Kristopher M. Smith

Kristopher M. Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Washington State University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and focuses on evolutionary anthropology, particularly in East Africa. His research bridges human behavioral ecology, cultural evolution, and disease ecology to study sociality, cooperation, and adaptation to environmental and cultural changes.

• Evolutionary Anthropology
• Applied Anthropology
• Human Behavioral Ecology

Current Research: Smith directs the Tanga Sociality and Fisheries Project (since 2021) in northern Tanzania, investigating how social networks influence fishery usage and management. His work highlights the role of long-distance friendships in promoting shared resource management. Since 2024, he collaborates with WSU Global Health Kenya to study climate-sensitive disease adaptation among camel pastoralists in northern Kenya, using mixed-methods to analyze trade-offs with conflict and food insecurity.

Publication Trends: His work spans fisheries management, social networks, hunter-gatherer cooperation, and climate change impacts. Recent studies focus on translocal relationships in resource governance and socio-ecological resilience in East Africa.

Teaching: Smith teaches foundational courses in anthropology, biological anthropology, and evolutionary perspectives on human sexuality and cooperation.

• ANTH101: Introduction to Anthropology
• ANTH260: Biological Anthropology
• ANTH268: Sex, Evolution, and Human Nature