Bilinda Straight

Bilinda Straight is a Professor in the School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability at Western Michigan University (WMU). She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan (1997), an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from WMU (2015), and a B.A. (summa cum laude) from Lake Erie College (1987). Her interdisciplinary research focuses on cultural and biological adaptations to climate change, human emotion and morality in conflict, and creative writing. She is a leading scholar in pastoralist studies, particularly among the Samburu of northern Kenya's arid regions.

Her work integrates ethnography, epigenetics, and environmental science to explore drought impacts, human resilience, and intergenerational stress responses. Notable grants include multiple National Science Foundation awards (e.g., #1728743, #1430860) funding studies on climate vulnerability and epigenetic mechanisms. She has advised over 30 graduate students in anthropology, psychology, and statistics, often collaborating on fieldwork in Kenya.

Key publications address pastoralist warfare ethics, epigenetic aging, and mineral nutrition in climatic extremes. Awards include WMU's 2010 Emerging Scholar Award and a 1992-1994 Fulbright grant. Her creative writing appears in journals like Mid-American Review and Poetry East, reflecting themes of environmental and cultural resilience.

• Grants/Projects: Collaborations with institutions like the University of Nairobi and Laikipia University; warrior health studies; NSF-funded epigenetic research on drought effects
• Labs/Teams: Interdisciplinary team investigating climate and human biology interfaces; Samburu community partnerships