I am an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the University of Oklahoma where I teach courses on global food systems, social science methods, qualitative research, social movements, and introductory sociology. I am currently working on two main projects: a book project which draws on my work in Mexico as a Fulbright scholar and earlier research in Chile, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii; and new research on the ways the global pandemic affects our food system and those who work in it.
My research, teaching, and outreach interests include international & community development, agri-food systems, labor, environmental sociology, political economy, and gender. I study how place-based assets can contribute to development. I am particularly interested in how place shapes relationships between local actors and non-local investors. To better understand the role it plays in development processes, I examine how the politics of production and structures of place affect governance as well as development outcomes in local communities.
My regional expertise lies in the Americas, specifically in the Midwestern U.S., Hawaii, the Southern Cone (Chile, Argentina & Uruguay), and the Caribbean (Puerto Rico & the Dominican Republic).
In addition to my scholarship in Sociology and Latin American Studies, I have over 10 years of applied work and research experience in gender & agriculture, community & international development, experiential education, and corporate social responsibility. Throughout my career, I have worked with Oxfam, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America & the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Peace Corps, the School for International Training, and the International Organization for Standardization, among others.
Annabel Ipsen 