Emily Wanderer

Emily Wanderer is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the intersection of environment, technology, and non-human life, particularly in Latin America. She holds a Ph.D. from MIT’s History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society program. Her work examines how technologies like AI and datafication reshape conservation practices and human-animal relationships, emphasizing the 'Anthropocene' framework. She has received funding from the NSF and Wenner-Gren Foundation for her research on wildlife datafication.

Her book The Life of a Pest (2020), a finalist for the 2022 Rachel Carson Prize, explores Mexico’s biopolitical approaches to invasive species and ecological management. Wanderer teaches courses on global science, medical anthropology, and human-animal interactions. She is currently on leave until Spring 2026 but accepts graduate students for AY 2026-2027.

Research interests include:

• Technological impacts on ecological science
• Biopolitical frameworks in conservation
• Multispecies ethnography
• Latin American environmental policies

Her articles critically analyze topics like facial recognition in wildlife tracking and invasive species management, bridging cultural anthropology with ecological ethics. She advises four graduate students and has published extensively in journals like Cultural Anthropology and Science, Technology, & Human Values.

Wanderer’s work often highlights tensions between technological solutions and ecological justice, advocating for inclusive frameworks that account for non-human agency.