About Me


I'm a professor of anthropology, the director of the Applied Social Science Program,  and the General Education Director at the University of Wisconsin–Stout.

I spent almost a decade living in New York City and 14 months embedding myself in the Child Welfare System
​--observing family court and parenting skills classes and interviewing parents, caseworkers, attorneys, and judges. I'm currently working on a project about the child welfare system in rural Western Wisconsin.

In addition to my work on child welfare, I conduct research on policy surrounding phosphorous pollution mitigation in the Red Cedar Watershed and about ethical practice and student development in Engineers Without Borders.

Contact Information:
[email protected]
(715) 232-110

Education

  • PhD in Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (2009)
  • MA in Anthropology, Arizona State University (2001)
  • BA in Anthropology, University of Houston (1998)

Grants

  • Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Dissertation Fieldwork Grant: “Stratified Reproduction and Definitions of Child Neglect: State Practices and Parents' Response” 2006-2007 ($23,302) 
  • National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Grant (Senior             Personnel, 3 year grant beginning Summer 2014; 
             $281,994)
  • University of Wisconsin System Undergraduate and Discovery Grant (2015-16; Faculty researcher;
    overall grant $50,000)
  • National Science Foundation Grant "Exploring, Documenting, and Improving Humanitarian Service Learning through Engineers
    Without Borders USA" ($454,065 for 4 years beginning 2015).

Publications

  • 2015. “Child Welfare Practice in Domestic Violence Cases in New York City:  Problems for Poor Women of Color.” Women, Gender, and Families of Color. 3(1) :58-87
  • Berg, Devin R., Tina Lee, and Elizabeth Buchanan. 2016. "A Methodology for Exploring, Documenting, and Improving Humanitarian Service Learning in the University. " Journal of Humanitarian Engineering. 4(1): 1-7.
  • 2016 “Processes of Racialization in New York City’s Child Welfare
    System.”  City and Society. 28(3): 276-297.
  • 2019 (with Devin Berg and Elizabeth Buchanan). "Issues of Privilege in University Service Learning." International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering, Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship​.  14(3): 1-13.

Teaching

  • APSS 100: Introduction to Applied Social Science
  • APSS 200: Applied Social Analysis I (Qualitative Research Methods) 
  • APSS 400: Applied Social Analysis III (Research Methods Capstone)
  • ANTH 220: Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 220HON: Honors Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 230: Anthropology of the Contemporary United States
  • ANTH 230HON: Honors Anthropology of the Contemporary United States
  • ANTH 356: Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • ANTH 400: Applied Anthropology