Karen Richman

Karen Richman is a Professor of the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame. She holds concurrent faculty appointments in the Departments of Romance Languages and Literatures and Anthropology, with affiliations in Africana Studies and Gender Studies. Her work bridges cultural anthropology, migration studies, and religious practices in Haiti and Mexico, focusing on transnationalism, gender dynamics, and economic behavior.

Richman’s research explores migration’s impact on cultural identity, religious practices, and financial strategies among diasporic communities. Notable publications include Migration and Vodou (2005/2018) and interdisciplinary studies on Latino retirement savings. She has received awards for teaching excellence and scholarly contributions, including the Robert F. Heizer Prize and Open Course Ware Excellence Award.

Her grants include National Endowment for Financial Education funding for projects on Mexican immigrants’ savings and National Science Foundation support studying Haitian responses to natural hazards. Richman’s academic service roles include leadership in the Haitian Studies Association and editorial work for journals like Studies in Religion.

• Education: BA in Anthropology/Music (Wesleyan University), MA and PhD in Anthropology (University of Virginia)
• Key Themes: Religion, migration, transnationalism, gender, cultural capital, retirement economics
• Recent Grants: 2018 NEFE grant on collectivism in savings, 2017 NSF study on religiosity and disaster responses