Thomas R. McGuire

Thomas R. McGuire is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Research Anthropologist Emeritus with the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology (BARA) at the University of Arizona. As an applied anthropologist, he specializes in environmental anthropology and political ecology.

For over a decade, McGuire has researched offshore oil/gas industry impacts on Gulf Coast communities from Texas to Alabama. His work examines coastal adaptation, fisheries management, and disaster recovery in post-hurricane environments. Additional research areas include Native American water rights, Southwestern economies, fishing communities in the Gulf of California, and cattle ranching on Apache reservations.

McGuire's publications analyze energy culture, wetland conservation, and community-industry relations. Methodologically, he combines ethnographic approaches with environmental policy analysis to address real-world problems in resource-dependent communities.

He has taught courses on political ecology of North America and foundations of applied anthropology. McGuire maintains active research collaborations addressing coastal sustainability and energy transitions.