University of Richmond Anthropology Professor Miguel Díaz-Barriga Named AAAS Fellow for Research on Borders

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — University of Richmond anthropology professor Miguel Díaz-Barriga has been named a 2023 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The AAAS Fellows program honors AAAS members whose research has contributed significantly to the advancement of their field. Election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor.

Díaz-Barriga has been recognized for “his distinguished contributions in the anthropological study of border fencing and militarization and its consequences for the people who live, work, and pass through these border regions,” said the AAAS.

“My research at the U.S.-Mexico border has shown that the militarization of the region dramatically affects both migrants and citizens living in these border communities. My research seeks to better understand these effects on citizens’ rights,” said Díaz-Barriga. “I am humbled that the AAAS has honored my work in the field.” 

Díaz-Barriga, who has been at the University of Richmond since 2018, received a 2021 New Directions Award from the American Anthropological Association for his work on the U.S.-Mexico border region with UR anthropology professor Margaret Dorsey. Their book, Fencing in Democracy: Border Walls, Necrocitizenship, and the Security State, received the Association of Latina and Latino Anthropologists’ 2020 Book Award.

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