Gustavo Azenha

Gustavo S. Azenha received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University, with an interdisciplinary background in the biology and social sciences (sociocultural anthropology & development sociology). Gustavo's primary disciplinary expertise is development anthropology with a thematic specialization on globalization, social movements, and public policy. His academic and professional projects have been fairly diverse: he has conducted ethnobotanical research with indigenous groups in the Venezuelan Amazon (Piaroa, Guahibo, and Ye'kuana ethnicities). His dissertation focused on the political ecology of sustainable development in Brazil, through research on the conflicts between indigenous/traditional resource use, environmental conservation, and economic development (i.e., tourism and agribusiness). He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research on globalization and new technologies, with a specific emphasis on “digital inclusion” policies and programs in Brazil. In addition, he has years of applied experience in international public health, including advocacy, policy analysis, research, and NGO capacity building in Brazil and Latin America.  

Prior to working at ILAS, Gustavo has been a recipient of graduate and postdoctoral fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF), and has held positions as a postdoctoral fellow at Barnard College’s Department of Anthropology and as an Assistant Professor in the Anthropology program at SUNY Purchase College. His current research efforts center on sustainable development, social movements, and stakeholder interrelations in Brazil, with a particular emphasis on the intersection between environment, health, and socioeconomic inequality.