Introduction

Alexandra Cotofana's research and teaching explores intersections of environmental anthropology and science and technology studies, with a particular focus on water scarcity and its possible solutions. Alexandra’s current project investigates the ways in which weather scientists create knowledge about the atmosphere in general and cloudseeding in particular. She is interested in all the actors co-creating atmospheric epistemologies, and their everyday lives. The project offers the public an alternative perspective on a topic that is increasingly targeted by conspiracy theories. in doing so, it hopes to curb the drop in science literacy that has recently been of major concern to scientists worldwide.

Alexandra earned her PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Indiana University Bloomington, with a Doctoral Minor in Religious Studies. Prior to joining Zayed University, she held a Lectureship in History and Anthropology at Butler University.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian

Qualifications:

• 2018, PhD Cultural Anthropology (Indiana University, Bloomington)

• 2016, M.A. Cultural Anthropology (Indiana University Bloomington)

• 2011, M.A. Cultural Anthropology (National School for Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest)

• 2009, B.A. Political Sciences (National School for Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest)

Professional Membership:

• American Ethnological Society, 2015 - present

• American Anthropological Association, 2014 - present

• European Association of Social Anthropologists 2014 – present

Convenor of the Environmental Anthropology Network of EASA (2020-2024)