Dr. Jennifer Cearns

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Jennifer Cearns is a digital anthropologist specializing in the intersection of artificial intelligence and social life. Her research focuses on the ways in which people relate to emerging intelligent technologies, exploring the ideological and cultural underpinnings of new perceptions of self, personhood, and kinship. She completed her PhD in Anthropology at University College London in 2020, examining material and digital exchange under socialism and capitalism in Cuba and Central North America, with a focus on kinship ties underpinning informal economies. Cearns has conducted extensive ethnographic research across Brazil, Cuba, Guyana, Panama, Mexico, Spain, and the UK. Before her current role, she served as a Lecturer in Digital Anthropology at UCL and as an Associate Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute. She is an active voice in the discourse on AI and society, contributing her insights as a speaker at various festivals and media outlets. Her notable publications include the monograph Circulating Culture, published in 2023, and she is currently involved in collaborative research projects looking at the financialization of housing in the Global South.

Research Interests

Experience

Lecturer

2023-01-01 — Present

University of Manchester • Manchester, UK

Teaching courses on Digital Anthropology and research supervision.

Lecturer

— Present

UCL • London, UK

Taught Digital Anthropology.

Associate Postdoctoral Fellow

— Present

Alan Turing Institute • London, UK

Contributed to AI-related research projects.

Awards

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Association Latina Latino Anthropologists Book Prize

#

Society Latin American & Caribbean Anthropology Book Prize

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Arthur Maurice Hocart Prize

#

Roseberry Nash Award

Requirements for University of Manchester

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or science subject Strong background in mathematics and physics
Application Checklist
  • Academic transcripts
  • Two academic references
  • Personal statement
  • CV/Resume
  • English language proficiency certificate
Specialization Notes

Includes MSc in Advanced Electrical Power Systems and MSc in Communications and Signal Processing.