Debra Spitulnik Vidali

Debra Spitulnik Vidali is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Emory University, with affiliations in Theater Studies, Linguistics, Film & Media Studies, and Indigenous Studies. Her work integrates experimental ethnography with theater-making, focusing on embodied and multisensorial knowledge production. She directs the Anthropology Theater Lab and has received grants from the NEH, NSF, and others.

• Education: PhD & MA in Anthropology/Linguistics from University of Chicago; BA in Language and Mind from UC Berkeley

Research explores ancestral knowledges, Indigenous sovereignty, civic engagement, and multimodal storytelling. Key projects include Two Row Repair (Haudenosaunee land narratives), Kabusha Radio Remix (Zambian media archives), and ethnographic theater collaborations. Her 2023 Ethnographic Poetry Prize recognizes innovative creative scholarship.

Teaching includes courses on Indigenous North America, experimental ethnography, and public anthropology. She co-founded the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative and contributes to K-12 curricula and museum installations.

• Grants: National Endowment for the Humanities, Spencer Foundation, Wenner-Gren, etc.
• Awards: 2023 Ethnographic Poetry Prize (SHA)