MARGARITA RIVERA ARRIVILLAGA

anthropologist - demographer - artist

ABOUT

Born and raised in Guatemala, currently based in Kansas, USA.

Margarita has a B.A. degree in Anthropology (UVG), a M.A. degree in Demography (El COLMEX) and diplomas in Anthropology of Art (LATIR-CIESAS) and Anthropology of the Cities (URL-CIESAS).

She is currently a Fulbright first-year PhD student in the Sociocultural Anthropology program at the University of Kansas (KU). She has a robust academic and applied research background, with a particular focus on gender, public health, development, and human rights. Over the past nine years, Margarita has engaged in multidisciplinary research projects across Guatemala, Ecuador, and Mexico, collaborating with academic institutions and independent organizations.

A commitment to advocacy and community engagement drives her current doctoral research. She incorporates participatory and art-based methodologies to address health-related issues among forcibly displaced populations. Margarita seeks to use creative tools for broader dissemination and public awareness. Her research approach aims to foster dialogue, leveraging art as a medium for storytelling and advocacy to pursue social change.

RESEARCH INTERESTS