The AEU Research Team
Adrian V. Bell
Professor
Cultural Anthropology
Dr. Adrian Viliami Bell specializes in research design, data collection, and advanced statistical analysis to measure cultural values, behavioral strategies, and the human experience. His quantatative research spans several disciplines alongside anthropology, including the environmental sciences, ecology, and behavioral economics.
Shane J. Macfarlan
Associate Professor
Cultural Anthropology
shane.macfarlan@ anthro.utah.edu
Dr. Shane J. Macfarlan is a scientific cultural anthropologist with over 15 years of experience performing ethnographic research in both national and international contexts. He is an expert in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, and employs these techniques to understand cultural dynamics and human-ecosystem relationships.
Thomas Kraft
Assistant Professor
Evolutionary Ecology
Thomas Kraft is a behavioral ecologist with expertise in human health and physiology, decision-making, and evolutionary approaches to understanding behavior. He has nearly 15 years of experience conducting both qualitative and quantitative ethnographic fieldwork with Indigenous populations in Asia, Africa, and South America. As part of the Applied Ethnography Unit, (AEU) he is able to provide services related to quantitatve behavioral observation, qualitative survey methods, research design for optimization problems, computer programming, probabilistic statistical inference, and science communication.
Affiliated Researchers
Blanca Yagüe Ph.D.
Cultural Anthropology
Blanca Yagüe is a cultural anthropologist with an interdisciplinary background. Her research interests are centered around food systems and food sovereignty, urbanization, and Indigenous peoples’ interactions with the urban space. She has more than 15 years of ethnographic experience working on these topics in the Amazon region. For the past 5 years, Blanca has also been conducting research locally, in Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front, together with community partners. She practices community-engaged research and has a strong applied focus. Blanca is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.