Rafael Perez Medina
Biography
Rafael M. Pérez Medina is a Latino Policy Analyst at the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. With more than two decades of experience spanning housing, economic mobility, education, environmental justice, and community development, he bridges research, policy, and practice to inform solutions to complex social and economic challenges. Trained in geography and environmental planning, he brings a data-informed, community-centered perspective to his work.
Area of Expertise
Public Policy & Evidence-Based Policymaking • Public Scholarship & Research Translation • Latino Community Development • Community-Engaged Research • Housing Policy & Economic Mobility • Equity in Public Systems • Systems Change & Institutional Transformation • Demographic & Geospatial Analysis (GIS) • Technology, Data & Society • Program Evaluation
Degrees
- Master of Science (M.S.) in Environmental Management and Planning, Metropolitan University, Puerto Rico
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Geography, University of Puerto Rico
Additional Information
His interdisciplinary, community-engaged research lies at the intersection of public policy, economic development, demographic change, and social equity. He examines how policy, economic, institutional, and technological forces shape opportunity for Latino communities through applied research that bridges quantitative evidence with community knowledge and lived experience. His work generates actionable evidence that informs public decision-making and advances systemic change, opportunity, and equity.