Research Associate
Urban Institute
Dr. Mecca Howe (formerly Burris) is a research associate II at the Charlotte Urban Institute where she focuses on community-engaged applied research. Dr. Howe has been conducting community collaborative research since 2016 in the United States 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.
Dr. Howe holds a doctorate in biological anthropology and a doctoral minor in food and nutrition policy from Indiana University where she also taught courses in anthropology and human biology for five years. She earned a master’s degree in applied anthropology from the University of South Florida.
Outside of work, Dr. Howe enjoys hiking, climbing, traveling, and sustainable gardening/farming.
“The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.” – Ruth Benedict
