Gungun Islam, an anthropology doctoral student, won first place in the 2024-2025 Shao Chang Lee Best Paper Competition. Islam said receiving this award was a ‘powerful reminder’ that her research is significant. “It’s rewarding to see my hard work, long hours of research, and emotional investment in the topic recognized in such a tangible way,” she said. “It reaffirmed that the questions I am exploring and the lens I bring to my research are contributing something valuable to broader conversations.” Shaped by her everyday experiences, Islam’s decision to pursue a graduate degree in anthropology grew from her curiosity to understand how…

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It’s one of those rare warm and sunny days in early April when I meet Adena Norwood for the first time. The sky is perfectly blue, and for a minute, I remember why I enjoy living in Michigan. As I walk into a local East Lansing coffee shop, I hear the barista call Adena’s name. I wave and introduce myself.   I’m instantly drawn to her bubbly energy, authentic smile and poised demeanor as she welcomes me to a table in the corner for us to talk.  Immediately, I see why Adena was selected by the Dean’s Student Advisory Council…

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When a medical examiner needs help identifying a deceased person and determining how that person died, they turn to forensic anthropologists. To aid in the identification of unknown human remains, forensic anthropologists are often called upon to create a biological profile, or an estimation of the unknown individual’s age, biological sex, social race (or ancestry) and stature. If you’ve watched the TV show, “Bones,” in which the FBI teams up with a forensic anthropologist to solve federal cases that may involve murder and human skeletal remains, you have some familiarity with the field of forensic anthropology. However, the real work…

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Melissa Teja, a junior majoring in anthropology, started her journey at Michigan State University (MSU) seeking a communications degree. But after taking Introduction to Archaeology and participating in a study abroad field school in Belize her freshmen year, something changed her mind. “I cannot think of a month that went better for me, where I was constantly covered in dirt and bugs,” she said. “I loved it.” Two years later, the College of Social Science’s Dean’s Student Advisory Council named Teja the recipient of the 2025 Undergraduate Research Award. “Archaeology and anthropology involve listening to people’s stories through data and…

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An interdisciplinary team comprising of faculty and doctorial students from the Department of Anthropology and Computer Science and Engineering, have found a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help forensic anthropologists identify individuals faster and more efficiently.   Members of the Michigan State University Forensic Anthropology Lab (MSUFAL), including Dr. Carolyn Isaac, Dr. Todd Fenton, Dr. Joseph Hefner, and doctoral student Alexis VanBaarle, co-authored a new study which analyzed over 5,000 chest radiographs, identifying different regions of interest (ROIs) that aid in identifying a person. The study used deep neural networks, a type of AI program, which allow for…

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According to Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), approximately 81,096 military personnel remain unaccounted for. Allison Thomson wants to change that. Thomson, senior anthropology undergraduate at Michigan State University (MSU), was selected for an internship with the DPAA in Omaha, Nebraska. Out of 135 applications, Thomson was one of six students selected. “I was incredibly excited because I knew it was competitive, but it will be a great opportunity and provide me with valuable experience,” Thomson said. DPAA works to identify the thousands of missing military personnel by collaborating with military members, historians, life support specialists, language interpreters, anthropologists, archaeologists, DNA…

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