overview
- I am a cultural anthropologist in the department of Anthropology with a specialization in biocultural medical anthropology. I received an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in medical anthropology. My academic and research interests include cognitive anthropological theory and methods, social stress, Peruvian Andean culture, cultural syndromes, and Andean farming practices. For over 20 years, I have conducted research in remote highland communities near Huaraz, Peru. Specifically, I have investigated the cultural models of social role expectations and the illness of susto among highland farmers. I have also worked on identifying potential stressors that specifically impact Andean highland women. Additionally, I have investigated Hispanic gender roles and Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in Eastern North Carolina and Huaraz, Peru. I lead the Peru Ethnographic Field School and take students to my research site in the Andean highlands as a part of my study abroad program. I teach in the anthropology department and the global understanding program at ECU.