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Professor Emeritus Lovis receives the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network
Professor and Curator Emeritus Dr. William A Lovis is the 2026 recipient of a Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN) Lifetime Achievement Award “presented to outstanding and deserving individuals who through personal effort and/or involvement in historic preservation have made a significant contribution to the preservation of Michigan’s heritage”. The award recognizes Professor Lovis’ many contributions to the foundational underpinnings of archaeological heritage management and preservation at the national and state levels. Lovis has chaired the Michigan Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, held government affairs offices with the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), Society of Professional Archaeologists and Register of Professional Archaeologists,…
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Access Champion: Dr. Stacey Camp
by Emily Jodway Throughout the month of May, we celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American/Asian (APIDA/A) Heritage Month and highlight the important role that the members of this community have played in our shared history. We also spotlight members of the MSU community who strive to uplift these individuals and advance belonging through research and advocacy. Our May Access Champion is Stacey Camp, Associate Professor of Archaeology, Director of the MSU Campus Archeology Program and MSU Museum Curator of Archaeology. She came to Michigan State in 2017 after following the work of the late Lynne Goldstein for several years and…
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Anthropology PhD candidate awarded the College of Social Science Graduate Student Research Award
By Jalen Smith Priyanka Jayakodi, a fifth year PhD candidate in cultural anthropology specializing in medical and environmental anthropology, has been named the recipient of the 2026 College of Social Science Graduate Student Research Award. This award is given each year to an outstanding graduate student in the college whose research exemplifies innovative and transformative achievement in their field of study. Priyanka’s research focuses on ecological bodily health, chronic illness, water, gender, state violence, and visual ethnography. She has presented her work at several international conferences, including the Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry,…
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Melissa Teja named 2026 Outstanding Senior in Anthropology
By Jalen Smith The Michigan State University Department of Anthropology is proud to announce Melissa Teja as its Outstanding Senior. This award recognizes a graduating senior in each department with an exceptional academic record, major contributions to the department and their ability to balance rigorous scholarship with extracurriculars.Melissa is a native of Johns Creek, Georgia and is the president of the MSU Anthropology Club. She is also currently serving as Co-Chair of the MSU President’s Student Advisory Council. In addition to this, Teja is member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and last year served on the Panhellenic Council: the…
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Anthropology PhD student’s research examines dismemberment through shape analysis to help solve crimes
By Jalen Smith and Louise Henderson When forensic scientists (people who solve crimes using science) find bones that have been cut with a saw, they try to figure out what kind of saw was used. This can help them narrow down the tools and possibly catch the person who did it. To do this, they look at the marks left on the bones with the saw. One important mark is called the kerf floor shape, which is the shape of the bottom of the cut made by the saw. Think of it like the footprint of the saw blade. In the…
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Regional Drought and Saints’ Rest Dormitory Discovery
by Dr. William Lovis The onset and continuing impacts of global climate change has had a marked impact on the discovery of archaeological sites worldwide, including in Michigan. Professor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis explores this issue through a discussion of the discovery of the mid-19th century Saints’ Rest dormitory on the MSU Campus, recently published in The Michigan Archaeologist in an article titled “Extreme Regional Drought and the Rediscovery of The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan’s First Men’s Dormitory, Saints’ Rest”. Saints’ Rest dormitory, the first men’s dormitory at MSU, originally stood just east of the current MSU Museum. The building…
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Anthropology alumnus wins Award of Merit from Society for Historical Archaeology
Donald Weir, a 1974 Anthropology master’s graduate, has been presented with the national Society of Historical Archaeology’s Award of Merit for his lifetime of work in archaeology at this year’s national conference. The SHA Awards of Merit were established in 1988 to recognize the specific achievements of individuals and organizations who have furthered the cause of historical archaeology. “Donald J. Weir (was selected) for his outstanding leadership and mentorship in Midwest archaeology, pioneering professional practice in cultural resource management, and advancing diversity and education within the field,” the SHA 59th Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology program proclaimed. The award…
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Prior To European Contact Maize In The Central Andes Was Bred To Be Sweeter And Resist Harsh Highland Environment
Genetic analysis of ancient maize placed as an offering alongside the mummified remains of a young 15th-century Andean girl in what is now Bolivia is shedding new light on how regional interactions in the central Andes contributed to the development of maize as a staple crop prior to European contact. The study’s authors include Dr. Huan Chen (lead author), a postdoctoral fellow in Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences; Dr. Gabriel Wrobel, Professor of Anthropology; and Dr. William Lovis, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, along with other Michigan State University colleagues in the plant sciences and collaborators from the Universidad Mayor de…
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New book unpacks the immigrant story behind America’s Mother of the Year
In 1952, Toy Len Goon, a Chinese immigrant widow raising eight children, was selected as U.S. Mother of the Year by the American Mothers Committee of the Golden Rule Foundation. Her story, celebrated during the Cold War as proof of American democracy, is featured in a new book by Dr. Andrea Louie, Goon’s granddaughter, and professor and chair of Michigan State University’s Department of Anthropology. Louie’s book, Chinese American Mothering: Toy Len Goon’s Legacy and the Myth of the Model Minority, gives her grandmother the chance to tell her story through her own experiences, not just through the lens of Cold War propaganda. The book uses immigration documents, family interviews, news articles, and secondary sources to illustrate the story of Goon’s struggles and successes alongside the public narrative…
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New Research Associate Joins MSU’s MOSAIC Project
What began as a childhood interest in studying the past and human remains has led Dr. Andrea Zurek-Ost to a career in forensic anthropology. She joins the Department of Anthropology as a research associate working on MOSIAC, or Methods of Sex, Stature, Affinity and Age for Identification through Computational Standardization, a project funded by a $2.1 million National Institute of Justice grant. Zurek-Ost, originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, developed an interest in anthropology at a young age. In first grade, she recalls learning about the excavation of King Tutankhamen and being fascinated by archaeology, mummies, and the study human remains. In high…