Ellen Moodie

Ellen Moodie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Global Studies Programs and Courses, Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and Center for Social & Behavioral Science.

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Michigan (2002)
• M.A. in Anthropology, University of Michigan (1997)
• B.A. in Anthropology, Indiana University (1985)

Her research examines political transitions, post-conflict societies, and everyday experiences of violence and inequality in Central America (particularly El Salvador and Cuba). She explores how social movements, democratic processes, and public consciousness evolve through ethnographic methods, semiotic analysis, and narrative studies. Her current work focuses on the 'post-postwar generation' of Salvadoran youth and collaborative projects in health justice education.

Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary collaborations, including community-based health curricula and ethnographic reflections on asylum processes. Her fieldwork spans six years in Central America and methodological adaptations during the pandemic.

• Freie Universität Berlin Residential Fellowship (2014)
• National Science Foundation Grant (2010-2013)
• Wenner-Gren Foundation Grant (2008)
• Conrad Humanities Scholar (UIUC)
• Arnold O. Beckman Award (2015)

She has served as co-chair of the Central America Section (Latin American Studies Association) and contributes to the El Salvador Studies Working Group and El Faro Academico Editorial Board. Her public engagement includes expert testimony for Salvadorans fleeing violence.