I have a keen interest in exploring how immigration, gender dynamics, and family structures are influenced by policy and socio-economic factors. My research aims to illuminate the complex interplay between these elements and their impact on fertility choices and demographic shifts, particularly within immigrant communities.

Emily Johnson is a Mesoamerican paleoethnobotanist pursuing her Ph.D. in Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara. She has conducted excavations and/or analyses of archaeological sites in Turkey, Guatemala, Mexico, and throughout the United States. Her current research is focused on investigating the timing, spread, and development of the nixtamalization process throughout ancient Mesoamerica. Nixtamalization involves soaking and cooking maize kernels in an alkaline solution made of slaked lime, a cooking method that makes niacin (vitamin B3) available to the body for absorption. This study will be the first to address gaps in knowledge regarding the evolution and spread of nixtamalization, a process that enhances the nutritional value of maize and is recognized by UNESCO as an intangible heritage of humanity. This research involves the integration of two of the Broom Center’s areas of research: Population Health and Environment and Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity.

I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Economics at UCSB. Prior to this, I completed my M.Phil in Development Studies from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai, India. Additionally, I earned my M.A. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, India, along with a B.A.in Economics from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India. My primary research interests are issues pertaining to gender and inequality in the fields of labor and development economics. I have previously worked on a project exploring the impact of increased imports from China on the district-level gender wage gap in India, which was the focus of my M.Phil thesis. At present, I am working on understanding the role of within-kin marriages (or marriage between relatives) in mitigating the impact of rainfall shocks on domestic violence in India.

Sandy is a Ph.D. candidate in economics and environmental science at the Bren School. Her research investigates how environmental change and policies shape and are shaped by patterns of social and economic inequalities. Her recent projects have been centered on equity issues arising from water scarcity in California. Prior to joining UCSB, she was a Research Analyst at the Global Policy Lab at UC Berkeley, where she helped develop quantitative approaches for valuing natural capital for the sustainable development of Māori land in New Zealand. Sandy holds an MA in Economics from UCSB and a BA in Economics from the National University of Singapore.