Konane Martinez

Konane Martinez, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Anthropology Department at California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), and serves as Faculty Director of the National Latino Research Center. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Riverside, specializing in applied medical anthropology with a focus on Latino immigrant communities, transnationalism, and border health. Her research examines health disparities, disaster preparedness for vulnerable populations, and culturally appropriate healthcare services.

Dr. Martinez’s career includes over 20 years of work with migrant farmworker communities, particularly Oaxacan Indigenous groups. She co-founded the Farmworker CARE Coalition, a network of 40+ agencies advocating for farmworker health and disaster resilience. Her 2007 response to the San Diego wildfires highlighted systemic inequities faced by farmworkers during crises, leading to emergency housing initiatives and community-led disaster preparedness programs.

She joined CSUSM in 2007 and has held leadership roles, including Department Chair and membership on the California Office of Binational Border Health Advisory Group. Her current projects explore transnational health policies and the cultural significance of 'La Virgen de las Nieves' in Southern Mexico.

Dr. Martinez teaches courses on immigrant health, health equity, and general anthropology, bridging academic research with community activism to address systemic inequities.