Adia Benton

Adia Benton is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and African Studies at Northwestern University. She specializes in cultural and medical anthropology, focusing on global health, biomedicine, and development/humanitarianism, particularly in the context of complex humanitarian emergencies and long-term development projects. Benton has a keen interest in the political, economic, and historical factors that shape care distribution in these settings, as well as in professional sports, influenced by her background in endurance training and athletic labor issues.13

Benton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Brown University, a Master of Public Health from Emory University, and completed her Ph.D. in Social Anthropology at Harvard University. Her notable works include the award-winning book HIV Exceptionalism: Development through Disease in Sierra Leone, which examines the implications of treating AIDS as an exceptional disease. She is currently working on a book about the West African Ebola outbreak, focusing on the militarization of public health responses and the politics of care during crises.23

In addition to her academic work, Benton actively engages with broader audiences through her blog, ethnography911.org, and social media, where she discusses issues related to race, gender, and political economy in anthropology. Recently, she was honored with the Anthropology in Media Award (AIME) from the American Anthropological Association for her efforts in communicating anthropology to the public.34