Levin College Scholar Wins Prestigious National Award for Housing Research

Dr. Megan Hatch, associate professor of urban policy and city management in the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Best Article in the Journal of Urban Affairs Award—one of the highest distinctions in the field of urban studies. The award is presented by the Urban Affairs Association and sponsored by Routledge | Taylor & Francis. 

Dr. Hatch earned the national honor for her coauthored article, “A Data Feminist Approach to Urban Data Practice: Tenant Power through Eviction Data.” The research advances new ways of thinking about urban data, demonstrating how eviction data can be used not only to document housing instability, but also to inform public policy and strengthen tenant organizing efforts. 

The national award committee praised the article as “critically important and highly significant,” commending the authors for challenging conventional approaches to data collection and analysis by asking foundational questions about where data comes from, whose data matters, and how it is used. The committee described the article as essential reading for planning theory and methods courses. 

Dr. Hatch collaborated on the award winning research with Dr. Elora Lee Raymond of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Benjamin Teresa of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dr. Kathryn Howell of the University of Maryland. 

A nationally recognized scholar, Dr. Hatch has published more than 30 peer reviewed articles and book chapters focused on rental housing policy, state preemption of local laws, and development outcomes in urban communities. She currently serves as associate editor of Housing Policy Debate and as a board member of Cleveland’s Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research, reflecting Levin College’s commitment to scholarship that engages directly with real world challenges. 

The award will be formally presented at the International Conference on Urban Affairs in Chicago on April 29, 2026, honoring research that contributes to stronger, more informed approaches to urban policy and planning.