معرفی
Cassandra Hartblay is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health & Society at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC). Her work bridges medical anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, and disability studies, with regional expertise in Russia and postsocialist states. She integrates performance ethnography and critical design studies into her research and pedagogy.
- Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2015)
Her research examines how disability advocacy and accessible design are culturally and politically mediated, particularly in Northwest Russia during the 2010s. She critiques ableism in ethnographic knowledge production and uses performance ethnography to reimagine anthropological methods through her play I Was Never Alone, performed at multiple institutions including Yale and UNC-CH.
Recent publications focus on urban infrastructure, digital marginalization, and theoretical intersections between disability studies and anthropology. She co-edited a forum on ethnography and design, and her 2013 Zola Award-winning article analyzes Soviet productivity narratives through a disability lens.
Scientific Awards:
- 2013 Zola Award for Outstanding Publication
She advises graduate students in anthropology, theatre, and education, and her work has been impacted by geopolitical shifts, including disruptions to international collaborations following recent U.S. foreign policy changes.
