erica D. Walker. 2022. "Spatial and sociodemographic determinants of community loudness perception." Applied Acoustics 186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2021.108459

Luna, Marcos. 2019. "Evaluation of Massachusetts Environmental Justice Criteria." A report to the Environmental Justice Legislative Table of Massachusetts. http://dgl.salemstate.edu/luna/ejcriteria/

Jones, Mark J., and Marcos Luna. 2019. “Geography Deserts: State and Regional Variation in the Formal Opportunity to Learn Geography in the United States, 2005-2015." Journal of Geography 118(2):88-100.

Luna, Marcos. 2018. “MBTA Bus Equity Analysis.” A report to GreenRoots, Inc. and the community of Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Flannery, Wesley, Noel Healy, and Marcos Luna. 2018. “Exclusion and non-participation in Marine Spatial Planning.” Marine Policy 88:32-40.

Luna, Marcos. 2018. “Column: The Blizzard of '78 and lessons learned.” The Salem News. February 6, 2018.

Walker, Erica, Jaime E Hart; Petros Koutrakis, Jennifer M Cavallari, Trang VoPHam, Marcos Luna, and Francine Laden. 2017. "Spatial and temporal determinants of A-weighted and frequency specific sound levels—An elastic net approach." Environmental Research 159:491-499.

Luna, Marcos. 2017. “Column: Environmental regulations protect our most vulnerable communities.” The Salem News. May 5, 2017. Accessible at

Walker, Erica, Julio Cesar Roman, and Marcos Luna. 2016. “2016 Greater Boston Noise Report.” A report on sound levels and survey responses of the experience of noise in the Greater Boston region.

Luna, Marcos. 2016. Analysis of Equity Impacts of Cancellation of MBTA Late-Night Service. A report to the Conservation Law Foundation, Alternatives for Community & Environment, and the Greater Four Corners Action Coalition.

Luna, Marcos. 2015. Review of Walden Warming: Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s Woods. The Northeastern Geographer.

Luna, Marcos, Tyler Abegg, and Fatou Mandiang. 2015. Analysis of the Salem State University Transit Network: An Assessment of Commuter Travel Timeliness and Efficiency. A Report to the North Shore Transportation Management Association (TMA) and the Salem State University Transportation Committee. 

Estrella-Luna, Neenah, and Marcos Luna. 2015. Analysis of Environmental Justice Criteria for Defining “Environmental Justice Populations” in Massachusetts. A Report to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on behalf of the Massachusetts Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and Alternatives for Community & Environment.

Luna, Marcos. 2014. "Equity in Transportation Planning: An Analysis of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization." Professional Geographer.

Luna, Marcos. 2012. The Environment since 1945. New York: Facts on File.

Luna, Marcos. 2011. Equity Analysis of Boston MPO: An Analysis of Representation and Voting Structure. A Report to Alternatives for Community and Environment.

Luna, Marcos. 2011. Review of Eden on the Charles: the Making of Boston. The Northeastern Geographer 3.

Luna, Marcos. 2010. Review of Capitalizing on Environmental Injustice: The Polluter-Industrial Complex in the Age of Globalization. The Northeastern Geographer 2: 82.

Luna, et al. 2010. Voter Participation and Demographics in Lowell, MA: A GIS Study. A Report to ONE Lowell and the City of Lowell, Massachusetts.

Luna, Marcos. 2009. “Undergraduate Research: An Inquiry .” ASpect May Issue.

________ . 2008. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Distancing and the Geographic Relationship Between Electricity Consumption and Production in Massachusetts.” Social Science Quarterly 89(5): 578.

Luna, et al. 2008. Estimate of Limited English Speaking Eligible Voters in Select Communities of the Boston Metropolitan Area. A Report to Greater Boston Legal Services.

________. 2008. 1984 Bhopal Tragedy in Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History: A Reference Guide to the Nation s Most Catastrophic Events ed. Ballard C. Campbell (New York: Facts on File).

________. 2008. 1978 Love Canal Crisis in Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History: A Reference Guide to the Nation s Most Catastrophic Events ed. Ballard C. Campbell (New York: Facts on File).

________. 2008. 1948 Donora Smog Tragedy in Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History: A Reference Guide to the Nation s Most Catastrophic Events ed. Ballard C. Campbell (New York: Facts on File).

________. 2008. United States Public Health Service in Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History: A Reference Guide to the Nation s Most Catastrophic Events ed. Ballard C. Campbell (New York: Facts on File).

________. 2007. Experiential Learning. ASpect 30 (May): 5.

________. 2006. Region s Energy Needs Loom Large. Boston Globe, 1 October, Sunday Business section.

________. 2004. Review of Laboratory of Justice: The Supreme Court's 200 Year Struggle to Integrate Science and the Law, by David Faigman. Bimonthly Review of Law Books 15 (6): 13.

Baca, A., Vincent, J., Luna, M., Zhou, F., LaDochy, S., and Nickolaisen, S. 2000. Fine-Scale Sampling and Analysis for Heavy Metals and Nitrogen- and Sulfur-Containing Species in East Los Angeles. In Air Pollution VIII: 8th International Conference on Air Pollution 2000, edited by Brebbia, et al., 273-282. Southampton, UK: Wessex Institute of Technology Press.

Qiu, H., Gamon, J.A., and Luna, M.1998. Monitoring Post Fire Succession in the Santa Monica Mountains using Hyperspectral Imagery. Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering 3502:201-208.

Selected Presentations

Luna, Marcos, Rebecca Smalley, James Neumann, Maura Flight, and Chas Fant. "From Analysis to Action: Strategies for Promoting Climate Justice when Implementing Nature-based Solutions to Coastal Risk." Stone Living Lab Nature-Based Coastal Resilience in Urban Settings conference at UMass Boston (April 27, 2023).

Luna, Marcos. "One map to bind them all? Acknowledging and confronting the dangers of a unified definition for identifying and mapping Environmental Justice communities." American Association of Geographers conference, Denver, CO (March 26, 2023).

"Application of EPA's 'Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts' to Benefit Cost Analysis." Panel discussant at Society for Benefit-Cost Analysis annual conference. Panelists included: James Neumann, Principal at Industrial Economics, Inc., Margaret Black, ABT Associates, and Megan Sheahan, Industrial Economics, Inc. (March 22, 2022). Panel recording available

"Will COP26 Make a Difference? What to Expect from Key Actors on Climate Action" invited panelist to discuss US climate politics and policy. Co-panelists included: Dr. Abhijit Banerjee, Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities, Dr. Annika Styczynski, Jindal School of Government & Public Policy, Dr. Avinash Godbole, Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities, and Dr. Gopal Sarangi, TERI School of Advanced Studies. Centre for Environment, Sustainability and Human Development, O. P. Jindal Global University (October 29, 2021). Event recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F4uH0lcid8

"Environmental Toxins and Public Health" keynote Earth Week panel at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard. Invited panelist to discuss environmental justice. Co-panelists included: Dr. Karletta Chief, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona, and Dr. Jonathan Levy, Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University and Chair of the Environmental Health Department at the Boston University School of Public Health. (April 21, 2021). Online at https://www.youtube.com/user/broadinstitute/featured

"Climate & Equity" panel by the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Invited panelist to discuss recent state environmental justice legislation and equity dimensions of state climate change policy. Co-panelists included: Massachusetts state Representative Adrian Madaro, and Co-Director of the Center for Health Equity Education and Advocacy at Cambridge Health Alliance, Dr. Gaurab Basu. (April 15, 2021). Online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gW-8eRcS0Q

Luna, Marcos. "The Geography of Environmental (In)Justice in New England." Contemporary Issues Faculty Lectures at Salem State University (April 15, 2021). Online at https://digitalcommons.salemstate.edu/cifl/2/

"A Climate Conversation" at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). Invited panelist to discuss equity dimensions of the City of Boston’s Climate Ready Boston plan. ICA Watershed, Boston, MA (September 12, 2019).

Luna, Marcos. “The Geography of Separate and Unequal: Mapping Modern-Day Segregation in the Boston Area.” Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute Friday Coffee event, Salem, MA (April 6, 2018).

Gozemba, Pat, Marcos Luna, Nathan Phillips, Bob Ackley, and Kim Driscoll. “The Hidden Costs of Salem’s Gas Leaks: Why should we care?” Community presentation on research into natural gas leaks in Salem, Massachusetts in collaboration with Salem Alliance for the Environment (SAFE), Gas Safety Inc. and Boston University. Presented at the Enterprise Center, Salem State University (Nov 28, 2017). See the story map presentation. Presentation filmed and broadcast by Salem Access TV (SATV) (Dec 21, 2017)

Luna, Marcos. “How to Increase Community Vulnerability, Lose Credibility, and Generally #$@&%*! Things Up: Lessons from the frontlines of community-based research.” Invited workshop for the 11th Graduate Climate Conference in Woods Hole, Massachusetts (Nov 10, 2017). Sponsored by the MIT Program in Atmospheres, Oceans and Climate, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Harvard University Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Luna, Marcos. Panelist. “Transportation Justice: The work and role of scholars and practitioners in creating transit equity.” American Association of Geographers conference, Boston, MA (April 5, 2017).

Luna, Marcos. The Geography of Separate and Unequal: Modern-day Segregation in Boston. A Presentation to the City of Boston Mayor's Office of Resilience and Racial Equity at Boston City Hall (November 14, 2016).

Luna, M. The Environmental Justice Benefits of Increasing Solar Energy. Presentation at MassPIRG Kick-Off Event at Salem State University (September 17, 2015). 

Luna, M. A Season for all of America: Understanding the American seasonal imaginary. Presented to the International Conference of Historical Geographers 2015 (ICHG) at the Royal Geographical Society in London, England (July 6, 2015).

Luna, M. Geography of Segregation. Presented at The Ferguson Forum: Panel and discussion on systemic racism, the law and its relevance for communities of color. Hosted by Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts (October 21, 2014).

Luna, M. Climate Change Impacts in Boston. Presented at the first Climate Justice workshop hosted by Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE) in Roxbury, Massachusetts (June 11, 2014).

Luna, M. A Season For All Americans: Understanding A Seasonal Imaginary As Patrimony. Presented at the annual Association of American Geographers conference in Tampa, Florida (April 12, 2014).

Luna, M. The Patrimonialization of American Seasonal Landscapes. Presented at the annual New England-St. Lawrence Valley (NESTVAL) regional geography conference in Worcester, MA (October 18, 2013).

Luna, M. The Geography of Seasonal Symbols in America. Presented at the Boston Athenaeum in Boston, MA (July 29, 2013).

Luna, M. Geospatial Science as a STEM Subject. GET ENERGIZED! Powering the Future with Green STEM Education. Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Boston, MA (May 15, 2013).

Luna, M. The Geography of Seasonal Symbols in America. Presented at the annual Association of American Geographers conference in Los Angeles, California (April 11, 2013).

Luna, M. How Recycling Helps the Environment. An invited presentation to 5th grade science students at Brickett Elementary School in Lynn, Massachusetts (November 19, 2012).

Kohn, A. and M. Luna. Building a Community Energy Atlas. Presented at the annual Association of American Geographers conference in New York City (February 28, 2012).

Luna, M. Making MPOs mind their Ps and Qs: A challenge to social and environmental equity in metropolitan transportation planning. Presented at the annual Association of American Geographers conference in New York City (March 27, 2012).

Luna, M. Panelist. Energy Geographies: what, how and where do we teach energy issues? Presented at the annual Association of American Geographers conference in New York City (March 27, 2012).

Luna, M. At the intersection of wealth, poverty, and the environment: A look at historic environmental controversies through an environmental justice framework. Invited guest lecture at Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (April 2011).

Luna, M. Voter Participation and Demographics in Lowell, MA: A GIS Study. Presented to ONE Lowell and the City of Lowell at Middlesex Community College, Lowell, Massachusetts. (September 30, 2010)

Hu, Y., Kenney, E., Luna, M., McGovern, M., and Theis, J. "Research Support @ Salem State." Presented at Salem State University Opening Day, Workshop Session B. (September 2, 2009)

Aske, J., Branscomb, E. Hains, R. and Luna, M. "Fostering Interdisciplinary Connections: A Roundtable Discussion." Presented at Salem State University Opening Day, Workshop Session A. (September 2, 2009)

Young, S., Ratner, K., and Luna, M. "Geographic Perspectives on the Future of Essex County." Presented to the Board of Directors of the Essex County Community Foundation, Mullen Advertising Agency, Wenham, Massachusetts. (April 4, 2009)

Luna. M. "Environmental Crises as (Sometime) Windows of Policy Opportunity." Presented at the New England Historical Association Conference, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. (April 26, 2008)

Luna, M. "Exploring Environmental Equity through the Production and Consumption of Electricity in Massachusetts." Presented at the New England-St. Lawrence Valley (NESTVAL) division of the Association of American Geographers Conference, New Haven, Connecticut. (Nov 3, 2007)

Luna, M. "A Call for a Fair Share Principle as a fundamental aspect of Environmental Justice: The Cape Wind Project and Nantucket Sound." Presented at the Annual Association of American Geographers Conference, Chicago, Illinois. (March 9, 2006)

Luna, M. "Environmental Justice." Panel discussant at the Crossroads Conversations on Justice, sponsored by the Salem State University Interdisciplinary Studies Department, Salem, Massachusetts. (March 6, 2006)

Estrella-Luna, N. and Luna, M. "Challenges to grassroots, community based environment and health projects: Lessons for supporters." Presented at the 132nd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C. (November 6 - 10, 2004)

Luna, M. "Understanding the Toxic Tour as education and activism: Exploring the potential for critical praxis." Presented at the 100th Annual Association of American Geographers Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (March 18, 2004)

Luna, M. "It's Not Just About the Environment Stupid: Ecological vs. Environmental Justice." Panel discussant at the National Association of Science, Technology, and Society Conference, Baltimore, Maryland. (February 20, 2004)

Luna, M. "The Limited Role of Environmental Health for Social Justice." Presented at the 131st Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, San Francisco, California. (November 17, 2003)

Estrella-Luna, N. and Luna, M. "Learning from our mistakes: challenges to community based environment and health intervention." Co-presenter at the International Conference on Urban Health, New York City, New York. (October 15, 2003)

Luna, M. "The Limited Role of Environmental Health for Social Justice." Presented at the National Association of Science, Technology, and Society Conference, Baltimore, Maryland. (February 22, 2003)

Roe, A., Luna, M., Maragia, D.B., Inniss, V., Graham, E., and Smizik, S. "Just Community Development Using Community Environmental Profiles to Map New Directions Wilmington, Delaware." Presented at the Environmental Justice Caucus of the Brownfields 2002 Conference: Investing in the Future, Charlotte, North Carolina. (November 15, 2002)

Luna, M. "Understanding the Conflict Between Environmental Justice and the Biomedical Model of Health." Presented at the National Association of Science, Technology, and Society Conference, Baltimore, Maryland. (February 2002)

Luna, M. "PM10 and Traffic on Fremont Avenue: An Issue of Environmental Justice." Presented at the 96th annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (March 2000)

Luna, M., Qiu, H. and Gamon, J. "Reconstructing fire history within the Santa Monica Mountains using hyperspectral imagery." Presented at the California Geographical Society conference, California State University, San Bernardino, CA. Garnered 3rd place scholarship award for graduate presentations. (May 1998)

Luna, M., Qiu, H. and Gamon, J. "Reconstructing fire history within the Santa Monica Mountains using hyperspectral imagery." Presented at the 94th annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Boston, Massachusetts. (March 1998)

Selected Academic Service and Committee Membership

Selected Professional and Volunteer Service