Elizabeth Chacko

Elizabeth Chacko is a Professor of Geography and International Affairs at George Washington University's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in migration, transnationalism, and urban geographies. Her fieldwork spans the United States, India, Ethiopia, and Singapore, with research funded by the NSF, Fulbright Commission, and Social Science Research Council. She teaches courses including Migrants and the City and Geography of South Asia.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geography, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• M.A. in Geography, Miami University
• M.P.H., University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Dr. Chacko's research examines identity formation among immigrants, migrant integration in urban settings, and transnational-development linkages in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. She investigates how diasporic communities navigate cultural adaptation, occupational niches, and ethnic enclave formation while maintaining transnational connections. Her work emphasizes the spatial dimensions of migration through studies of 'Little Ethiopia' communities, gated neighborhoods in Bangalore, and pandemic impacts on migrant precarity.

Her 15 most recent publications reveal consistent focus on migrant vulnerability, identity negotiation, and urban policy responses across diverse contexts. Key trends include analysis of temporary migration regimes, pandemic-era caregiving networks, and high-skilled diaspora engagement, with methodological emphasis on qualitative fieldwork and comparative urban analysis.

Scientific Awards:

• Fulbright Scholarship (2013-2014) for Asian Indian integration research in Singapore
• U.S. Professor of the Year for District of Columbia (2006)
• Columbian College Freshman Advising Excellence Award (2002)

Dr. Chacko directs significant research initiatives including a $500,000 NSF project on U.S.-Mexico border migration security (2022-2025) and co-authored a 2023 Organization of American States report on immigrant integration. Her grant portfolio includes Social Science Research Council funding for pandemic-migration studies, Ford Foundation support for climate change leadership programs, and multiple GWU internal awards for diaspora entrepreneurship research.

As principal investigator on collaborative projects involving scholars like Marie Price and Sarah Blue, she leads interdisciplinary teams examining migrant reception systems and border geographies. Her policy-focused work directly informs urban integration strategies through partnerships with international organizations and municipal authorities across the Americas.