Michael Rios

University of California, Davis

https://humanecology.ucdavis.edu/michael-rios

Biographical Abstracts

Michael Rios is a professor of landscape architecture + environmental design in the Department of Human Ecology at UC Davis, where he is also a faculty member in the community development, education, and geography graduate programs. His scholarship focuses on institutional change in higher education, community engagement, and equitable design. He has authored or co-authored over 35 journal articles and book chapters and has co-edited several books, including Diálogos: Placemaking in Latino Communities (2013) and Community Development and Democratic Practice (2017). From 2019–2025, Rios served as vice provost of public scholarship at the University of California – Davis, where he led university-wide efforts to recognize public scholarship in research and teaching, create community-engaged learning opportunities for students, and increase access to university resources for community partners.

Rios is co-founder of the University of California Community Engagement Network and served on the executive committee of the Association of Public Land-grant University’s Commission on Economic and Community Engagement. He is past president of the Association for Community Design (2002–05) and co-recipient of the University of California’s inaugural Chancellor's Award for Community Partnerships (2002). Rios holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and urban studies from Lehigh University, Master of Architecture and Master of City Planning degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in political geography from Pennsylvania State University.

Areas of Expertise

• Coalition building
• Cross-cultural engagement
• Placemaking