Current Graduate Students
Samantha Martin, seeking a Ph.D. in Linguistics, co-directed with Elaine Chun
Altyn Hallayeva, seeking a Ph.D. in Linguistics
Aimee Herring, seeking a Ph.D. in Anthropology
Paige Kuester, seeking a Ph.D. in Linguistics
Sophia Rodriguez, seeking a Ph.D. in Anthropology
Diogo Maicon Krevoniz Baluduino, seeking an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology
Jinyu Yang, seeking an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology
Doctoral Dissertations Supervised
Tiffany Jones – Ph.D. in Anthropology, 2020. Place-making through performance: Spoken word poetry and the reclamation of “Chocolate City.” https://tiffanymarquisejones.com/
Brianna Farber – Ph.D. in Anthropology, 2018. Ground truthing: The politics and culture of soil and water conservation in Iowa Agriculture. https://bdfarber.net/
Seo Yeon Park – Ph.D. in Anthropology, 2016. The cultural politics of affective bureaucracy in service delivery to North Korean refugees in South Korea. https://cultureseoyeon.wordpress.com/
Thor Sawin – Ph.D. in Linguistics, 2013. Second language learnerhood among cross-cultural field workers. https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/people/thor-sawin
Loralee Donath – Ph.D. in Linguistics, 2008. Constellations of identity in the universe of engineering: Emergent social memberships in the discourse of an undergraduate community of practice. Co-directed with Tracey Weldon.
Masters Theses Supervised
Sophia M. Rodriguez – M.A. in Anthropology, 2025. Cultivating the Creole spirit: Resonances of socialization into Guadeloupean identity at a summer camp.
Ashley McGraw – M.A. in Anthropology, 2023. “It looks like the future but feels like the past”: Oral (Hi)stories of Appalachia as COVID-19 news stories.
Fallon Puckett – M.A. in Anthropology, 2021. The inescapable effects of discourse as knowledge and power: Refugee Youth’s resistance to “The System” in pursuit of higher education.
Juliane Bilotta – M.A. in Anthropology, 2017. A critical analysis of the effects of language policy, curriculum, and assessment on Arabic L1 student performance in an ESL 1 classroom. Co-directed with Sherina Feliciano-Santos.
Anna Hamer – M.A. in Linguistics, 2017. Speaking of qualia: Examining a craft beer microcommunity’s membership identity through speech.
Michael Young – M.A. in Anthropology, 2013. ‘Open’ for collective business: The governance of contemporary economic cooperatives in a corporate Q’eqchi’ Maya town. Co-directed with Erica Gibson.
Seo Yeon Park – M.A. in Anthropology, 2011. Cultural politics of NGOs in neoliberal era: The flexibility and vulnerability of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) supporting North Koreans in South Korea.
Undergraduate Theses Supervised
2009-2010 academic year
Janet Newton – LASP Honors student [director] [graduated Spring 2010]
2010-2011 academic year
Maria A Del Busto – LASP [director] [graduated Spring 2011]
Zachary McClendon – Anthropology DURT [director] [graduated Spring 2011]
Sydney Pullen – Anthropology Honors student [director] [graduated Spring 2011]
Sarah Skinner – Anthropology DURT [co-director w/ Laura Cahue] [graduated Winter 2010]
2011-2012 academic year
Sonia Berling – Anthropology DURT student [director] [graduated Spring 2012]
2013-2014 academic year
Anne Monk – Anthropology DURT student [director] [graduated Winter 2014]
2016-2017 academic year
Ben Youngblood – College of Business and Honors College student [director] [graduated Spring 2017]
2018-2019 academic year
Richard Strater – Anthropology DURT student [director] [graduated Spring 2019]
2021-2022 academic year
Alexander Gregg – Anthropology DURT student [director] [graduated Winter 2023]
Jakob Miller – Honors College student [director] [graduated Spring 2022]
Anna G. Morales – Honors College student [reader] [graduated Spring 2022]
2022-2023 academic year
Caitlyn Caulfield – Anthropology DURT & Honors College student [director] [graduated Spring 2023]
2024-2025 academic year
Deven Hull – Anthropology DURT & Honors College student [director] [graduated Spring 2025]
Ling Anth @ USC 