Dr. Kerensa L. Allison

Cultural Anthropologist & Educator

From the remote villages of the Ecuadorian Amazon to the classrooms of the Pacific Northwest, I've spent my career exploring the fascinating intersections of culture, biology, and human adaptation.  I earned my PhD in Anthropology with a dissertation on "Manioc mothers: subsistence stability and the influence of tourism among the Napo Kichwas in the Ecuadorian Amazon" - a project that took me deep into indigenous communities to understand how traditional food systems adapt to modern pressures. My interdisciplinary background includes advanced degrees in both anthropology and biology, giving me a unique lens for examining human-environment relationships. 

My passport tells quite a story! Beyond extensive fieldwork in Ecuador, I've explored Ireland's countryside, engaged in tropical ecology research in Costa Rica and Belize, trekked through Thailand, explored castles in Denmark, and lived in Australia for some time. I have passable Spanish, and speak some Kichwa - an indigenous language that connects communities across South America.   For 25 years, I've had the privilege of sharing these cross-cultural experiences with college students at Washington State University and LCSC. I enjoy seeing students' eyes light up when they realize how diverse and creative human societies can be.

I am a proud Pacific Northwest native from Oroville, WA, I recently made the leap across state lines to Moscow, ID.  When I'm not grading papers or planning research trips, you'll find me camping with my family, playing softball, getting lost in a good book, or enjoying movie nights. My household is delightfully chaotic with my husband Tony, three teenagers (including 16-year-old twins), and our menagerie of two dogs and three cats.

Current Research My research bridges anthropology and applied social change through three interconnected projects. I'm currently publishing "Bridging the Gap in LGBTQ+ Healthcare: Nurturing Cultural Humility among Undergraduate Nursing Students," which addresses a critical challenge in nursing education: how to provide meaningful LGBTQ+ healthcare training in increasingly restrictive educational environments. Rather than traditional "cultural competency" approaches that treat diversity as a checklist, this research demonstrates an innovative scaffolding method that positions students as active participants in their own learning through cultural humility principles. This research was conducted in collaboration with my undergraduate students: Rachel Wolfe (Hull), Kason Carté, Rylee George, and Isaiah Linabary. 

I am working with Nez Perce tribal members Velda Penney and Linda Dufford, documenting oral histories of tribal elders and families regarding experiences with foster care and adoption outside their community. This community-initiated project preserves first-person narratives of post-boarding school era child removal while exploring how these experiences affected cultural identity, family relationships, and intergenerational knowledge transmission.

I also focus on expanding undergraduate research opportunities through international fieldwork. Over five trips to Ecuador with LCSC students, I've guided research methods courses while studying how cell phone technology both enhances and complicates study abroad research programs.

My research interests reflect my commitment to community-centered research, cultural preservation, and creating more inclusive spaces—whether in healthcare settings, academic institutions, or cross-cultural research environments. My approach to research consistently emphasizes collaborative methodologies that serve community needs while advancing broader understanding of power structures and human resilience.  

Also feel free to contact me if you are interested my research, travels, family pets... or possibly in an Anthropology Minor a nice addition for anyone who is working in a field where cultural competency is important. (Full URL: https://www.lcsc.edu/social-sciences