Michelle Wibbelsman

Michelle Wibbelsman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at The Ohio State University, with additional faculty appointments in the School of Music and Department of Anthropology. Specializing in Andean indigenous cultures, her research explores ritual practices, ethnomusicology, and transnational migration through ethnographic methodologies.

• Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2004)
• M.A. in Latin American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin (1997)
• B.A. in Plan II Honors and French, The University of Texas at Austin (1991)
• Diploma from Sorbonne-Paris IV (1990)

Her research focuses on Andean indigenous performance, examining intersections of ritual practices, musical expression, and transnational migration. Current projects analyze musical diversity in Otavalan diaspora communities across six continents.

Wibbelsman's publications span topics including:

• Ritual violence and political symbolism
• Gender performativity in festivals
• Indigenous cosmology in modern contexts
• Transnational music practices
• Cultural memory in material traditions
• Ethnographic approaches to performance