Mecca Howe, Ph.D.

Mecca Howe (formerly Burris) is a research associate II at the Urban Institute where she focuses on community-engaged applied research. Mecca has been conducting community collaborative research since 2016 in the U.S. and Costa Rica. She is passionate about using holistic approaches and mixed methods to conduct research with the goal of supporting positive social change and equity.

Mecca has a Ph.D. in biological anthropology and a Ph.D. minor in food and nutrition policy from Indiana University where she also taught courses in anthropology and human biology for five years. She gained her master’s degree in applied anthropology from the University of South Florida.  

Outside of work, Mecca enjoys hiking, climbing, traveling, and sustainable gardening/farming.

“The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.” – Ruth Benedict