Michael Leo Owens, an Emory University professor of political science, will receive the 2026 Contribution to the Field of Urban Affairs Award in recognition of his impact through research and service.
The formal presentation of the award will be made in April at the upcoming International Conference on Urban Affairs in Chicago. The Urban Affairs Association (UAA) is an international professional organization for urban scholars, researchers, policy analysts and public service providers.
“Receiving the 2026 Contribution to the Field Award is a profound and humbling recognition of my research, service and mentorship as an urban affairs scholar,” says Owens. “It’s a privilege to have met — and hopefully exceeded — the promise the Urban Affairs Association first saw in me almost 30 years ago, when it honored me with its 2000 Alma H. Young Emerging Scholar award. It's awesome.”
Owens, whose research focuses on local and metropolitan politics, policing and urban governance, has made his mark in the field and in the classroom since joining the Emory faculty in 2003.
His books include “God and Government in the Ghetto: The Politics of Church-State Collaboration in Black America” and “Deadly Force: Police Shootings in Urban America,” published in 2025 and co-authored with political science departmental colleagues Tom Clark and Adam Glynn. His numerous peer-reviewed articles have appeared in a range of journals, including Journal of Politics, Nature Human Behaviour, Urban Studies, Journal of Urban Affairs and Urban Affairs Review.
He received the Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award in the Social Sciences in 2023 and has mentored countless Emory students, including Community Building and Social Change Fellows. He has also been an active public scholar and a sought-after expert for media on local, state and national politics and policies.
“Professor Owens’ work has made extraordinary contributions to helping us understand some of the most pressing challenges and debates facing our cities,” says Tom Rogers, an Emory College professor of history.
“I’m excited to see Professor Owens’ extensive scholarship responding to urgent public questions earn him the admiration of his peers in the profession and recognition from the Urban Affairs Association,” adds Rogers, who also serves as interim Divisional Dean for the Social Sciences and Humanities.
Owens’ involvement with UAA includes serving in numerous roles such as vice-chair and chair of the UAA governing board and associate editor of the Journal of Urban Affairs. He is also a recipient of UAA’s Mary Helen Callahan Distinguished Service Award.