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Einaudi Center for International Studies

Cornell University

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Anthropology Colloquium: Elizabeth F.S. Roberts

October 3, 2025

3:00 pm

120 Mary Ann Wood Drive, B21

Towards A Cosmopolitics of Chemical Exposure

Chemicals can be hard to see. Same with gods, spirits and saints. Both kinds of entities are lively and ambiguous forces, more-than-human others. In this talk, I reflect on over a decade of ethnographic and collaborative research with exposure scientists and their working-class study participants in Mexico City, to argue for a cosmopolitics of chemical exposure. The exposure scientists and their research subjects in Mexico City, tend to have very different modes of relating to unseen forces. The scientists ignore spirits and saints while insisting on a nature separate from human concerns, allowing them to position humans as separable from chemicals. Their research subjects, on the other hand, grapple with the permeating powers of both chemicals and saints. For instance, they constantly assess whether their exposure to lead-glazed ceramics, which makes food sweeter, and to Santa Muerte, a saint reviled by the Catholic Church, disconnects them or binds them more closely with others. In effect, their grappling raises the question of whether these entities are worthy of devotion. My collaboration with the scientists now involves grappling together with more of the relations that constitute exposure, but I omit the saints and spirits from our considerations. I wonder though, if by extirpating those forces from our grapplings I have made it less urgent for the scientists to apprehend the unseen entities that might better hold us together.

Elizabeth F.S. Roberts is a professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, who investigates scientific and public health knowledge production and its embodied effects in Latin America, where she focuses on a range of dynamic bodily processes, including chronic disease, chemical exposure, addiction and reproduction. Dr. Roberts currently collaborates with engineers environmental health scientists and economists to trace the looping social, economic, biological, and technical processes that shape everyday life, health, and inequality in working class neighborhoods in Mexico City. One of the key aims of Professor Roberts’ current work is the development of bioethnography, a method that combines social and life sciences approaches in order to make better knowledge about health and inequality. Dr. Roberts is the author of In Praise of Addiction: Or How We Can Learn to Love Dependency in a Damaged World (Princeton University Press, 2026) and God’s Laboratory: Assisted Reproduction in the Andes (U.C. California Press 2012).

Co-sponsored by Latin American and Caribbean Studies, STS, and Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Thank you.

Additional Information

Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Research at Risk: Cultural and Language Fluency

Phoebe Wagner FLAS India
September 15, 2025

SEAP and SAP lose funding, seek solutions

The federal government has announced the end of National Resource Center and FLAS funding, which have supported area studies training for decades.

Additional Information

Website

Program

East Asia Program

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Migrations Program

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

South Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

Faculty Research Seed Grants: Global Hubs Info Session

October 1, 2025

12:00 pm

Join this info session to learn about 2026 Global Hubs Faculty Research Seed Grants offered by Global Cornell as part of our Global Hubs initiative. Info session attendees will learn about the grant opportunity and application tips through a short presentation and Q&A.

Through these seed grants, Cornell faculty from across the university are invited to apply for research funds to work with collaborators at Hubs partner institutions. Funded projects should lead to tangible outcomes, including the submission of at least one co-authored peer-reviewed publication and at least one application for external grant funding.

Up to 20 applications for research with a Global Hubs collaborator will be funded.

Successful proposals will receive up to $5,000 from Cornell, with the potential for matching funds from some Global Hubs partner universities.

Application deadline: October 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET

Project duration: January 1–December 31, 2026

Virtual information sessions:

September 18, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

October 1, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

Learn more and apply for a Global Hubs joint seed grant.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

South Asia Program

Migrations Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

Faculty Research Seed Grants: Global Hubs Info Session

September 18, 2025

12:00 pm

Join this info session to learn about 2026 Global Hubs Faculty Research Seed Grants offered by Global Cornell as part of our Global Hubs initiative. Info session attendees will learn about the grant opportunity and application tips through a short presentation and Q&A.

Through these seed grants, Cornell faculty from across the university are invited to apply for research funds to work with collaborators at Hubs partner institutions. Funded projects should lead to tangible outcomes, including the submission of at least one co-authored peer-reviewed publication and at least one application for external grant funding.

Up to 20 applications for research with a Global Hubs collaborator will be funded.

Successful proposals will receive up to $5,000 from Cornell, with the potential for matching funds from some Global Hubs partner universities.

Application deadline: October 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET

Project duration: January 1–December 31, 2026

Virtual information sessions:

September 18, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

October 1, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET (register)

Learn more and apply for a Global Hubs joint seed grant.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

South Asia Program

Migrations Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

Einaudi Welcomes SWANA Program

Bright orange and red rugs hang over buildings in Marrakesh.
September 11, 2025

Four New Program Directors

We welcome the Einaudi Center's new Southwest Asia and North Africa Program and four new program directors this fall.

We're excited to introduce the Southwest Asia and North Africa Program! SWANA is Einaudi's new hub for research, learning, and engagement with the cultures and peoples of the vast geographical region stretching from Morocco in the west to Iran in the east.

Seema Golestaneh headshot
SWANA director Seema Golestaneh

SWANA gathers expertise and perspectives from across Cornell's colleges and schools under the leadership of the program's inaugural director, Seema Golestaneh. Golestaneh is an associate professor of Near Eastern studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Her research focuses on contemporary Islamic thought in the Persian-speaking world.

“We approach the Middle East as a region of complex engagements, shifting boundaries, and shared histories.”

Golestaneh looks forward to partnering with communities in the SWANA region and scholars around the world, she said, noting plans this year to “further develop our burgeoning relationship with the American University in Cairo.” 

Extending beyond the Middle East, Southwest Asia and North Africa is a place-based description that highlights geographical and cultural inclusion. Golestaneh hopes SWANA will embody that spirit on campus by serving as a social and intellectual home for Cornell's diverse community of researchers and students. 

“This year we'll host interdisciplinary scholars whose work represents the cutting edge of the field,” she said. “We are particularly excited about the graduate student conference we have scheduled for spring 2026.” 

SWANA premiered as an initiative through a cosponsored speaker series last spring. Don't miss its first event as an Einaudi program: a lecture by Islamic art historian Margaret Graves on September 25.

New Program Directors

Joining SWANA's Seema Golestaneh are new program directors in the East Asia Program, Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program, and Southeast Asia Program.

program director and staffer at international fair
New SEAP director Eric Tagliacozzo (left) joined grad student Xintong Chen at this year's international fair on August 27.

EAP: Nick Admussen

Nick Admussen is an associate professor in the Department of Asian Studies (A&S). His research on contemporary Chinese poetry focuses on inventing and refining methods of interpretation through which people separated by linguistic or political distance can come to understand one another.

LACS: Alex Nading

Alex Nading is a medical and environmental anthropologist (A&S). His research—mostly focused on Nicaragua—has examined transnational campaigns against dengue fever, bacterial disease, and chronic kidney disease, as well as grassroots movements to address these issues.

SEAP: Eric Tagliacozzo

Eric Tagliacozzo is the John Stambaugh Professor of History in A&S. His research centers on the history of people, ideas, and material in motion in and around Southeast Asia, especially in the colonial age.

Additional Information

Program

East Asia Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

South Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

18 Cornellians Receive Fulbright Awards

Fulbrighter Kyrin Pollock kayaks among icebergs.
September 12, 2025

With Support from Einaudi

They will conduct research, study, and teach English in Canada, France, Honduras, India, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Norway, and Taiwan.

Most will be on site by October.

The Fulbright program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. The Einaudi Center administers the Fulbright program at Cornell, providing all the resources students and alumni need to apply for Fulbright funding for international experiences.

Fulbright Top Producer U.S. Student Program 2025-2026

Cornell consistently ranks as a “top producer” among universities with the highest number of candidates selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. With this year's Fulbrighters, we are celebrating over 600 awards since the 1940s!

We're excited to congratulate conservationist Kyrin Pollock, one of this year's five Fulbright–National Geographic Award recipients—and the first Cornellian ever to receive the prestigious award. Kyrin will spend the year working with the Olokhaktomiut Hunters and Trappers Committee in Ulukhaktok, Canada, to document how industrial noise is transforming Arctic waters. Watch for more news about her journey from National Geographic and Einaudi. 

The next cycle of Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open now. The Einaudi Center encourages Cornell undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent alumni to explore the opportunity and apply.

Meet the Fulbrighters

Alexis Anderson headshot.

Alexis Anderson '23

Honduras

Research: Impacts of Coastal Pollution on Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in Roatán, Honduras

“Improving the knowledge base on how SCTLD spreads is critical to help stop further global expansion of the disease.”

Read Alexis's abstract
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is an aggressive coral disease that is rapidly spreading in the Caribbean and decimating reefs. The coral disease was first reported on the island of Roatán, Honduras in 2020, but it has now spread to all three of the Honduran Bay Islands. Roatán, the largest of the three islands with the most tourism, is heavily impacted by the disease. There are identified geographical patterns of the disease spread in Roatán, which may be influenced by differences in environmental factors, such as water quality. Given this, I propose the following research question: is the spread of SCTLD in Roatán being exacerbated by coastal pollution? This will be determined by building on ongoing research and from field data collection on marine water quality and infected corals. However, with the Bay Islands' tourism economy being dependent upon the health of their coral reefs for diving and marine sightings, community understanding is a critical component to improving both coral reefs and coastal livelihoods. Research findings will be incorporated into environmental education presentations to be given to schools in Roatán as well as compiled for organizations partnered with the Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA). By building on existing partnerships and networks, this project aims to advance the understanding and conservation efforts of corals infected with SCTLD in Honduras, which will in turn help infected corals in Florida's coral reef and in the Mesoamerican reef areas of Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Improving the knowledge base on how SCTLD spreads is critical to help stop further global expansion of the disease.
Cornell seal

Erin Connolly '22

Norway 

Research: Phorid Fly Biodiversity Across the Latitudinal Gradient of Norway

“Early months of my work in Trondheim will be based in the laboratory …, while the later months of the award will be dedicated to … a diurnal sampling scheme fieldwork project.”

Read Erin's abstract

Historic limitations to the identification fly families such as Phoridae attributed to morphological uniformity are shrinking with the application of integrative approaches to taxonomy. Ongoing research efforts at NTNU are changing the narrative of Phoridae as an under-explored fly family with multidisciplinary techniques that enable species discovery within the hyper-diverse group. As a scientist whose research experience is rooted in Diptera, my objective is to better understand the biodiversity and prevalence of the fly genus Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) across the latitudinal gradient of Norway with a focus on methodological sustainability. I will utilize university arthropod collections, sequencing technologies, and DNA barcoding to efficiently sort phorid flies. Data will be analyzed with phylogenetic and biogeographic tools; my focus on comparing phorid fly diversity across Norway's latitudinal gradient will take increased interest in comparing the variance of phorid flies in urban areas to remote regions, as I am interested in deciphering changes in species composition between industrialized areas versus remote regions. Early months of my work in Trondheim will be based in the laboratory learning the sequencing technologies behind DNA barcoding, while the later months of the award will be dedicated to assisting with the early stages of a diurnal sampling scheme fieldwork project led by Dr. Hartop. This fieldwork would encourage application of integrative methodologies to a prospective initiative within the collaborative research environment at NTNU.

Isabella Culotta headshot.

Isabella Culotta '22

Netherlands

Master of Design: Probing Our Perceptions of Waste at the Design Academy of Eindhoven

“Our aversion to speaking and even thinking about our waste constrains our discovery and implementation of innovative waste management systems.”

Read Isabella's abstract

I plan to pursue a Master of Design to investigate our attitudes toward human waste within the Critical Inquiry Lab Program at the Design Academy of Eindhoven (DEA). Our excreta carries immense value—in the taxes paid to treat it, the aquatic life it pollutes, the information it holds about our bodies, and its nutrients that we can process into fertilizers and energy. We all use a toilet every day, but led by taboos, denial, and cultural undertones taught from birth we are detached from its ubiquity in our lives. Our aversion to speaking and even thinking about our waste constrains our discovery and implementation of innovative waste management systems. I use art and science to investigate the chemistry of waste while exploring its subjective reality in human perception through public art- spurring conversations about our waste taboos. With collaborative installations in the North Brabant province, I will probe two assumptions of our "flush and forget" mentality toward waste. The first is that once excreted, our waste is no longer "ours." We do not need to, and shouldn't, think about it further: potty language stays in the bathroom. The second is that the Western "gold standard" of sanitation is the best and cleanest option—we are lucky to have it as civilians of the "developed world." I will examine these assumptions through public art installation and performance in North Brabant. 

Gabriel Godines headshot.

Gabriel Godines '23

Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant

“My experience in the U.S. Navy sparked my interest in East Asia, particularly in fostering understanding between the U.S. and China.”

Tenzin Kunsang headshot.

Tenzin Kunsang '25

India

Research: Reconceptualizing Education in Exile: Transnationalism in the Tibetan Children's Village

“These findings will help … to promote domestic language and cultural preservation among Tibetan-American students amid the politicization of schools in Tibet.”

Read Tenzin's abstract

My project examines the mechanisms that foster sociocultural transnationalism within the Tibetan Children's Village, the largest Tibetan education system in exile, and how it fosters a sense of kinship. As a six-decade-long running institution, founded in Dharamshala, India, TCV has evolved in tandem with the sociopolitical "Tibet issue" within the India-China-U.S. triangle. As a result, there has been a rise in Himalayan descendants and overseas Tibetan, as well as a decrease in Tibetan refugees directly from Tibet. I will conduct this project in Dharamshala, particularizing the term "Himalayans" to analyze what regions are experiencing the most out-migration into TCV and why TCV is a more favorable schooling option compared to students' more proximate schools. I will contextualize these trends with current events, such as the conversion of a TCV branch to a school solely for overseas Tibetans, and how their mechanisms of promoting kinship in exile resemble or differ from the original TCV branch. Through semi-structured interviews, archival and ethnographic fieldwork, and participant observation, I will examine how TCV students have been key components in the institution's operational longevity. After I return to the States, these findings will help guide collaborative efforts with the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago to promote domestic language and cultural preservation among Tibetan-American students amid the politicization of schools in Tibet. 

Michelle Lee headshot.

Michelle Lee '25

France

English Teaching Assistant

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I missed an opportunity to study abroad in France. This setback has motivated me to regain the chance to experience the country firsthand.”

Tiffany Liu headshot.

Tiffany Liu '22

Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant

“I … hope to observe the various technological initiatives currently pioneered by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, including the movement to integrate AI.”

Kyrin Pollock National Geographic award

Kyrin Pollock, MEng '19

Fulbright–National Geographic Award Recipient (Canada)

Research: Arctic Echoes: Exploring Inuvialuit Knowledge and Marine Soundscapes in Conservation

“My work will address a gap in Arctic marine bioacoustics research … with documentation of Indigenous knowledge and an audio sample of the changing Arctic Ocean soundscape.”

Read Kyrin's abstract

I plan to co-lead an investigation with Inuvialuit (Inuit of the western Canadian Arctic) and the Arctic Noise Research Team at the University of Victoria to study the role of anthropogenic noise in Arctic waters. Driven by the goals of the Olokhaktomiut Hunters and Trappers Committee (OHTC), I will document knowledge on the Arctic marine soundscape through interviews and observations with OHTC members and through compiling a sound-lapse of the waters surrounding the hamlet of Ulukhaktok. The investigation will explore two key questions: What are the implications of anthropogenic marine noise for Inuvialuit culture and livelihoods? How are Inuvialuit responding to the altered soundscape and the changing behaviors of the animals they rely on in the Beaufort Sea? Answers to these questions are critical. Sound is a key indicator of ocean health, and with the rapid warming and subsequent industrialization of the Arctic, noise pollution is expected to become more acute. My work will address a gap in Arctic marine bioacoustics research by contextualizing scientific research with documentation of Indigenous knowledge and an audio sample of the changing Arctic Ocean soundscape. The compiled audio collection will be archived in sound libraries in Canada and the United States, and aired on public radio in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. My previous experience in participatory action research, interviewing, marine bioacoustics, and experiences in the Arctic have prepared me for this work. My Fulbright will continue to advance my career working in community-led conservation.

Caitlyn Sams headshot.

Caitlyn Sams '25

Jamaica

Research: Herbal Medicine in Oncology: Safety of Psilocybin and Cancer Therapy Co-Medication

“This project will … spark conversations about herbal medicine use and promote avenues for holistic cancer care.”

Read Caitlyn's abstract

I propose to investigate the use of herbal medicine in combination with prescription cancer medication. Over 80% of cancer patients in Kingston, Jamaica, use herbal medicines for pain relief and palliative care treatment. Among these medicines, psilocybin containing “magic mushrooms” are some of the most effective. However, many clinicians remain hesitant towards herbal medicine use, leading to poor communication between oncologists and patients. Since so many physicians are unaware of their patients' self-medication habits, and because some substances give rise to serious repercussions when co-administered with prescription medicine, the interactions between psilocybin mushrooms and oncological pharmaceuticals is an important area for investigation. Specifically, psilocin's interaction with drug metabolizing Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is vital for determining the safety of co-medication. I propose to collaborate with Dr. Rupika Delgoda at the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience of the University of the West Indies to investigate the impact of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms on cancer cells and the activities of CYP enzymes to determine implications of co-medication with cancer therapies. In addition, I will work with Dr. Dingle Spence at the Jamaica Cancer Care and Research Institute to perform a qualitative study exploring physician perspectives towards psilocybin use in oncology clinics throughout Kingston. This may improve understanding and communication between physicians and cancer patients. This project will inform us about psilocybin and cancer therapy co-medication, spark conversations about herbal medicine use, and promote avenues for holistic cancer care.

Miguel Soto Tapia headshot.

Miguel Soto Tapia '20

Taiwan

English Teaching Assistant

“I want to undertake an English teaching assistantship in Taiwan because I love language, teaching, and mentoring.”

Apply for Fulbright

The Einaudi Center supports you throughout the entire process of applying. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is open to undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent Cornell alumni.

Learn More about Fulbright

Additional Information

Program

East Asia Program

Institute for African Development

Institute for European Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Migrations Program

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

South Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program

Quechua Conversation Hour

December 5, 2025

10:00 am

Stimson Hall, G25

Come to the LRC to practice your language skills and meet new people. Conversation Hours provide an opportunity to use the target language in an informal, low-pressure atmosphere. Have fun practicing a language you are learning! Gain confidence through experience! Just using your new language skills helps you learn more than you might think. Conversation Hours are open to any learner, including the public.

Additional Information

Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Portuguese Conversation Hour

December 3, 2025

2:30 pm

Stimson Hall, G25

Come to the LRC to practice your language skills and meet new people. Conversation Hours provide an opportunity to use the target language in an informal, low-pressure atmosphere. Have fun practicing a language you are learning! Gain confidence through experience! Just using your new language skills helps you learn more than you might think. Conversation Hours are open to any learner, including the public.

Additional Information

Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Spanish Conversation Hour

December 3, 2025

8:00 pm

Join us on Zoom to practice your language skills and meet new people. Conversation Hours provide an opportunity to use the target language in an informal, low-pressure atmosphere. Have fun practicing a language you are learning! Gain confidence through experience! Just using your new language skills helps you learn more than you might think. Conversation Hours are open to any learner, including the public.

Join Spanish Conversation Hour on Zoom.

Additional Information

Program

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

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