Office Hours: Dr. Chelsea Rozanski

Dr. Chelsea Rozanski is a sessional instructor in anthropology and archeology at the University of Calgary, whose work focuses on food systems and Latin American communities. Her classes consistently receive rave reviews from students due to her incorporation of cultural items, fresh food, and guest speakers.  

To explore what makes so many students love Dr. Rozanski, I went up to her office to ask her a few questions about her work and class structure. For almost an hour, we talked about her research, travels across the globe, and howshe found her home here in Alberta as a farmer and educator.   

We join Dr. Rozanski in her naturally lit office overlooking Nose Hill Park, full of material culture items that she has collected from her travels and work. In her office are medicines, books, textiles from Peru, baskets from Panama, and art pieces made by students. On a shelf sit syrups, olive oils, spices, honey, and cards for easy gift basket making when she has guest lecturers.    

Her favourite item is a medicine bag she received for her PhD graduation from a Blackfoot knowledge keeper. There is a wild rose beaded on it, which holds a special place in Dr. Rozanski’s heart.  

Why is it important for you to bring in people and objects to enhance your lectures? 

R: We can only learn so much about people and cultures through textbooks, videos, and lectures. Bringing in material cultural items, books, food, and medicines (if appropriate) creates an embodied learning experience that engages the senses in that culture.   

Food especially has a way of drawing people together. Often in my Latin American classes, I’ll bring in a big pot of cacao for one of the lectures. Students learn about the culture while physically connecting to it and each other.  

Tell us more about your research. 

R: Most of my research is highly community-based. I focus on global farming, such as regenerative, agroecological, foragers, and pastoralists' food systems in small-scale societies. My work has focused on communities in Kenya, Nigeria, China, Peru, Panama, and of course, Canada.   

Whether through an anthropology or development lens, my favourite subject is food systems. I am a farmer outside of academia and run a farm with my family! We provide produce to the Sunnyside Market in Kensington.   

During my PhD, I worked with regenerative farmers in Alberta, focusing on the broader agro-industrial complex that our food system resides in. Now, I am currently working with the Aboriginal Friendship Centre in Calgary on an Indigenous food sovereignty project.  

What classes did you teach last semester? 

R: In Winter 2026, I taught three courses: DEST 201: Intro to Development Studies, ANTH 321: Ethnographic Overview of North America, and I taught Intro to Anthropology remotely at a University in North Bay, Ontario.   

In May, I started as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Political Science with Dr. Jennifer Leason. 

How was your experience in the US Peace Corps? What did you do for them? 

R: It was fantastic! I spent two years serving in the US Peace Corps as a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Extensionist, working in rural communities to establish portable water infrastructure, as well as distribute education about local resources.  

I lived and worked among the Ngäbe of Panama, the largest Indigenous group in the country. Due to the relationships I developed during this experience, I would have to say Panama is my favourite country in Latin America. But I also love the Andes in Peru.  

Do you have a favourite current TV show or musical artist? 

R: No one judge me, but I really love Bridgerton! I really liked this last season, Season Four, but season two is a close second. I like reality dating and matchmaking shows, anything that turns off my work brain and allows me to just relax. My favourite artist right now is Katseye. 

  

Dr. Chelsea Rozanski’s energy and enthusiasm about her work and students was palpable, often working with her students and creating new partnerships. An anthropologist and farmer by trade, her career is vibrantly expressed in her office, with the local herbs from her garden, paintings, and books.