I’m an associate professor of anthropology and Latin American Studies at Loyola University Chicago.

My main research interests are Brazilian culture and society, urban violence and insecurity, race and gender, embodiment and bodily practices, human rights and social movements.  I have been a professor at Loyola since 2006 and teach classes such as Peoples of Latin America, Intro to Cultural Anthropology, Violence and Culture, Human Rights in Latin America and the Body in Cultural Perspective (see my courses page for syllabi).  I have also helped to co-lead several Alternative Break Immersion (ABI) trips to El Salvador and Guatemala.

I have a PhD in cultural anthropology from the Department of Anthropology of Harvard University.  While there I studied with David Maybury-Lewis and also with Kay Warren, Michael Herzfeld, Randy Matory and the late Begona Aretxaga.  I received my BA from Stanford University.

Before becoming an anthropologist I was a researcher for Human Rights Watch, primarily investigating human rights abuses in Brazil. I wrote a book on police and death squad violence in five cities in Brazil entitled Final Justice.  I also wrote shorter reports on violence against indigenous people and labor leaders in the Amazon.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, running, and world travel.  I am also a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and train at Team Redzovic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu .  I’m married and have a daughter and a dog that thinks she’s also my daughter.

My full CV is also available in PDF.