Lynn Stephen

Lynn Stephen serves as Philip H. Knight Chair and Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon, holding joint appointments in Anthropology and multiple interdisciplinary programs including Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies (IRES), Latinx Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS).

Her academic foundation includes:

• B.A. from Carleton College (1979)
• Ph.D. from Brandeis University (1987)

Stephen's research pioneers Indigenous epistemologies and transborder community theory, critically examining settler colonialism's intersections with gendered violence, migration, and justice systems. Her collaborative methodology centers testimony and documentary production to amplify marginalized voices, particularly Indigenous women navigating asylum systems and transnational borders. Current projects address pandemic impacts on farmworkers and Guatemala's gender violence crisis through community-engaged frameworks.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent thematic threads: Indigenous women's resistance strategies against structural violence, theoretical innovations in transborder citizenship, and methodological contributions to activist anthropology. Her work bridges anthropology, Latin American studies, and gender theory while addressing urgent humanitarian issues like asylum policy and pandemic vulnerabilities.

Major recognitions include:

• AAAS Fellow (2021) for advancing Indigenous women's studies
• University of Oregon's Martin Luther King Jr. Award (2010)
• NEH and Radcliffe Institute fellowships

As Co-Director of Anthropology Graduate Studies, Stephen mentors underrepresented students while securing major research funding from NSF and Ford Foundation. She founded CLLAS and co-created the "Latino Roots" exhibit reaching 50,000+ Oregonians, demonstrating commitment to public scholarship. Current leadership includes the AAA's "World on the Move" migration exhibit and Otros Saberes Indigenous research initiative across Latin America.