Lecturer - Ethnography

Research:

I am an engaged lecturer in anthropology intersecting in cultural, medical, disability, and visual anthropology. Pictured alongside me is my Canine Companion service dog, Starlyn. Currently, I am the associate director of the UC Berkeley Disability Lab and a Ph.D. student in cultural anthropology at UC Berkeley. My research focuses on the ways in which institutions, particularly the Department of Veterans Affairs, socially disable people. To do this, I actively work with disabled veterans on Guam, co-producing research that investigates the severe gaps in access to medical care. My approach intertwines anthropological theories with practical applications, aiming to highlight these systemic challenges but also to contribute to meaningful changes in the broader field of disability rights and veteran support.

Current Research:

"Disposable Joes," my current project, weaves together the narratives of Guam veterans' exclusion from essential benefits and rights, underpinned by my concept of 'slow debility.' This term describes the gradual, systematic disabling of individuals through a blend of militarism, colonialism, institutional negligence, and weaponized incompetence. It examines the coerced dislocation of veterans, a process that surreptitiously expands the U.S. imperial presence on Guam. By likening colonialism to an invasive species, the project underscores its insidious effects on health and rights, offering a deep dive into the intersections of health, policy, disability, and colonial history. This inquiry aims to unveil how these factors collectively exacerbate human precarity and displacement in a nuanced exploration of geopolitics and environmental change.

Teaching:

Anthropology 318 - Ethnography

Education:

Ph.D. Cultural Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley (In Progress)
M.A. Anthropology, Medical Anthropology Focus, University of California, Berkeley
B.A. Anthropology, Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley