Tierra McMahon

Tierra McMahon is an Adjunct Professor at IE University and an interdisciplinary social science researcher, with specialized training in Anthropology, Economics, and International Relations.

Her current research examines how modernity and globalization narratives, along with their marshalling of class, kinship, and gender expectations, are employed to justify or change social/cultural practices within non-G-20 countries, and specifically in North Africa. Tierra also works on artificial intelligence, investigating key conceptual constructs, their theoretical implications and impacts in both the Global North and Global South. Her research on this topic received the 2019 London School of Economics Bloch and Parry Award.

Previously, Tierra worked as an Economist and Policy Analyst at the OECD in Paris, where she worked on multiple projects with partner countries in Central Asia, addressing economic diversification beyond extractive industries, gender, finance and inclusivity, and ease of doing business. Tierra also served at UNESCO, where she provided data, textual content, as well as editing and production services for a high-level publication released at the 2014 UN General Assembly as well as for other work conducted under the aegis of the Post-2015 Development Goals Agenda. These professional experiences greatly impacted her understanding of intra-national, political-economic dynamics, as well as her appreciation of key features of knowledge production on a global scale, which she seeks to bring to her research and teaching.

Corporate Experience

• Economist and Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), France, 2014 - 2017

• Internal Consulting, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), France, 2014

Academic Experience

• Adjunct Professor, IE University, Spain, 2023 - Present

• Graduate Student Teacher, Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics, UK, 2022 - Present

• Graduate Student Teacher, Programme in International Relations, Government, and Society, London School of Economics, UK, 2023

• Co-Convenor of Summer Seminar Series, London School of Economics, UK, 2023

Academic Background

• PhD in Anthropology, London School of Economics, UK, Exp 2024

• MRes in Anthropology, London School of Economics, UK, 2020

• MSc in Social Anthropology, London School of Economics, UK, 2019

• MRes in Economics, University of Paris Dauphine – PSL Research University, France, 2014

• MA in International Relations, American Graduate School in Paris, France, 2012

• BA in Philosophy, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, 2003