Karen Quintiliani

Dr. Karen Quintiliani is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), within the College of Liberal Arts. Her research focuses on refugee and immigrant communities, particularly Cambodians in Long Beach, with expertise in applied anthropology, community-based service, and archival projects. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Loyola Marymount University (1985), an M.A. in Applied Anthropology from CSULB (1995), and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from UCLA (2003).

Her research interests include transnational diaspora, social welfare policy, gender and sexuality, refugee health, youth cultures, and program evaluation. She leads collaborative projects like the HERE LAB (exploring homelessness outreach) and the Cambodian Community History and Archive Project (CamCHAP), a digital ethnography highlighting Cambodian Long Beach history through multimedia archives. These initiatives emphasize applied research and community partnership.

Dr. Quintiliani’s work bridges academia and practice, training students in ethnographic methods while addressing real-world challenges such as homelessness and educational access. Her publications focus on Cambodian diaspora experiences, welfare policy impacts, and LGBTQ+ identities within the community. She collaborates with local agencies, including the City of Long Beach’s Health and Human Services Department, to develop evidence-based solutions.

Notable projects include evaluating homeless outreach strategies and documenting Cambodian American political activism. Her efforts prioritize empowering marginalized communities through research that informs policy and fosters cultural preservation.