Susan Ellison

Susan Ellison is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Wellesley College, with affiliations in Latin American Studies and Peace & Justice Studies. Her research examines intersections between foreign aid, democracy promotion, judicial reform, and lived experiences of violence and economic insecurity in Latin America. She has received major grants from the National Science Foundation, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and Social Science Research Council.

• Education: B.A. (Washington University), M.Th. (Harvard Divinity School), M.A./Ph.D. (Brown University)
• Teaching: Political anthropology, ethnographic methods, Indigenous resurgence, transnational governance

Her groundbreaking book Domesticating Democracy received multiple prestigious awards including the LASA Bryce Wood Book Award and APLA book award. Current research investigates fraud accusations ('estafa') in Bolivia's socio-economic context.

Research Focus

• Foreign aid agendas and local governance
• Andean kinship practices and legal systems
• Political ecology and resource conflicts
• Urban economic strategies in Latin America

Scientific Awards

• Duke University Press, Domesticating Democracy
• Bryce Wood Book Award (LASA)
• APLA Book Award
• Victor Turner Prize Honorable Mention

As a former environmental justice activist in Bolivia (2001-2005) and Princeton University lecturer (2013-2015), she brings extensive field experience to her teaching and research. Currently serves as faculty affiliate of the Princeton Environmental Institute.