Alicia Re Cruz

Alicia Re Cruz is a full Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Texas (UNT), affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. She holds leadership roles including Founding Member of La Colectiva mentoring team and member of the LMAS executive board. Previously, she served as Chair of the Anthropology Department (2007–2011) and Director of the Women's and Gender Studies and LGBTQ Studies Programs (2016–2021). Her research focuses on migration, indigenous Maya communities, transnationalism, applied anthropology, and emergency anthropology, with collaborations spanning international institutions like CSIC (Spain), DIALOG (Canada), and UQROO (Mexico).

Education:

• Doctorado en Antropología Social y Cultural, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1996)
• Ph.D. in Anthropology, State University of New York at Albany (1992)
• M.A. in Anthropology, SUNY Albany (1987)
• B.A. in Geografía e Historia (Etnología y Antropología de América), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1985)

Research Interests: Alicia’s work centers on migration dynamics, particularly among Maya communities in Yucatán, and its impact on identity, gender, and education. She pioneered Emergency Anthropology, addressing urgent social issues like human trafficking and asylum seeker support. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates border studies, applied methodologies, and community-based interventions.

Grants & Collaborations: Recent grants include the Wenner-Gren Foundation’s Engaged Anthropology and World Epistemologies (2016) and UNT’s Rural Sustainability Workshop (2015). She has co-led projects with NGOs on VAWA, human trafficking, and asylum clinics.

Awards:

• UNT Foundation Eminent Professor Award (2021)
• Bridge Builder Award (2005)
• Martha Nichols Award for Outstanding Achievement (1999)

Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches courses like Migrants and Refugees, Mayan Culture, and Borderlands Studies. Leads an online applied anthropology program and has mentored numerous graduate students in anthropology and behavioral analysis.

Labs/Teams: Active in La Colectiva mentoring group and collaborates with international academic networks in applied anthropology and community development.