Roberto Barrios

Roberto Barrios serves as Professor of Anthropology and holds the prestigious Doris Zemurray Stone Chair for Latin American Studies at the University of New Orleans. His work bridges academic research with practical disaster response across global contexts.

Dr. Barrios earned his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Florida with specialized training in applied anthropology, disaster anthropology, development anthropology, and medical anthropology.

His research program centers on disaster risk reduction and recovery processes, utilizing ethnographic methods to document survivor narratives since 1999. Fieldwork spans Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, U.S. Midwest, and Gulf South regions, with particular attention to how sensory experiences intersect with built environments, social structures, and ecological systems during crises. This work reveals critical gaps between policy frameworks and community-defined recovery success.

Analysis of his 2015-2020 publications shows consistent thematic evolution from foundational disaster anthropology toward interdisciplinary integration with climate science and political economy. Key trends include neoliberal governance critiques in reconstruction efforts, political dimensions of post-disaster recovery, and anthropological contributions to pandemic response frameworks during COVID-19.

Dr. Barrios' scholarly recognition includes:

• Doris Zemurray Stone Chair for Latin American Studies

His collaborative research approach is evident through extensive co-authorship across disciplines, though specific grant details and advisee information remain unreported in available materials. As co-editor of the Berghahn series Catastrophes in Context, he actively shapes disaster scholarship discourse.

While no dedicated research labs are mentioned, his fieldwork methodology emphasizes community-engaged partnerships across disaster-affected regions.