Andrea Ballestero

Andrea Ballestero is an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Rice University and the University of Southern California (USC), where she directs the Ethnography Studio. Her work bridges legal and political anthropology, science and technology studies, and political economy to examine how experts negotiate water governance in Latin America through entangled legal, economic, and techno-scientific frameworks.

• Current research explores subterranean re-discovery via remote sensing and legal technologies
• Active in ethnographic experimentation and collaborative protocol design
• Recipient of Mellon, NSF, Wenner Gren, and Fulbright grants

Her scholarship spans water pricing in Costa Rica, bureaucratic care in Brazil, and subterranean knowledge across Latin America. The 15 most recent articles analyze topics like volumetric governance, techno-legal ethics, and financial frontiers, reflecting her focus on materiality and value systems. Scientific awards include Fulbright Fellowship and NSF support, with grants emphasizing volumetric spaces and Anthropocene challenges. She also leads the Ethnography Studio, fostering collaborative research strategies and conceptual openness.