Kara Miller

Dr. Kara Miller is an Assistant Professor of Applied Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology at California State University - Long Beach (CSULB). Her work focuses on medical anthropology, body politics, and eco-social well-being, employing holistic approaches to address health equity through ethnography and empowerment-based methodologies.

Education:

• PhD in Anthropology, University of California, Riverside (2017)
• MA in Anthropology, Louisiana State University (2010)
• BA in Anthropology & Applied Visual Arts, North Carolina State University (2006)

Research Interests: Dr. Miller investigates embodied ecologies, toxic industrial practices, and health sovereignty. Her projects include studies on reproductive health policies in East Africa, mental health systems in New Orleans, migrant healthcare access in California, and a NIH-funded study on integrative medicine in Uganda. She emphasizes feminist epistemologies, health humanities, and critical social theory to explore how bodies interact with lifeworlds and environmental conditions.

Teaching: She teaches courses such as Practicing Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, Ethnographic Methods, and Health and Healing. Past courses include Biological Approaches to Medical Anthropology and Embodied Futures.

Current Projects: Dr. Miller’s ongoing work examines local environmental entanglements and community-based conservation strategies, linking embodiment to ecological health and justice.