Erica Cusi Wortham

Erica Cusi Wortham is a cultural anthropologist with an interdisciplinary practice at George Washington University that spans social science, art, design and engineering. As the inaugural Director of Co-Curricular Engagement & Interdisciplinary Programs at GW Engineering, she works with an experienced team to ensure the student experience is next level. Charged by the school’s mission for “Engineering And…” Dr. Wortham supports experiential learning opportunities through the GW Innovation Center, which she also directs, with an emphasis on human- and planet-centered design, and creative problem-solving.  In addition, she brings an ethnographic perspective to AI initiatives at the school as a Co-PI on the multi-year National Science Foundation Research Traineeship grant that supports the design of trustworthy AI systems.

Dr. Wortham has held multiple teaching appointment across GW schools and departments since 2012, with long standing relationships in anthropology, art and design, and Latin American studies. She is currently co-developing an undergraduate engineering course on the impact of technology on society and building the foundation for a design education track in engineering. Prior to joining GW, Erica worked at the intersection of culture, technology and politics to examine how Indigenous artists and activists are reclaiming narrative sovereignty. She has held positions at the National Museum of the American Indian and New York University Libraries and continues to support Indigenous media artists and activists in the context of community archiving and scholarship. Erica’s undergraduate degree is from Columbia University and her graduate degrees, including a certificate in ethnographic filmmaking, are from New York University.