FOCUS
Andy researches the role of labor in subject formation and substance use/abuse. Through mixed-method participatory research, Andy seeks to elucidate connections between working conditions and drug use, and to inform intervention through an analysis of social determinants. He explores how economic principles such as value and demand are imposed by markets upon institutions, by employers upon workers, and by workers upon their own bodies through their consumptive practices. He investigates criminal-legal and biomedical theories of addiction using methods from social work, history, and medical anthropology to consider the strengths and limitations of these models. Andy has had the privilege of assisting individuals navigating active substance use and treatment for over eight years, both personally and as a clinician. He firmly believes that people who use drugs are the most informed authority on their experiences and can meaningfully engage in the policies that shape their lives.
MORE ABOUT ANDY
Andy (he/they) is a queer and trans scholar-practitioner from New York. Prior to doctoral study, he received a Master of Divinity from Yale University and a BFA from SUNY Purchase. As a community organizer, Andy has spent over a decade fighting for racial justice, trans liberation, worker’s rights, harm reduction initiatives, and climate justice.
