Kenneth Maes

Kenneth Maes is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Anthropology program at Oregon State University's School of Language, Culture and Society. He also holds adjunct roles in Global Health, Public Policy, and Humanitarian Engineering. His research focuses on health equity, community health workers (CHWs), and the intersections of food/water insecurity with mental health. He holds a PhD from Emory University (2010) and a BA from UC Santa Barbara (2002).

Key research themes include CHW labor conditions, psychosocial distress among unpaid health workers in Ethiopia, and global water insecurity's societal impacts. His book *The Lives of Community Health Workers* (2017) examines CHW roles in urban Ethiopia. Recent projects span Ethiopia, the U.S., and Tanzania, addressing CHW evaluation systems, household water insecurity measurement, and policy advocacy.

Maes emphasizes participatory methodologies and has collaborated on global initiatives like the Community Health Worker Common Indicators Project. His work highlights CHWs' critical yet undervalued contributions to health systems, advocating for systemic reforms to improve their working conditions and recognition.

He teaches courses on global health anthropology, cross-cultural healing, and African studies, mentoring students in qualitative/quantitative research. His grants include NSF funding and partnerships with organizations like the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund.

Notable contributions include developing the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale and analyzing gendered violence against CHWs. His research bridges anthropology with policy, emphasizing biocultural perspectives to address health inequities in marginalized communities.