About

As a social scientist, I use the tools and theories of anthropology to examine social inequalities and inform attempts to address them. I believe anthropology’s strength lies in its attention to the lived human experience, and I work alongside local professionals in southern Africa who are working to improve governance and livelihoods in their own countries.

My research focuses on understanding the reproduction of social inequalities in institutions such as the state and international development organizations. In both Angola and Zambia, my research follows professionals as they work to democratize and develop their societies despite steep local and global inequalities.
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From this research, I have published a book and several articles on Angolan development professionals in an international good governance program. I have recently begun a new project with Zambian planning and transportation officials.

One of my most recent publications is my new book, Implementing Inequality: The Invisible Labor of International Development.

A result of my research in Angola, this book explores the international development industry’s internal social dynamics and, in particular, how they unintentionally reproduce the global inequalities they set out to address. 

When I am not in Angola or Zambia, I am in Central New York teaching on the shores of Lake Ontario at SUNY Oswego, where I am an Assistant Professor of Anthropology. My courses include those that introduce students to cultural anthropology and advanced courses deepening their knowledge of the field and the anthropology of Africa. I live in Syracuse with my husband and three children.