Susi Keefe

Susi Keefe is an Associate Professor and the Program Director for the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program at St. Catherine University. Her academic background includes a self-designed undergraduate degree in Culture, Health, and Science from Mount Holyoke College, followed by an A.M. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Brown University, with a focus on global health in East Africa. Her research integrates ethnographic fieldwork and community-engaged projects, emphasizing social justice and health equity.

Dr. Keefe’s research interests span Islam and ethics, marriage/kinship dynamics, and intimate relationships among Pare and Swahili women in Tanzania. Her recent work focuses on collaborative projects addressing food access, environmental health, and reproductive justice. She leads the Food Justice Research Team and co-founded the Cross Campus Food Access Coalition in the Twin Cities. She also contributes to the Metro Food Justice Network and collaborates with Our Streets Minneapolis on studying community impacts of Twin Cities highways.

Her ethnographic work in northern and coastal Tanzania has produced publications on cultural anthropology and global health. She actively engages with community organizations to bridge academic research with practical social justice initiatives.