Author: Priyanka Jayakodi

I'm pursuing a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on Medical and Environmental Anthropology. My research interests are located within the entanglements of ecological and bodily health, more specifically on water insecurity, toxicity, and health in the context of Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka. I hold a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Sociology from the University of Peradeniya. Prior to enrolling in the Anthropology Ph.D. program at MSU, I worked as an adjunct instructor at Montclair State University (New Jersey) and the Open University of Sri Lanka.

Professor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis, Assistant Professor Dr. Kurt Rademaker, Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Randolph Donahue, MSU graduates, and Geography colleagues publish in the journal PaleoAmerica

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Department of Anthropology Professor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis, Assistant Professor Dr. Kurt Rademaker, Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Randolph Donahue, MSU graduates, and Geography colleagues publish in the journal PaleoAmerica on the 12,200- to 11,600-year-old Hipwater PaleoIndian site in southern Michigan. PaleoAmerica is the premier international journal for research on the Read More

Ph.D. Student Grace Shu Gerloff Publishes in Adoption & Culture

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Department of Anthropology Ph.D. Student Grace Shu Gerloff published an op-ed in the special issue of the Alliance for the Study of Adoption and Culture journal, Adoption and Culture. The op-ed, titled, “Beyond Feelings: What’s Missing from Trauma-Centered Adoption Narratives,” problematizes overly pathological framings of adoption and encourages consideration for the ways adoption—and trauma—exist Read More

Ph.D. Student Aubree Marshall Publishes in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Department of Anthropology Ph.D. student Aubree Marshall and co-authors Jessica S. Wollmann (Radford University, University of Toronto), McKenzie Schrank (Radford University, University of Colorado), and Laura Tobias Gruss (Radford University) published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology. The title of the article is “Tibial torsion Read More

Associate Professor Dr. Ethan Watrall and Professor Emerita Dr. Lynne Goldstein Publish Two Edited Volumes with the University Press Florida on Digital Heritage and Archaeology

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Dr. Ethan Watrall and Professor Emerita Dr. Lynne Goldstein have published two edited volumes with the University Press Florida on Digital Heritage and Archaeology – Digital Heritage and Archaeology in Practice: Presentation, Teaching, and Engagement Read More

Featured Faculty, Dr. Masako Fujita: A passion for anthropology and making a difference in women’s health and wellness

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Dr. Masako Fujita is an Associate Professor in biological anthropology, specializing in contemporary human variation. She also directs the Biomarker Laboratory for Anthropological Research. She regularly teaches the graduate course Quantitative Methods in Anthropology and undergraduate courses such as Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Human Adaptability.  Dr. Fujita joined MSU as Read More

Associate Professor Dr. Masako Fujita and Ph.D. Candidate Nerli Paredes Ruvalcaba co-publish in the American Journal of Human Biology

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Masako Fujita, Ph.D. Candidate Nerli Paredes Ruvalcaba and co-authors recently published in the American Journal of Human Biology. The article, titled, “Human milk lactoferrin variation in relation to maternal inflammation and iron deficiency in northern Kenya” explored how nutritional Read More

Associate Professor Dr. Masako Fujita publishes in the Cambridge University Press’ Experimental Results

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Masako Fujita and co-author Eleanor Brindle recently published in the Cambridge University Press’ Experimental Results. The article, titled, “Comparing the creamatocrit of human milk before and after long-term freezing” evaluates the effect of long-term cryogenic storage on the creamatocrit, Read More

Associate Professor Dr. Mara Leichtman publishes an article in The Conversation

Posted onAuthorPriyanka Jayakodi

Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Mara Leichtman published an article in The Conversation, which is a nonprofit independent news organization. Dr. Leichtman’s article, titled, “How Shiite Islam reached Tanzania, and Ashoura processions became an annual tradition,” is based on her fieldwork conducted in Tanzania Read More