Academic Appointments
Adjunct Faculty in Anthropology, Olympic College, Bremerton, Washington, 2026-Present
Education
Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Kansas, Expected 2027
M.S. Anthropology & Applied Community and Economic Development, Illinois State University, 2023
B.A. Anthropology, Spanish and Interdisciplinary Studies Minors, Florida Gulf Coast University, 2019
Publications
Forthcoming. Eckhardt, Kiera and Bartholomew Dean, eds. Power and Peril: Governance and Violence in
Latin American Migration. University Press of Florida.
Forthcoming. Eckhardt, Kiera. “Universal Citizenship and Conditional Inclusion: Refugee Rights and
Perspectives of Service Providers in Ecuador.” In Power and Peril: Governance and Violence in Latin American Migration, edited by Kiera Eckhardt and Bartholomew Dean.
University Press of Florida.
Forthcoming. Eckhardt, Kiera and Susheel Nath. A Spatial Digital Twin of Quito: Housing, Migration, Urban
Change, and Environmental Risk. Neotropical Anthropology Laboratory.
2026. Eckhardt, Kiera. “When Health Programs Build Communities.” Public Health Post.
2023. Eckhardt, Kiera. “Developing Qualitative Research Questions for Illinois Post-Release Prison
Analysis.” Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development- Student Research. 52.
Publications in Progress
Eckhardt, Kiera and Susheel Nath. “Population Layer Report: Synthetic Population Construction for the Quito Digital Twin.” In preparation.
Grants, Fellowships, and Awards
2026 Neotropical Anthropology Laboratory Graduate Research Fellowship, University of Kansas
2024 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($6,895)
2024 Carrol D. Clark Summer Graduate Research Award, University of Kansas ($1,000)
2024-2028 Madison & Lila Self Graduate Fellowship, University of Kansas ($200,000)
2024 Department of Anthropology Travel Award, University of Kansas ($750)
2024 Tinker Field Research Grant, University of Kansas ($3,500)
2023-24 Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship, Brazilian Portuguese ($38,000)
2023 Scott Elliott Award, Illinois State University ($300)
2023 Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society, Illinois State University
2021-23 Applied Community and Economic Development Fellowship, Illinois State University ($45,000)
2022 Office of Student Research Travel Grant, Illinois State University ($300)
2022 Symposium Presentation Assistance Grant, Illinois State University ($300)
2021-22 Stevenson Center Professional Development Award, Illinois State University ($450)
2021 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award ($6,895)
2019-20 Seidler Undergraduate Collaboration Fellowship, Florida Gulf Coast University ($5,000)
Academic Conferences & Presentations
2026 “Learning Through Fieldwork: Gender, Trust, and Positionality in Ethnographic Research,” Afternoon Seminar Series, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas
2026 “Computational Infrastructure for AI-Assisted Social Digital Twins and Migration Resilience Simulations,” World Applied Anthropology Congress
2026 “An Ethnography of Migration in Quito, Ecuador,” 86th Annual Society for Applied Anthropology Meeting, Panel Organizer & Presenter
2026 “Refugee Rights and Perspectives of Service Providers in Quito, Ecuador,” 86th Annual Society for Applied Anthropology Meeting
2026 “Lives in Motion: Ethnographic Perspectives on Migration in Quito & Guayaquil, Ecuador” Afternoon Seminar Series, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas
2025 “The Ethnology of Migration Policy in the United States and Ecuador,” American Anthropological Association 2025 Annual Meeting
2025 “An Ethnography of Venezuelan Migration in Ecuador,” 75th Annual Midwest Association for Latin American Studies Conference
2025 “50 Years of Migration Policy in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela,” Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Research Symposium, University of Kansas
2025 “Ethnology of Migration Policy in the United States and Ecuador,” Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Symposium and Poster Session
2025 “A Discursive Analysis of Migrants in Ecuador's Constitution,” 2nd Biennial Graduate Association for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Conference, University of Kansas
2024 “Ethnology of Migration Policy in the United States and Ecuador,” Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Public Poster Session
2024 “Ethnology of Migration Policy in the United States and Ecuador,” Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Policy Luncheon
2024 “Governance and Violence in Latin American Migration,” Organizer, Co-Moderator, and Speaker, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Virtual Roundtable, University of Kansas
2024 “A Discursive Analysis of Migrants in Ecuador's Constitution,” 74th Annual Midwest Association for Latin American Studies Conference
2024 “Refugee Rights and Perspectives of Refugee Service Providers in Ecuador,” Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Merienda Series, University of Kansas
2024 “Refugee Rights and Perspectives of Refugee Service Providers in Ecuador,” Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Research Symposium, University of Kansas
2024 “Refugee Rights and Perspectives of Refugee Service Providers in Ecuador,” 81st Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
2024 “Developing Qualitative Research Questions for Illinois Post-Release Prison Analysis,” ANTH 160/360 Varieties of the Human Experience, University of Kansas
2023 “Developing Qualitative Research Questions for Illinois Post-Release Prison Analysis,” Capstone Public Presentation, Illinois State University
2023 “Post-Arab Spring United Nations Democracy Promotion in Tunisia,” 80th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
2022 “Post-Arab Spring United Nations Democracy Promotion in Tunisia,” 29th Annual Illinois State University Conference for Students of Political Science
2022 “Universal Citizenship in Ecuador: A Substantive Policy Model for Mitigating the Venezuelan Refugee Crisis,” 79th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
2022 “Universal Citizenship in Ecuador: A Substantive Policy Model for Mitigating the Venezuelan Refugee Crisis,” Illinois State University Research Symposium
2022 “Universal Citizenship in Ecuador: A Substantive Policy Model for Mitigating the Venezuelan Refugee Crisis,” 82nd Annual Society for Applied Anthropology Meeting
2019 “Symbolic Borders: A Case Study on the Role of Language in Shaping Perceptions of American Identity,” 91st Annual South Atlantic Modern Language Conference
Teaching Experience
Olympic College, Adjunct Faculty in Anthropology, Bremerton, Washington
ANTH 207 Linguistic Anthropology
ANTH 210 Indigenous Peoples of North America
Pensacola State College, Adjunct Faculty in Anthropology, Pensacola, Florida
ANT 2000 Introduction to Anthropology
Course Coverage
SPN 1121 Beginner Spanish II
DEP 2004 Human Growth and Development
PSY 2012 General Psychology
PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy
University of Kansas, Guest Lecturer, Lawrence, Kansas
LAC 177/277 First Year Seminar: Native Americans Crossing Borders (Fall 2024)
ANTH 510 Special Topics in Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Anthropology of Revolutions (Spring 2024)
University of Kansas, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Lawrence, Kansas
August 18, 2023-May 10, 2024
ANTH 130/360 Varieties of the Human Experience
Illinois State University, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Normal, Illinois
August 10, 2021-May 15, 2022
ANT 281 Principles of Socio-Cultural Anthropology
ANT 277 Principles of Language and Culture
ANT 105 People and Food
ANT 185 Cultures of the World
Professional Experience
University of Kansas, Graduate Research Assistant, Lawrence, Kansas
August 8, 2024-July 25, 2026
Conducted ethnographic interviews with stakeholders of Ecuador’s migration system to analyze the implications of migration policy on refugee integration.
Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, Research Analyst, Chicago, Illinois
June 15, 2022-December 31, 2023
Conducted interviews and relational meetings with stakeholders of the criminal legal system in Illinois, including currently and formerly incarcerated persons, for the “Impact of Long Term Prison Sentences” research project with the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Transcribed public meetings and conducted a letter analysis of submissions from incarcerated persons for the Illinois Resentencing Task Force (House Bill 3597/Public Act 102-0099).
National Alliance of Community and Economic Development Associations, Researcher, Washington D.C.
September 1, 2022-January 1, 2023
Researched national community and economic development organizations in the United States as a part of a resource segmentation study to connect non-profit service provider organizations.
Illinois Partners for Human Service, Policy & Government Affairs Intern, Chicago, Illinois
January 10, 2022-June 10, 2022
Created action alerts and data fact sheets to inform health and human service providers about proposed policy and legislation in the State of Illinois. Supported outreach to Illinois State Legislators, the Governor’s Office, State Agencies, and other nonprofit organizations.
Florida Department of Children and Families Refugee Services (DCF-RS) Task Force, Committee Member
June 20, 2020-August 7, 2021
Presented research on sustainable program development and ways to virtually adapt materials and resources to better support refugee clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AmeriCorps VISTA, Refugee Mentor Coordinator, Tampa, Florida
April 8, 2020-October 28, 2020
Created sustainable community ties and college/career exchange experiences for 200 refugee clients through the Department of Children and Families Refugee Project. Managed program training and policy development for refugee mentors and clients to create standardized procedures for the refugee mentoring program.
Created an Annual Recruitment Plan for FY2021, including an activities calendar and list of community partners and organizational contacts to assist refugee clients in their transition and engagement with the community.
Peace Corps, Volunteer, Quito, Ecuador
January 10, 2020-March 16, 2020
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Instructor in Quito, Ecuador. Completed 119.5 hours of Spanish Language training, 88.5 hours of teaching training, and 14.5 hours of intercultural studies.
Skills
Languages
Spanish (Advanced), Brazilian Portuguese (Intermediate)
Statistical and Computer Software
GIS, SPSS, Qualtrics, Zoho