Dr. Russell Rice Manzano earned her degree in medical anthropology from the University of South Florida. She first began working with refugees and asylum-seekers in 2010 as a volunteer in Sicily. Her M.A. research focused on the resettlement of refugees in Sicily and the challenges that they encounter. This research also included important data about migrant journeys as they traveled from sub-Saharan Africa to Italy; this study revealed that most asylum-seekers and migrants had experienced violence, torture, and human trafficking while in-transit. Her doctoral research centered on the mental health needs of im/migrants living in Central Florida, some of whom were asylum-seekers in the United States. Her areas of expertise include anthropology, medical anthropology, applied anthropology, refugees, im/migrants, resettlement, violence, and mental health.
