Casey Walsh

Casey Walsh is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His work bridges sociocultural anthropology with political economy, focusing on the Mexico-US borderlands, water management, and commodity production.

• Specializations: Political economy, Mexico-US borderlands, water studies, material culture
• Education: Ph.D. and M.A. from New School for Social Research; B.A. from UC Berkeley

His research explores the socio-environmental dimensions of water use, particularly in arid regions. Key projects include Groundwater and Grapes in California’s Central Coast, The Social Use of Hot Springs, and Water, Agriculture and Society in the Mexican Borderlands. He has authored influential works like Building the Borderlands and Virtuous Waters, analyzing how water cultures intersect with capitalism and state formation.

Recent publications examine groundwater regulation in California under SGMA, hydrosocial politics in Mexico, and critiques of neoliberal resource governance. His lab at UCSB investigates transnational environmental challenges, emphasizing historical materialism and Latin American anthropological traditions.