Professional Resume/CV
Emma received her PhD in Anthropology from the George Washington University (GWU) in 2025. Emma also holds an MPhil (2020) and a Master’s (2017) in Medical Anthropology at GW, and a Certificate in Global Gender Policy (2017) through GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
Emma independent consultant and researcher with over 10 years of experience working in gender, health, and development. Her strengths include designing qualitative research methods that are trauma-informed and attend to the specialized needs and vulnerabilities of survivors of sexual violence; providing ethnographic and practitioner expertise on the gender components of international development and global health projects; and integrating a culturally sensitive approach to programmatic design, implementation and evaluation. She has primarily worked on areas related to gender-based violence (GBV), sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV/AIDS, women and girls education, and mental health, in addition to training as a rape crisis advocate and community educator. She has served in a research and consulting capacity for USAID and UNICEF (through my work with the International Center for Research on Women), in addition to working with partners at the World Bank, the WHO and DFID through the Global Women’s Institute.
Education
The George Washington University September 2018-May 2025
PhD, Medical Anthropology, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Washington DC
Dissertation Title: Caring through Crisis: Empowerment, Survival and Recovery in South Africa’s Gender-Based Violence Emergency
Committee: Dr. Ilana Feldman (GW), Dr. Andrea Lopez (UMD), and Dr. Sarah Wagner (GW)
The George Washington University September 2015-May 2017
Master of Arts, Medical Anthropology, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Washington DC
Certificate, Global Gender Policy, Elliott School of International Affairs
Thesis: A Crisis of Care—The Politics, Poetics and Therapeutics of a Rape Crisis Hotline
Advisor: Dr. Alex Dent (GW)
Vassar College September 2009-May 2013
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology and English Poughkeepsie, New York
Advisor: Dr. Candace Lowe-Swift (Vassar College)
Teaching & Academic Experience
Professor of Record, Anthropology Department, George Washington University (2020-2023)
Professor of Record for three courses at George Washington University:
Summer 2020: ANTH 3501 Anthropology of Development
Spring 2021: ANTH 3691Speculative Anthropologies
Spring 2023: ANTH 3708 Anthropology of Africa
Awarded the Philip K. Amsterdam Graduate Student Teaching Award from George Washington University in 2020
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Anthropology Department, George Washington University (2018-2020)
Assisted faculty members of George Washington University’s Anthropology Department with teaching core courses to undergraduate students, including Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology, Gender and Sexuality, Anthropology of Development and Psychological Anthropology.
Assistant Editor, Anthropological Quarterly (2023-2024)
Served as Assistant for Anthropology Quarterly, one of the longest running peer-reviewed journals in anthropology and ethnographic study.
Screened essays to ensure that they aligned with the standards and objectives of the journal. Communicated with authors who had been approved by peer review to provide developmental editing support throughout the publication process. Oversaw the development and publication for four issues of AQ.
Cellular Connections Project, Anthropology Department, George Washington University, Project Manager (2015-2017)
Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in collaboration with the Smithsonian, the Cellular Connections Project was a longitudinal, ethnographic study of information and technology communication (ICT) amongst high school students and their families in Washington, D.C. Responsibilities included: coordinating research activities between GW and D.C. high school administrators, staff and faculty; conducting primary research through surveys, focus groups and interviews with students; managing proposal development, donor reports and project budget; and overseeing writing and publication of articles related to research, for both academic audiences and publics concerned with technology.
Reference: Dr. Alex Dent (GW)
Research/Consulting Experience
Collective Action to Reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (CARE GBV), Making Cents International and USAID (2020-2021)
Worked under the USAID Strengthening Approaches for Collective Action to Address Gender-Based Violence (CARE-GBV) Activity to:
• Provide support to global assessments on USAID's GBV programming and best practices, including, key informant interviews (KIIs), facilitated group discussions and data analysis of Missions, Regional Platforms and IPs;
• Support translation of research into guidance documents, reports and recommendations on survivor-centered care, lessons learned and GBV integration across the programmatic lifecycle across geographic and cultural settings;
• Provide expertise to design and effectively share information about best practices to effect
improved knowledge and skills, as well as attitudinal, behavioral, and normative changes
USAID Youth in Development Policy Assessment, Research Assistant (2017-2018)
Sub-Contractor with USAID’s Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) Bureau under the LEARN mechanism to conduct an implementation assessment of the Youth in Development Policy (2012) as it has been mainstreamed and implemented throughout the Agency and its Missions. Responsibilities included: developing methodology for assessment; supporting data collection and analysis, including how “youth” was discussed in Country Development Cooperative Strategies (CDCS); conducting key informant interviews and focus groups with USAID staff, implementing partners, and youth participants; case studies in East Africa; composing a final report with findings and recommendations; and supporting the data visualization workshop with key policy stakeholders and youth advocates.
Reference: Dr. Clare Ignatowski
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), Violence, Rights and Inclusion Portfolio, Intern (2016-2017)
Assistance with UNICEF-partnered project on child marriage in the MENA region. Synthesized secondary research, program evaluations, key informant interviews and recommendations from UN Country Officers into country reports and desk reviews of phenomenon, providing sociocultural context for harmful traditional practice vis-à-vis international conventions, national legislation, gender norms and customary law. Conducted a systematic review of literature on cyberviolence to highlight gaps in research, inform programmatic interventions, and integrate indicators into gender equality measures. Developed into concept note for the World Bank and article published with Violence and Gender.
Global Women’s Institute, George Washington University, Research Assistant (2014-2015)
Conducted qualitative research on the vulnerabilities of women and girls, including a policy brief for Futures Without Violence on school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). Coordinated events such as a CSW Beijing +20 Side Event, meetings and workshops with top GBV practitioners and partners such as the WHO and the World Bank. Provided support to formative research projects and technical assistance initiatives, involving the development of a comprehensive database of resources on best practices for addressing gender in conflict and humanitarian settings with DFID; and generating concept notes and policy reports on key issues that will increase the evidence base on what works to prevent violence.
Reference: Dr. Chelsea Ullman (GWI)
Peace Corps Fiji, Community Health Empowerment Volunteer (2013-2014)
Invited by the Fiji Ministry of Health (MOH) to combat the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promote health systems strengthening in the country. Developed and implemented curriculum on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to over fifty primary and secondary schools in the country, maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS workshops on daily community outreach trips. Secretary of Gender and Youth Development Committee, ensuring all Peace Corps related programming in the country employed gender and youth sensitive lens.
Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Intern (2012)
Worked with Unit’s staff on projects relating to sexual and reproductive health, domestic violence, health care access, and legal obstacles to remuneration and justice for women with disabilities suffering from gender-based violence. Conducted secondary research on the barriers to reproductive health for youth seeking abortions protected under the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act. Interviewed health teachers along Eastern Cape about reproductive health curricula in secondary schools to assess quality and content of peer health education in the region as it articulated with progressive reproductive health legislation.
Reference: Dr. Kelley Moult (UCT)
Managing Editor, The Geek Anthropologist
In addition to my academic studies, I also serve as the Managing Editor for The Geek Anthropologist, where anthropological inquiry and geek studies collide. In addition to providing editorial oversight to the website and our authors, I am also a regular contributor, covering issues related to misogyny and monster studies, representations of reproduction in science fiction stories like Blade Runner and representations of anthropology in films like Midsommar. A selection of my works with The Geek Anthropologist are featured below.
