Andrew M. Carruthers

Andrew M. Carruthers serves as Assistant Professor of Anthropology in the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching courses in linguistic anthropology, semiotics, and Southeast Asian studies. His research investigates Malay-speaking migrants' evaluative practices within Indonesia and Malaysia's archipelagic landscape, analyzing intersections of interpersonal dynamics and infrastructural realities.

He earned his Ph.D. (2016) and M.Phil. (2012) from Yale University and A.B. (2009) from Cornell University, with formative research at Universitas Hasanuddin (Indonesia, 2010) and National University of Singapore (2008).

Carruthers' work centers on linguistic anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, and semiotics, specifically examining migration studies, border studies, infrastructure studies, and Southeast Asian contexts. He develops comparative ethno-metasemiotic frameworks to analyze how migrants navigate border controls through language and semiotic resources, bridging social theory with political ecology.

His recent publications (2017-2023) in top anthropology journals explore policing, illegality, and intensity in Indonesia-Malaysia borderlands, emphasizing sound (e.g., accent) and infrastructure's role in shaping migrant experiences. Current book projects extend this work into comparative frameworks for archipelagic contexts.

His honors include:

• U.S. Senior Fulbright Scholar to Malaysia (2022-2023)

While graduate advisees aren't publicly listed, Carruthers has secured significant research funding including the Fulbright award. His projects involve collaborative partnerships with Southeast Asian institutions on migration and infrastructure dynamics.

At Penn, he participates in the Wolf Humanities Center, Perry World House, Southeast Asia Working Group, and Lauder Institute. Previously, he held postdoctoral positions with the Max Weber Foundation Research Group at National University of Singapore and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.