De Ann Pendry

De Ann Pendry is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, within the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on migration, medical anthropology, poverty and health, and social change in Latin America and the U.S. She advises the Student Advocates for Medicine in Politics and the McClung Museum’s Día de los Muertos exhibit. Pendry holds a Ph.D. (2003) and M.A. (1988) in Anthropology/Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and B.A. degrees from the University of Arkansas.

Her research explores immigrant rights struggles, border health disparities, and the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender in healthcare systems. Recent work addresses Guatemalan Maya migration patterns and Indigenous responses to the pandemic. She has published widely on topics including U.S.-Mexico border health, immigrant enforcement policies, and diabetes care among marginalized communities.

Pendry’s awards include the 2022 Outstanding Student Advisor Award and the 2013 Espíritu Latino Award. She has presented at major conferences like the American Anthropological Association and Latin American Studies Association meetings, addressing topics from pandemic responses in Indigenous communities to the legacy of civil rights activism in immigration advocacy. Her teaching and service bridge academic research with community engagement in issues of social justice and human rights.