Laura DeLuca

Dr. Laura DeLuca is an anthropologist at the University of Colorado Boulder. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology, a B.A. in Economics, and earned the Sudan Course Certificate with the Rift Valley Institute in 2005. She is the director of Global Seminar Tanzania. She has taught ANTH 1150 Regional Cultures of Africa, ANTH 1200: Culture and Power, ANTH 4180: Contemporary Issues--Anthropology of War and Refugees, ANTH 4500: Cross-Cultural Aspects of International Development, HUEN 3843: Humanities for Engineers: Global Development Africa, SSIR 1010: Social Entrepreneurship and Innovating Sustainability, PAX 450 International Affairs and Peace Studies, ANTH 5500: Cross-cultural Aspects of International Development, and ENV 785: Environmental Leadership Capstone Seminar.

Research Interests

  • Human Dimensions of Conservation
  • Forced migration and refugee studies
  • Women and girls empowerment
  • Gender and migration
  • Qualitative methods
  • Field work
  • Gross national happiness
  • Innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Diverse voices in conservation
  • Countries: Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda as well as Bhutan

Honors & Awards

  • 2021 National Institute for Health (NIH) Training Award

  • 2020 Colorado Arts and Humanities (CAH) Dangers of a Single Story Remote Teaching Award

  • 2018 CU Research and Innovation Office (RIO) Outreach award Social Innovation Pipeline (SIP)

  • 2015 Colorado Humanities Book Award (Young Adult Fiction)

  • 2014 Wall Street Journal Book Picks of the Year

  • 2013 Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP) Award

  • 2012 Research Fellowship with Africa Institute for South Africa (AISA)

  • 2011 Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP) Award

  • 2008 President’s Fund for the Humanities Award

  • 2008 School for Advanced Research (SAR) Ethel-Jane Westfeldt Bunting Fellowship

  • 2007 Colorado Humanities Research Award