简介

The Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D. The Johns Hopkins University, M.A. Columbia University, B.A. My interests lie in Mexico and U.S.-Mexican relations, and in silver mining, with special focus on theoretical concepts of patrimony and the production of value. I recently completed a book on mineral collecting of mineral specimens from Mexico in museums and collections in the United States. The describes how and why these byproducts of ore mining come to be valued by people in various walks of life as scientific specimens, religious offerings, works of art, and luxury collectibles. The story of mineral exploration and trade defines a variegated transnational space, shedding new light on the complex relationship between these two countries and on the process of making value itself. I am currently pursuing several projects, including one on artisanal gold mining and uses of gold in Colombia (in conjunction with my brother, photojournalist Stephen Ferry) and another on perceptions among participants in financial markets on the relationship between physical gold and gold based assets. At Brandeis, I teach courses in economic anthropology, power and violence, Latin American ethnography, media in Latin America, and the anthropology of food.