Daniel Joseph (Haiti)

PhD Candidate in Anthropology

Daniel’s research focuses on Dominicans of Haitian descent who were displaced from the Dominican Republic in 2015 and now live in a small town called Anse-à-Pitres in Haiti. Daniel examines how members of this population create survival strategies and build alternative forms of citizenship.

As a Haitian student who has studied in France, Daniel appreciated the diversity of UK’s student body. “It was a very good environment with students from different places, such as Africa and Latin America, and I found that inspiring and motivating,” he said. “I had a lot of very good conversations with other students who really helped me to integrate into the program. Also, I met some wonderful faculty who welcomed me and helped me settle in Lexington.”

Daniel became interested in UK’s doctoral program in Anthropology after spending a year as an exchange fellow teaching French at the University of Iowa. He completed his master’s in Foreign Cultures and Societies: Europe and the Americas at the University of Poitiers, France in 2012. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Haiti at the École Normale Supérieure of Haiti State University. While at UK, Daniel has received a National Science Foundation grant in 2017 and a Dean’s Fellowship award in 2018.

Currently preparing his dissertation for final submission, Daniel has already secured a job teaching Anthropology at DePauw University in Indiana. Although he is excited for the next step in his career, he is sad to leave Kentucky. “After 5 and a half years in Lexington, it’s really very hard for me to say farewell."