TEAM

KEN MACLEISH

Professor (he/him)

Ken MacLeish, PhD, is an associate professor of Medicine, Health & Society and Anthropology. His research focuses on bodily and emotional experiences of contemporary war; the emergence and contestation of war-related injury categories, from mental illness to toxic exposure; and the framing of “disorderly” military life in policy, veteran care practices, and American public culture. MacLeish’s work also examines the globalization of psychiatric knowledge, the medicalization of mass shootings, and environmental health and infrastructure.

B R. BALMER

Teaching Assistant (they/them)

B is a graduate student in the Community Development and Action program. They are conducting independent research on experiences of the everyday during COVID-19 in the Northland (northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin). They also have several years of experience conducting research in supporting roles for faculty in anthropology and community psychology on military to civilian transitions, community-based mental health interventions for veterans, and the intersections of health services and service member experiences in a variety of topics.

GEORGIA BROWN

Class of 2021 (she/her)

Georgia Brown is a senior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Medicine, Health, & Society with  minors in Business and History of Art. Since taking a class in her senior year of high school about America in the post 9/11 world, she has been extremely interested in examining the consequences of certain decisions and policies made in the aftermath of the attacks. This research fellowship has allowed her to continue to explore this area while also combining her interests in health and the military. Read about it here.

ANNESA DEY

Class of 2022 (she/her)

Annesa Dey is a QuestBridge scholar and undergraduate junior majoring in Child Studies and Medicine, Health, and Society with a concentration in Global Health. Her academic experience has driven and nurtured her passion for health equity and social justice, including this fellowship work. Her research explores the American media discussion of COVID-19 frontline workers and its simultaneous production of social cohesion and exclusion. Read about it here. 

BERKELEY KENDRICK

Class of 2022 (she/her)

Berkeley Kendrick is a University Innovation Fellow and an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in Medicine, Health & Society and Anthropology. Vanderbilt University supports her curiosity and love for academic learning and real-world practicalities. Specifically, she hopes to leverage both her education and experiences in the arena of public health to further research pertaining to vaccine hesitancy-- specifically during the COVID 19 Pandemic amongst the national guard. Read about it here.

MARISA KIM

Class of 2022 (she/her)

Marisa Kim is a junior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society with a minor in Scientific Computing. Her major and minor allow her to explore the social determinants of certain health outcomes while being able to analyze and understand the data behind the research. Her research explores the potentially harmful dichotomy of the rhetoric surrounding refugees and immigrants that can paint them as both vulnerable populations and threats to national security. Read about it here.

NAOMI LAYTON