Eleanor Paynter

Eleanor Paynter is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Romance Languages department. Her work bridges critical refugee studies and transnational Italian studies.

• Education: PhD from Ohio State University, MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, BA from Agnes Scott College.

Her research examines the media and politics of migration, asylum rights, Africa-Europe migration, and anti-racist solidarity, using ethnography, oral history, and media analysis. She challenges colonial narratives of crisis in migration studies and advocates for testimony-driven scholarship.

Key trends in her publications (2024–2025) include analyses of border violence, deportation policy, migrant temporal captivity, and anti-racist care work. Her 2024 book Emergency in Transit (University of California Press) critiques colonial emergency responses to Mediterranean migration.

• Scientific Awards: Recipient of ACLS and NEH grants.