Natalie Araujo is a Lecturer in Anthropology and Development Studies at La Trobe University's School of Social Inquiry in Melbourne, Australia, where she has been employed since July 2016. Her academic work focuses on critical questions of access, equity, and empowerment related to health, wellbeing, food and water security, and sustainable development across diverse communities. Dr. Araujo holds a PhD and MA from the University of Manchester, a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne, and a BA(Hons) from Mount Holyoke College. Her interdisciplinary background bridges anthropology, law, and development studies, creating a unique perspective for her research on social inclusion and community wellbeing. This diverse educational foundation supports her work across academic, legal, and practical development contexts. Her research expertise centers on food systems and foodways in relation to community wellbeing and resilience, examining intersecting issues of structural violence, trauma, agency, and gender. She conducts extensive work in Latin America, the Latin American diaspora, the Pacific, and with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. Dr. Araujo employs qualitative, mixed methods, collaborative and co-design research methodologies with expertise in knowledge translation for diverse stakeholders and audiences, including monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks. Dr. Araujo's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on wellbeing narratives, gender studies, food security, and health communication. Her research trajectory has evolved from examining cosmopolitan identities and migration patterns toward increasingly applied work on health communication, food systems, and emergency response in diverse communities, particularly during the pandemic. Her work consistently addresses social inclusion challenges faced by marginalized populations and emphasizes practical solutions for improving access to critical information and resources. Extensive experience in collaborative projects with industry partners Available for Masters Research or PhD student supervision Regular media engagement on issues of migration, gender, and social inclusion Membership on advisory committees for community organizations Contributions to local government policy and evaluation in Australia Prior work experience with NGOs in the UK and Colombia Dr. Araujo has contributed significantly to research on trauma and researcher vulnerability, ethnographic studies of gender and food security in Vanuatu, and evaluations of health communication for non-English speaking communities. Her work on the circulation and adaptation of critical health messaging in CALD communities during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates her commitment to practical applications of anthropological research for immediate community benefit.
