Ashleigh Breske is an assistant professor of international studies in the global politics and societies (GPS) department. She earned her Ph.D. in planning, governance, and globalization at Virginia Tech, her M.A.L.S. in social sciences with a focus on Roman history from Hollins University, and her B.S. in biology with a concentration in classical studies and chemistry. Her current research explores how institutions and cultural values mediate changes in repatriation policy for indigenous cultural property.
Areas of Expertise
- Domestic and international repatriation policies
- Cultural property rights
- Material culture and public humanities
- Biopiracy and indigenous rights
Courses Taught
- Introduction to International Studies
- GPS Senior Thesis
- Religious Freedom
- Globalizations and Local Responses
- Refugees and Resettlement
Accomplishments
- Richard E. Zody Award for Outstanding Dissertation in PGG-GG track, Spring 2019
Research Interests
- Museums and cultural heritage sites in conflict zones dealing with the crises of protecting artifacts
- Formalization of repatriation policy in the U.S. and internationally
- At-home DNA kits: the impact of corporations on genetic privacy and ownership rights
Education
- Ph.D., Virginia Tech
- M.A.L.S., Hollins University
- B.S., Virginia Tech
Publications & Articles
- Breske, Ashleigh. (2018). “Politics of Repatriation: Formalizing Indigenous Repatriation Policy,” International Journal of Cultural Property, 25(3), 347-373.
- Breske, Ashleigh. (2018). “Biocolonialism: Examining Biopiracy, Inequality, and Power,” SPECTRA Journal, 6(2), 58-73.
- Breske, Ashleigh and Sonia Hirt. (2019). Entry on Jacobs, Jane. Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Studies, A.M. Orum (ed.), 999-1004. Oxford and Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Breske, Ashleigh. (2017). “Protecting Cultural Property and Heritage Sites During Conflict,” In Stephenson, M. and L. Kirakosyan (eds.) RE: Reflections and Explorations: A Forum for Deliberative Dialogue. Blacksburg: VT Publishing.
- Breske, Ashleigh. (2017). “Biopiracy and the Threat to Indigenous Knowledge.” In Stephenson, M. and L. Kirakosyan (eds.) RE: Reflections and Explorations: A Forum for Deliberative Dialogue. Blacksburg: VT Publishing.
- Breske, Ashleigh. (2018). Review of Steven Salaita’s Inter/Nationalism: Decolonizing Native America and Palestine. Review of Middle East Studies, 52(2): pgs. 423-426.
- Breske, Ashleigh. (2016). Review of Gerald T. Conaty’s (ed.) We are Coming Home: Repatriation and the Restoration of Blackfoot Cultural Confidence. Museums and Social Issues: A Journal of Reflective Discourse, Vol. 11(2): pgs. 158-160.