Brown Bag Lunch

Lindsey West is a senior PhD student in Medical Anthropology; she just started as an Experience Researcher for Adobe Systems where she uses her training in ethnographic methods and interviewing to bring insights into the product design process. Since deciding to look beyond teaching, she has learned a lot about the kinds of jobs that exist for anthropologists, and some useful tips for studying and communicating with cultures outside of academia. 

While nearing completion of her Ph.D., Kim Allen decided to return to her hometown to teach secondary school. Instead of pursuing a tenure-track faculty position, she opted to teach high school and apply her skills in a practical fashion to helping her community. For the seven years since graduating in 2009 from UNC’s anthropology department, Dr. Allen has taken on a variety of teaching and leadership roles that have made long-lasting impact. In this work she uses her training and knowledge as a cultural anthropologist to understand and support individuals and communities in their efforts to achieve justice and fairness. As an anthropologist she has had many vocations—educator, researcher, non-profit administrator, community activist, and presently, program officer at the Carolina Center for Public Service where she supports Carolina faculty, staff and students in their research and teaching partnerships with communities near and far.

Dr. Allen is highly skilled in program development and management as well as research project management, including teaching and campaign planning and coordination.  Her portfolio includes organizations such as the University of North Carolina, the NAACP, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. History & Public Policy Center. In this, she has worked closely with elected officials, governmental agencies, national and state-wide advocacy groups and university-based researchers. Her current writing project includes developing a book manuscript from her dissertation material on race- and environment-making in the U.S. environmental movement.