Sarah Renkert
- Assistant Professor of Practice // Anthropology
- Assistant Professor // Cornerstone
Office and Contact
Room: STON 312
Email: srenkert@purdue.edu
Sarah Renkert is an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Anthropology. She is an applied cultural anthropologist teaching courses on community engagement, practicing anthropology, and food studies. Renkert works with the Space for Practice Lab, which aims to serve as a campus and community center for collaborative anthropological praxis. She also conducts ethnographic research in Huaycán, Lima, Peru focused on the politics of food aid and community organizing.
Renkert received her Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Arizona in Applied Sociocultural Anthropology. In addition to her work in Peru, her research in the U.S. Southwest has looked at food systems, food security, diaper need, and Indigenous land protection and representation. She has also conducted research in the Ecuadorian Amazon, focused on community-owned tourism in the Kichwa Añangu Community. Renkert, who grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, received her B.A. from Indiana University-Bloomington, where she studied Spanish and International Studies. Beyond academia, she has worked on a variety of education and food systems projects with organizations in Peru, Ecuador, Arizona, China, and Thailand.