She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, Canada. Swanson has wide ranging interests but currently focuses on migration in Latin America and the U.S./Mexico border region. She is the author of three books, including ‘Begging as a Path to Progress: Indigenous Women and Children and the Struggle for Ecuador’s Urban Spaces,’ (University of Georgia Press, 2010). She has published her work in a variety of journals including: Annals of the Association of American Geographers; Antipode; Gender, Place & Culture; Environmental Management;and Urban Geography. Her teaching largely focuses on critical social and environmental issues around the world.