Kathleen O'Reilly

Kathleen O’Reilly is a Professor in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University and a Presidential Impact Fellow. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Iowa (2002). Before joining TAMU in 2006, she served at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2004-2006) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Kentucky (2002-2004). Her research focuses on gender, water, sanitation (WASH), and human-environment interactions in India, emphasizing marginalized groups' access to resources and infrastructure.

Education: PhD in Geography (University of Iowa, 2002), MS in Geography (University of Alabama, 1996), BM in Voice Performance (Westminster Choir College, 1989).

Research Interests: Intersectionality in sanitation access, gendered dynamics in WASH projects, caste and class impacts on infrastructure distribution, and participatory development frameworks. Her work highlights the Toilet Tripod model for sanitation adoption and explores psychosocial stress linked to inadequate sanitation.

Awards: 2018 Presidential Impact Fellow, multiple teaching awards from Texas A&M, and recognition for research excellence. Her work is funded by NSF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UK-based organizations.

Grants: Over $1.2M in funding for projects like the NSF CAREER Award on sanitation and health, and Gates Foundation-supported research on latrine adoption. Active in global WASH policy dialogues and capacity-building initiatives.

Students: Advises Anand Datla (PhD) and Lauren Nyquist (MA). Supervised postdocs and graduate students across disciplines including anthropology and environmental health.

Affiliations: Association of American Geographers, Society for Applied Anthropology, and editorial roles for Gender, Place and Culture.