In the Thick of It

Welcome back to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. This is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab, housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University. We are a center focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. This is our second season, and it builds on conversations that began at the Public Anthropology Conference held in November 2025. Throughout the season, we will be in conversation with presenters from the conference who are using ethnography and qualitative methods across a wide range of fields. In the episodes, we will dive into the behind-the-scenes of their work by exploring the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. My name is Eva, and I am your host.

The Roti Collective. In this episode, we talked with Dr. Mariam Durrani. She is a decolonial feminist, political anthropologist, and multimodal mediamaker. Her scholarship and advocacy are located at the intersection of global racialization, migration, Muslim youth, higher education, and the geopolitics of war in the US, Pakistan, and online. Dr. Durrani's current book project, "The Imperial Optic: Migration, Racialization, and War in US and Pakistani Higher Education," is based on long-term (2013-19) ethnography at a private Pakistani university and a public US college, broadens the scale and scope of how we understand the impact of imperialism in global higher education. Her second research, the Roti Collective, is a series of collaborative public & academic engagements about roti and roti-making as a global food culture and history that connects people across South and West Asia, East Africa, across the Caribbean, and their diasporas everywhere else.

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. This is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab, housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University. We are a center focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. This is our second season, and it builds on conversations that began at the Public Anthropology Conference held in November 2025. Throughout the season, we will be in conversation with presenters from the conference who are using ethnography and qualitative methods across a wide range of fields. In the episodes, we will dive into the behind-the-scenes of their work by exploring the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. My name is Eva, and I am your host.

Immigration to the DMV after COVID-19. In this episode, we talked with Dr. Ernesto Castañeda. He is the Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and the Immigration Lab and a Full Professor at American University in Washington, DC. He is a prolific author of academic articles and books. He received an MA and a PhD in Sociology from Columbia University and a BA in interdisciplinary studies from the University of California, Berkeley. His insights and commentary are frequently featured in public talks, policy discussions, and major media outlets, making him a prominent voice in public debates on immigration and Latino issues. His analyses have appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, The Hill, CityLab, Bloomberg, AP, Newsweek, Time, The Daily Beast, the BBC, NPR, HuffPost, and in outlets around the world. He is a frequent guest on Noticias Univision, Telemundo, CNN en Español, NTN24, RTVE24, and France24.

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Welcome back to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. This is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab, housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University. We are a center focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. This is our second season, and it builds on conversations that began at the Public Anthropology Conference held in November 2025. Throughout the season, we will be in conversation with presenters from the conference who are using ethnography and qualitative methods across a wide range of fields. In the episodes, we will dive into the behind-the-scenes of their work by exploring the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. My name is Eva, and I am your host.

The Material Politics of Home. In this episode, we talked with Dr. Eddy Ameen. He is the Chief Program Officer at A Wider Circle. He has degrees from Northwestern University, Boston College, and the University of Miami. Eddy spent eight years at the American Psychological Association, where, in his latest role, he oversaw the organization’s departments for graduate students and early-career psychologists. He then served as Chief of Community Programs at Sasha Bruce Youthwork before joining A Wider Circle. He is the past chair of StandUp for Kids. For 3 years, he was also executive director of its Miami chapter. Eddy previously chaired an LGBTQ youth advocacy coalition that successfully improved several DC laws and policies. He also co-facilitated the District’s first community-driven plan to end youth homelessness.

Welcome back to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. This is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab, housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University. We are a center focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. This is our second season, and it builds on conversations that began at the Public Anthropology Conference held in November 2025. Throughout the season, we will be in conversation with presenters from the conference who are using ethnography and qualitative methods across a wide range of fields. In the episodes, we will dive into the behind-the-scenes of their work by exploring the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. My name is Eva, and I am your host.

Anthropology, Epidemiology, and the Challenge of Measuring What Matters. In this episode, we talked with Dr. Carrie Perkins. She is a Qualitative Research Scientist at the Washington State Department of Health and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Soka University of America. Her research interests include forced migration and refugee studies in Southeast Asia, multi-modal ethnography as a component of digital storytelling, and urban agriculture in refugee camp design. Her work on incorporating urban agriculture within refugee camps has been published in the Journal of Refugee Studies and the Forced Migration Review, and has been featured on NPR. She is also the creator of “The Art of Exile”, an interactive art gallery presented in virtual reality (VR) that showcases the work of indigenous artists in refugee camps who have been displaced by the civil war in Myanmar. Dr. Perkins has previously held positions as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Irvine, and a Visiting Study Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Southern Methodist University.

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, we talked with Dr. Chandler Miranda. She is an Assistant Professor of Education at Molloy University, an anthropologist of education, and a former high school teacher. Her work is rooted in a deep commitment to understanding and improving the educational experiences of recently arrived immigrant youth. She studies how schools and educators navigate the pressures of exclusionary policies, accountability mandates, and a hostile political climate—while also imagining new ways of creating classrooms and school communities where students feel a sense of belonging and can thrive. She is the author of Sanctuary School: Innovating to Empower Immigrant Youth.

In the Thick of It is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab, housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University. We are a center focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. This is our second season, and it builds on conversations that began at the Public Anthropology Conference held in November 2025. Throughout the season, we have conversations with presenters from the conference who are using ethnography and qualitative methods across a wide range of fields. In the episodes, we will dive into the behind-the-scenes of their work by exploring the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods.

Read:

• Sanctuary School: Innovating to Empower Immigrant Youth
• Bans, Walls, Raids, Sanctuary: Understanding U.S. Immigration for the Twenty-First Century: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv11hpsmj
• “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehesi Coates: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
• Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side by Eve L. Ewing

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What happens when studies on teenagers come from teenagers themselves, rather than adults? What insights emerge – or are clarified – when teenagers are placed as central analysts in their own lives?

These questions guide the work of the Museum of Contemporary American Teenagers (MoCAT). Started in 2017 by David Lopilato, anthropology teacher at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland, MoCAT serves as a structure in which students can get anthropological training, spearhead full lifecycle research projects, take on leadership roles, manage and design exhibitions, grow partnerships with major institutions, and share their work through in-person and virtual channels.

In this episode, listeners will hear from David and three of his students, Amanda, Shoronya, and Simone, on the theory and importance of this work, topics they’re currently exploring, and their past and forthcoming projects. They discuss the teenager as a concept, social media, art, fear of failure, anthropological careers, and more.

Visit and support MoCAT's work here: https://www.mocatpopup.org/

When time is short, can ethnography still go deep? In this episode, we talked with Professor Thurka Sangaramoorthy about this. Dr. Sangaramoorthy is a Professor and the chair of the Department of Anthropology at American University. She is a cultural and medical anthropologist and global health expert with over 25 years of experience in community-engaged ethnographic research across the United States, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Her work focuses on the intersections of power, subjectivity, and care in global health systems, addressing issues like migration, infectious diseases, and environmental health disparities.

Her prolific authorship includes four books: She’s Positive: The Extraordinary Lives of Black Women Living with HIV (Forthcoming), Landscapes of Care: Immigration and Health in Rural America (2023), Rapid Ethnographic Assessments (2020), and Treating AIDS: Politics of Difference, Paradox of Prevention (2014). Her public-facing scholarship has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Forbes Magazine, Newsweek, and The Washington Post.

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Resources:

Read: “Rapid Ethnographic Assessments: A Practical Approach and Toolkit for Collaborative Community Research” by Thurka Sangaramoorthy and Karen A Kroeger

Watch: “STEAM Salon with Dr. Thurka Sangaramoorty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Wi9UdacYY

Can you do fieldwork on a roller coaster line? In this episode, we talked with Dr. Mary-Caitlyn Valentinsson about this. She is a linguist and anthropologist specializing in media, pop culture, and fan communities. She is the Manager of Ethnographic Research at Universal Destinations and Experiences. Dr. Valentinsson holds a PhD in Anthropology and Linguistics from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Linguistics from the same university. Her training focused on ethnographic research, qualitative analysis, and discourse analysis.

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Resources:

The Anthropology Career Readiness Network: https://anthrocareerready.net/

Read: “Advertising Diversity: Ad Agencies and the Creation of Asian American Consumers” by Shalini Shankar

What happens when ethnography leaves the university? In this episode, we talked with Amir Mohamed about this. Amir holds a PhD in Anthropology from Cornell University, and he is a research consultant who leads end-to-end research projects that drive meaningful change within organizations. He specializes in designing and managing research that brings clarity to complex business challenges, collaborating closely with executives, field leaders, and subject matter experts to deliver insights that truly resonate.

He has worked across industries as diverse as retail, hospitality, healthcare, finance, and media, helping organizations align their strategies with real-world human experience.

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What does a playful anthropology look like? In this episode, we talked with Mike Sullivan about this. He is a creative community catalyst with over 20 years of experience as an executive director, an educator, a performer, a project manager, and an entrepreneur. Mike holds a BA in Anthropology and an MA in Public Anthropology. He has received two awards from Capital of Children for co-creation and entrepreneurship. He is the Founder of Anthroplayology and the creator of WhatBox, a mobile pop-up adventure playground.

Resources:

Lifelong Kindergarten: https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/lifelong-kindergarten/overview/

Experimentarium: https://www.experimentarium.dk/en/

The Exploratorium: https://www.exploratorium.edu/

City Museum of St. Louis: https://citymuseum.org/

Line Rider: https://www.linerider.com/

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What does it take to keep a public anthropology lab alive? In this episode, we talked with Giselle Figueroa about this. She is a PhD candidate at the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Founding Director of the Laboratorio de Antropología Abierta (Open Anthropology Lab). She is a SAPIENS Public Scholar Training Fellow and has received the Wenner-Gren Wadsworth International Fellowship, as well as support from the Colombian Ministry of Science and Technology.

Her academic interests are Economic Anthropology and the Anthropology of Globalisation, with a focus on natural resources.

Resources:

Open Anthropology Lab: https://www.antropologiaabierta.org/

SAPIENS Podcast: https://www.sapiens.org/culture/purification-gold-racialization-miners/

Kaleidos: https://www.kaleidos.ec/

Anthropology for Kids: https://a4kids.org/about/

The Ethnography Studio at USC: https://ethnographystudio.org/

Allegra Lab: https://allegralaboratory.net/

Music Credits:

"Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About In the Thick of It and the Public Ethnography Lab:

Welcome to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. In the episodes, we dive into the behind-the-scenes of anthropology by explaining the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. Our first season is hosted by Eva Rey, PhD Candidate at American University.

This is a podcast is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab. The Public Ethnography Lab is a new center housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University that is focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. The lab has three primary functions:

• Foster, promote, and increase the use and appreciation of ethnographic methods
• Support students, practitioners, and organizations in their ethnographic practice
• Create ethnographic collaboration in order to advance community-driven social change

Want to know more?
Visit the lab website: https://www.publicethnographylab.com/

Find us on:
Instagram
LinkedIn

Can ethnography be a tool for activism? In this episode, we talked with Professor Manissa Maharawal about this. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at American University. She is a cultural anthropologist and critical geographer. Her work focuses on eviction, race, displacement, and the spatial and temporal dynamics of contemporary urban social movements. She co-founded the Narratives of Displacement and Resistance Project within the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project.

Dr. Maharawal is currently revising her new book manuscript titled: Anti-Eviction: Contesting Tech-Led Gentrification in San Francisco.

Resources:
Anti-Eviction Mapping Project: https://antievictionmap.com/

Ethnographies to read:

• “Progressive Dystopia: Abolition, Antiblackness, and Schooling in San Francisco.” – Savannah Shange
• “On the Plaza: The Politics of Public Space and Culture.” – Setha M. Low

Music Credits: "Study And Relax" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About In the Thick of It and the Public Ethnography Lab:

Welcome to In the Thick of It. On this podcast, we talk with researchers about how they do what they do, one method at a time. In the episodes, we dive into the behind-the-scenes of anthropology by explaining the choices, challenges, and creativity that go into qualitative methods. Our first season is hosted by Eva Rey, PhD Candidate at American University.

This is a podcast is a project of the Public Ethnography Lab. The Public Ethnography Lab is a new center housed in the Department of Anthropology at American University that is focused on making ethnographic work matter beyond academia. The lab has three primary functions:

• Foster, promote, and increase the use and appreciation of ethnographic methods
• Support students, practitioners, and organizations in their ethnographic practice
• Create ethnographic collaboration in order to advance community-driven social change

Want to know more?
Visit the lab website: https://www.publicethnographylab.com/

Find us on:
Instagram
LinkedIn