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Research Interests

My research program is collaborative, community oriented, and interdisciplinary. My research spans several intersecting fields in human geography, including digital geographies, Latinx & Indigenous geographies, the geohumanities, settler colonialism, and environmental justice. I am currently working on a book project titled, Insurgent Cartographies & The Undoing of Settler Imaginaries. This project intersects with questions on the history of cartography, accountability, and making spaces that affirm life in the broadest sense. In addition to my book project, I am also exploring questions on matters of pedagogy in Latinx Geographies, including the tensions, contradictions, and responsibilities of enacting Latinx Geographies on Indigenous lands. As a Xicanx geographer, teacher, musician, and organizer, I strive to be a good relative, colleague, and community member across the Latinx diaspora and beyond.

More Info

I am currently developing a lab in which to redirect geographical knowledge towards the affirmation of life everywhere. The Rita Martinez Spatial Justice Lab will be launching in Spring of 2026. Our motto, “For Life Affirming Geographies,” will be focused on serving Colorado communities through the practice of geovisualization, such as cartography and geomedia. This lab will emphasize creative digital geographies to center the needs and desires of Colorado communities.

If you are interested in working with me, please email me with a statement of interest and a cv. I will be admitting one graduate student for the academic year 2026/2027. This student will play a critical role in the Rita Martinez Spatial Justice lab.

Recently Taught Courses

• Spring 2025�� GEOG 3742�� Power, Place, Culture
• Spring 2025�� GEOG 3782�� Environmental Justice

Recent Publications

• Rivera, I., & Eagle, V. (2024). (Re)Mapping Native Denver and the Making of Native Assembled Counter-Cartographies. GeoHumanities, 10(2), 423–445.
• Rivera, I. (2023), Towards accountable digital geographies. Dialogues in Human Geography. https://doi.org/10.1177/20438206231177080
• Rivera, I. (2023), Undoing settler imaginaries: (Re)imagining digital knowledge politics. Progress in Human Geography, 47(2), 298-316. https://doi.org/10.1177/03091325231154873
• Rivera, I., Elwood, S., & Lawson, V. (2022), Portraits for change: Refusal politics and liberatory futures. Environment and Planning D: Society and space, 40(4), 627-645.

Updated August 2023