Mayra Cerda

Mayra Cerda is a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at San Jose State University (SJSU), and also teaches Cultural Anthropology at DeAnza Community College. She holds an M.A. in Applied Anthropology from SJSU (2011) and a Bachelor’s in International Business with a Minor in Asian Studies, also from SJSU.

Her expertise spans entrepreneurship, household economics, immigration, poverty, work dynamics, economic justice, globalization, and applied anthropology. She has worked in the social and micro-finance sectors, focusing on economic justice and education. Her career includes roles at the Financial Health Network, NYU, Bankable Frontier, and the University of Washington, researching financial practices and low-income populations.

Mayra currently manages Sacred Heart’s Economic Empowerment Department and oversees asset-building programs for low-income students and single mothers through Opportunity Fund. She is affiliated with SJSU’s Integrative Anthropology Laboratory and contributes to applied research projects.