The American Anthropological Association has announced that Dána-Ain Davis and Sameena Mulla have been appointed Editors-in-Chief of American Anthropologists, effective January 1, 2027. The appointments follow the completion of the current term of the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, who has served in the role since 2020.
Published quarterly, American Anthropologist is the association’s flagship journal and supports the advancement of anthropological knowledge through original research, commentaries, essays, and reviews of books and multimedia works. The journal plays a central role in advancing the association’s mission by integrating and interpreting scholarship across the discipline.
Dána-Ain Davis is Professor of Urban Studies at Queens College and serves on the faculty of the doctoral programs in Anthropology and Critical Psychology, in addition to directing the Center for the Study of Women and Society at the CUNY Graduate Center. Academic contributions include authorship and editorship of six books, including award-winning work on reproductive justice and feminist ethnography. Professional experience also includes editorial roles, leadership positions within arts and advocacy organizations, and documentary filmmaking.
Sameena Mulla is Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Emory University, with affiliated faculty status in Anthropology. Scholarly work includes research on sexual violence, forensic care, and legal processes, along with leadership roles in academic programming and editorial contributions to book series focused on policing, crime, and governance. Academic recognition includes multiple disciplinary awards for scholarly contributions.
Both incoming editors have emphasized a vision of the journal as a scholarly community, with an editorial focus on maintaining rigor while expanding interdisciplinary engagement and preserving diversity of thought within anthropology. Experience co-launching and editing Feminist Anthropology has informed plans to cultivate a journal that balances disciplinary breadth with intellectual coherence.
The transition period includes a year of shadowing the current Editor-in-Chief, with a focus on continuity, editorial stewardship, and strengthening relationships with authors and reviewers. The incoming editors have indicated an intention to build on existing commitments while guiding the journal into the next phase of scholarly engagement.
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