Ashanté M. Reese joined the department of sociology and anthropology as an assistant professor in 2015. She completed her Doctorate in anthropology (with a specialization in race, gender, and social justice) at American University in 2015 where she also earned a Masters in Public Anthropology in 2013.  Her dissertation, “Groceries and Gardens: Race, Place, and Food Access in Washington, D.C.” is an ethnographic exploration of food access and community building in a D.C. neighborhood. Situating the neighborhood in historical and contemporary perspectives, she specifically examines the roles of race and class in the gradual decline in food access and in the ways residents actively navigated the decline. In addition to her food studies work, Dr. Reese has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Baltimore, MD, during which she interviewed aging Baltimore residents about their Diabetes care an management to ascertain similarities and differences across race, gender, and class.

In addition to research, Dr. Reese enjoys co-creating dynamic, innovative classroom spaces with students. As part of her teaching philosophy and practice, she encourages students to re-imagine anthropology beyond its narrow depictions in popular imagination and to make concrete connections between theory, practice, and students’ lived experiences. From creating artwork to becoming “participant-observers,” students in her courses are encouraged to be reflective, creative, and “outside the box” thinkers. One of the most gratifying parts of teaching for Dr. Reese is hearing and seeing students develop an anthropological perspective that can help them develop cross-cultural understanding, empathy, and critical self-reflection.

Beginning in Fall 2016, Dr. Reese will teach courses in the newly developed Food Studies Program as one of the core faculty members. Beginning January 2016, you can read her public food scholarship at Food Anthropology (www.foodanthro.com) where she will be a contributing blogger.

Aside from teaching and research, Dr. Reese enjoys DIY projects, thrifting, reading, running, hiking, and rollerblading (though she has not figured out how to use the brake!). 

Food and Culture, Food Inequities, Race and Place, Race and Health (particularly Diabetes), Ethnographic Methods, Class

Book Reviews
2014 Reese, Ashanté M. “A Review of By Any Greens Necessary: A Revolutionary Guide for Black Women Who Want to East Great, Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and Look Phat; Sistah Vegah: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society,” Food and Foodways 22(3):217-221.

2015 Reese, Ashanté M. “Review of: Warner, Mark S. 2015. Eating in the Side Room: Food, Archaeology, and African American Identity. Gainesville: University Press of Florida,” Food Anthropology, October 14. http://foodanthro.com/2015/10/14/eating-in-the-side-room-food-archaeology-and-african-american-identity/

Public Scholarship
2015 Reese, Ashanté M. “Reflections on Self-Care and Being Whole.” Part of the Digital Roundtable Series. Powerlines, Volume 3, Issue 1.

2012 Reese, Ashanté M. “My Hair: Threat to National Security.” The Feminist Wire, October 18.

2011 Reese, Ashanté M. “Speaking Truth to Power: ‘You Are What You Eat.’” The Feminist Wire, April 11.