People leave their home countries and travel to others — including ours — for various reasons. Those big moves often have dire economic and health consequences.

Two of Kansas University’s new Foundation Distinguished Professors, husband-wife duo Victor Agadjanian and Cecilia Menjívar, specialize in studying human migration. That includes researching who’s moving where, why and what problems they face once they arrive.

“The ultimate objective is not just to collect knowledge, but to see what (solutions) need to be implemented in terms of reducing the risks for both migrants and their family members,” Agadjanian said. “That’s how I see the ultimate relevance and importance of the research that we do, is to help people deal with those risks.”

Agadjanian and Menjívar, both distinguished professors at Arizona State University, will start in KU’s department of sociology this semester.

Victor Agadjanian

Cecilia Menjívar

Their hires are part of a larger effort by KU to grow the school’s existing faculty strengths in the area of human migration, immigration and human trafficking, including leading the creation of a new center focused on the subject.

Although both professors’ research specialties fall under that umbrella, they work in different areas.

Agadjanian focuses primarily on people moving to and fro in other parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union.

His research seeks to identify social and economic consequences, access to employment and resources, and the “decision-making ability” of women who migrate without their partners, he said.

Another topic he focuses on is health consequences of migration, especially sexual and reproductive health. Agadjanian noted that especially in places like Africa, leaving small villages for big cities — especially when partners are separated — leads to increased risk for HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Menjívar’s research focuses primarily on people immigrating to the United States from the Latin American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, she said.

Another line of her research involves violence and gender violence in those countries.

Unfortunately, “these two interests are very much related,” she said.

Menjívar said she hoped her research would contribute to knowledge about a part of the world from which the United State is integrating people. “It’s very important for us to know about these other regions.”

KU touts both Agadjanian and Menjívar as “prolific” authors — Menjívar has written six books — with involvement in various professional organizations and boards.

Agadjanian, a native of Moscow, and Menjívar, born in El Salvador, met during graduate school in the United States, at a conference, and have been married almost 25 years. They have an 18-year-old son.

After completing a cross-country migration of their own this summer, Agadjanian said, “both of us are genuinely excited about this move and want to be part of the community.”