Ethnic Studies

Ameya S. Balsekar

Associate Professor of Government

ameya.s.balsekar@lawrence.edu

920-832-6930

My interests are in the sub-field of Comparative Politics, with a focus on developing countries, the politics of identity, political rhetoric, and constitution-making. I also teach courses on democracies and…

Elizabeth Carlson

Associate Professor of Art History

elizabeth.carlson@lawrence.edu

920-832-6646

I teach courses covering European Modern, Contemporary and American art, material culture, and theory. My scholarly publications look at the intersection between rising consumerism, new modes of visual display, and…

Sigma Colon (she/her)

Associate Professor of Environmental and Ethnic Studies

sigma.colon@lawrence.edu

Sigma Colón holds a joint appointment in Environmental Studies and Ethnic Studies. She has a PhD in American Studies from Yale University and an MA in History and BA in…

Carla Daughtry (She/Her/Hers)

Associate Professor of Anthropology

carla.daughtry@lawrence.edu

920-832-7176

As a cultural anthropologist, I teach and research Middle East and North African societies; migration, immigration and globalization; race, ethnicity and gender across cultures; anthropology of food and food justice…

Sonja Lynn Downing (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology

sonja.l.downing@lawrence.edu

920-832-7165

I am an ethnomusicologist with research interests in Balinese gamelan music and dance, traditional music pedagogy, the intersection of gender and performance, and ecomusicology. My book Gamelan Girls: Gender, Childhood,…

Jose L. Encarnacion (He/Him/His)

Associate Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies

jose.l.encarnacion@lawrence.edu

920-832-6629

José L. Encarnación leads the jazz improvisation classes, directs the LU Jazz Band, coaches jazz small groups, teaches applied jazz saxophone, coordinates the jazz performance program and Chairs the Jazz…

Lucero Estrella (she/her)

Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies

lucero.estrella@lawrence.edu

920-832-7361

Lucero Estrella (she/her) is an interdisciplinary historian of Japanese migration to the Americas, focusing on diasporic communities in northeastern Mexico and south Texas. Her current book project explores the circuits…

Ornella J. Hills

Mark Burstein Assistant Professor of Global and Public Health

ornella.j.hills@lawrence.edu

920-832-6529

Karen A. Hoffmann (She/her/hers)

Associate Professor of English

karen.a.hoffmann@lawrence.edu

920-832-7246

I teach courses in the English department and the Ethnic Studies program, such as Literature of the Harlem Renaissance, Toni Morrison, Expressions of Ethnicity: Ethnicity and the Arts, and Gender…

Lena L. Khor (she/her)

Associate Professor of English

lena.l.khor@lawrence.edu

920-832-7223

I love reading literature: It teaches, delights, and moves me. I enjoy sharing my love of literature with others through my research and teaching. My research areas are human rights…

Estefani Marin (she/her)

Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies

estefani.marin@lawrence.edu

920-832-7024

Estéfani Marín is an Assistant Professor of the Ethnic Studies program and a Mellon Mays Fellow. Her research investigates how families negotiate social inequality in two primary contexts: education and the…

Brigetta F. Miller (she/her)

Associate Professor of Music

brigetta.f.miller@lawrence.edu

Brigetta is an Associate Professor of Music at Lawrence University and currently serves as the 2026-27 chair of the Music Education department in the Conservatory of Music. She is praised…

Stewart C. Purkey

Bee Connell Mielke Professor of Education and Associate Professor of Education

stewart.c.purkey@lawrence.edu

920-832-6715

Melissa H. Range (she/her)

Associate Professor of English

melissa.h.range@lawrence.edu

920-832-6755

I teach courses in creative writing (poetry), nineteenth century American literature, and contemporary poetry, with particular emphasis on women writers and writers of color.  I'm the author of two collections…

Betsy Schlabach (she/her)

Associate Professor of History

betsy.schlabach@lawrence.edu

920-832-7369

Betsy Schlabach is an Associate Professor of History. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from Saint Louis University, an MA in American Studies from Lehigh University, and a BA in History…

Jesus G. Smith (He, Him, His)

Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies

jesus.g.smith@lawrence.edu

920-832-7399

Jesús Gregorio Smith is an Associate Professor and chair of the Ethnic Studies Program as well as an Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Andrew W. Mellon Fellow. He received…

Beth A. Zinsli (she/her)

Associate Provost and Adjunct Associate Professor of Art History

beth.a.zinsli@lawrence.edu

920-832-6942

I teach courses on the history and theory of photography, museum studies, global modernisms, and contemporary art. In addition to an active curatorial practice, I write about photography from Cuba…