Dillon Mahoney

Dillon Mahoney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, specializing in applied cultural and linguistic anthropology with a focus on indigeneity, heritage, and economic development across East Africa and the United States.

His research spans four primary domains:

• Refugee resettlement and health among Congolese and Arabic-speaking communities in Tampa, including pandemic impact studies and Swahili-language media production
• Environmental conservation and human-wildlife conflict resolution in Kenya's Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem through the USF Kenya Conservation and Development Field School (2024)
• Indigenous New Hampshire history during 1600-1800 contact periods, challenging romanticized narratives
• Urban informal economies in coastal Kenya, documented in his 2017 book The Art of Connection

His recent publications (2020-2023) reveal a sharp focus on pandemic impacts on refugee populations, emphasizing structural barriers to health access and innovative community-led solutions. This work consistently applies participatory methodologies that center refugee agency while navigating complex power dynamics in resettlement contexts.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Welcomer Award from Florida Department of Children and Families (2017) for refugee support work

Dr. Mahoney actively mentors graduate students (Nadege Nau, Emily Holbrook, Tyler Koerner, Caroline Stahley) and leads collaborative projects with the Kenya Institute of Primate Research, Tampa Bay Refugee Task Force, and Hillsborough County Schools. His field schools and service-learning initiatives demonstrate applied anthropology in action, from Swahili-language health translations to youth media production with Umoja wa Afrika - Tampa.

His research teams operate at the intersection of academic rigor and community engagement, particularly through the USF Kenya field school and refugee-focused projects addressing food insecurity, vaccine access, and cultural adaptation.