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PhD student Marwa Bakabas featured as Diversity Torch by College of Social Science during Arab American Heritage Month
Department of Anthropology doctoral student Marwa Bakabas is featured as the Diversity Torch in this month’s College of Social Science Diversity Matters recognizing Arab American Heritage Month. Arab American Heritage Month commemorates the contributions of Arab Americans to American life and their struggles to receive full protections as American citizens. The College of Social Science Diversity Torches celebrate students who uphold a diversity value or ideal. As “Diversity Torches,” they provide light, guidance, and awareness to their fellow students and all who see them. Marwa Bakabas is a PhD student in sociocultural Anthropology whose work centers on violence, forced migration,…
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We Stand Against Anti-Asian Violence
From Dr. Todd Fenton, Department Chair and Professor of Anthropology: “On behalf of the faculty, I am writing to express our collective shock and sorrow at the violent attack in Georgia this past week. We condemn the brutal murder of Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Xiaojie Tan, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Paul Andre Michels; eight individuals whose lives were taken in an act of hate. Six of the victims were Asian American women, and we recognize that these murders happened in a larger context of xenophobia, misogyny, and racism that has deep roots in US history. Further,…
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Anthropologists featured in College of Social Science’s Diversity Matters newsletter for their work on human rights
The MSU College of Social Science’s Diversity Matters monthly newsletters highlight our College’s engagement with our core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Dr. Nwando Achebe describes that each month’s focus is “guided by a Diversity Awareness Calendar” and “profiles the celebration of specific groups, cultures, and causes that reflect our diversity.” Each month, the College highlights a faculty or staff member Diversity Champion, a student Diversity Torch, and an alumni Diversity Spotlight. A list of resources also accompanies the monthly themes. This month, Diversity Matters recognizes “Universal Human Rights Month,” which…
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MSU Campus Archaeology Program holds Apparitions & Archaeology Virtual Campus Tour
The Michigan State University Apparitions & Archaeology Haunted Campus Tour has gone online this year! For the entire month of October, participants can visit the online tour and learn about the sites on campus that are known for their paranormal activity and archaeological significance. The tour is a collaborative effort between the Campus Archaeology Program, housed in the Department of Anthropology, the MSU Paranormal Society, the Michigan State University Alumni Office, and the College of Social Science. In addition to the online tour, Campus Archaeology Director Dr. Stacey Camp and Campus Archaeologist Jeff Burnett will host a Facebook Live event…
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Dr. Linda Hunt Retires from the Department
Dr. Linda Hunt retired from the Department this spring after a remarkable career specializing in medical anthropology. Dr. Hunt attributes her early interest in anthropology to growing up in an eclectic household, with a Mexican catholic mother and New York Jewish father in an Irish-catholic neighborhood. With the diverse perspectives and realities surrounding her, she was always interested in understanding the conflicts and resolutions this fomented. After studying anthropology at Wayne State University, Dr. Hunt earned her PhD from Harvard University in 1992. Dr. Hunt joined the MSU Department of Anthropology in 1999 and attained Full Professor status in 2008.…
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Department of Anthropology Statement on Racism, Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion
The Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University denounces the systemic, institutionalized racism, violence, and oppression enacted against Black Americans in the United States. We abhor acts of police violence, and we mourn the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the many others who died as a result of excessive police force. We condemn the institutions that have continued to turn a blind eye to the seemingly endless violence committed against Black communities over the course of U.S. history. We decry the criminalization of peaceful protests that seek to draw attention to institutional racism and bring about positive…
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Dr. Gabriel Sanchez Awarded National Geographic Grant
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce that Dr. Gabriel Sanchez has been awarded a National Geographic Early Career Grant in support of his research project, “Archaeology as Conservation Science: Investigating the Historical Range of California’s Endangered Coho Salmon.” Dr. Sanchez joined the Department as a College of Social Science Dean’s Research Associate and specializes in Indigenous and environmental archaeology. Working through the lens of historical ecology, he studies ancient fisheries along the Pacific Coast of North America and how data from archaeological sites can inform contemporary resource management and conservation. The National Geographic Society funds “bold, innovative, and…
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Congratulations to the Class of 2020
From the Chair, Dr. Todd Fenton: “On behalf of the entire Department of Anthropology, we offer our sincerest congratulations to the Michigan State University Class of 2020 graduates. We are so proud of all that you have accomplished during your time here and look forward to your future achievements. It has been an honor and joy to watch you grow, both academically and personally. As we entered your final spring semester here at MSU, we envisioned ending this journey as it began—together. Although we may not be gathered in one place, we are still celebrating you and your successes as…
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Associate Professors Stacey Camp and Ethan Watrall Awarded National Park Service Grant to build a digital archive of WWII Japanese internment and incarceration
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce that Associate Professors Stacey Camp and Ethan Watrall have been awarded a 3 year National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant for $379,017 to develop The Internment Archaeology Digital Archive (IADA), an open digital archive that will host, preserve, and provide broad public access to digitized collections of archaeological materials, archival documents, oral histories, and ephemera that speak to the experiences of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II in the United States. This digital archive, which will be accessible to descent communities, scholars, students, and the general public, will…
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Dr. Chantal Tetreault Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award
The Department of Anthropology congratulates Dr. Chantal Tetreault on winning a coveted Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award. Dr. Tetreault is an Associate Professor of Anthropology specializing in linguistic and cultural anthropology. Her recent work has primarily focused on issues of migration and social change in France. More generally, her research illuminates how cultural processes of identity construction are achieved through everyday language use. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program encourages academic and professional experts across disciplines in their international research and/or teaching endeavors. This program selects individuals through a competitive process to help them achieve their ambitious goals. Fulbright prides itself…