Faculty Profile
Amalia Pesantes Villa
Assistant Professor of Anthropology (2020)
Contact Information
Denny Hall Room 14
Bio
I received my Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology and M.P.H. from the University of Pittsburgh in 2014. I also have a Master's degree in International Development from Clark University. My research looks at health inequalities among vulnerable populations. I study the challenges faced by Indigenous people to access culturally-appropriate health care and to have their medical traditions recognized and incorporated into state health services. I also conduct research about the experiences and health needs of underserved populations with chronic conditions. I am especially interested in research that can contribute to designing better strategies to improve healthcare access for people with diabetes and hypertension in low and middle income countries.
Education
- B.A., Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2000
- M.A., Clark University, 2005
- M.P.H., University of Pittsburgh, 2014
- Ph.D., 2014
2024-2025 Academic Year
Fall 2024
ANTH 101 Intro to Cultural Anthropology
This course is a comprehensive introduction to how cultural anthropologists study culture and society in diverse contexts. We will use ethnographic case studies from across the world to examine the ways people experience and transform social relationships and culture in areas including families, gender, ethnicity, health, religion, exchange, science, and even what it means to be a person. We will examine how culture and society are embedded within, shape, and are shaped by forces of economics, politics, and environment.
Offered every semester.
ANTH 212 Development Anthropology
Sociocultural change, development, and modernization in both Western society and the Third World are examined in terms of theory and practice. Emphasis is on the planning, administration, and evaluation of development projects in agriculture, energy, education, health, and nutrition. The increasingly important role of professional anthropologists and anthropological data is examined in the context of government policies and international business.
Offered every other year.