Davarian L. Baldwin is an internationally recognized scholar, author, and public advocate. He is the Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of American Studies and Founding Director of the Smart Cities Research Lab at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. His academic and political commitments have focused on global cities and particularly the diverse and marginalized communities that struggle to maintain sustainable lives in urban locales. Baldwin is the award-winning author of several books, most recently, In The Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities Are Plundering Our Cities. He sits on the executive committee of Scholars for Social Justice, the national council of the American Association of University Professors, and the advocacy advisory council of Social Mission Alliance: A Health Equity Organization. Baldwin’s commentaries and opinions have been featured in numerous outlets from NBC News, BBC, and HULU to USA Today, the Washington Post, and TIME magazine. He was named a 2022 Freedom Scholar by the Marguerite Casey Foundation for his work.