Nicholas C. Kawa

Nicholas C. Kawa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Ohio State University, with affiliate appointments in Comparative Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, and Environmental Sciences. His research examines human relationships with plants, soils, and waste systems, with field sites spanning Amazonia and the American Midwest.

Kawa's research explores:

• Agrobiodiversity management in rural Amazonia
• Social networks in crop variety distribution
• Biosolids recycling in agriculture
• Urban metabolism and waste systems
• Amazonian Dark Earth (Terra Preta) management

He maintains active field research in both Amazonian communities and Ohio agricultural systems.

Publications appear in both academic journals (American Anthropologist, Ethnobiology Letters) and popular outlets (NPR, The Atlantic). Kawa employs experimental formats like research zines to communicate anthropological insights. He teaches courses including Environmental Anthropology and Cultural Ecology.