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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…
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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…
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A look inside ANP 364: Fake Archaeology
This semester, Dr. Madeline Mackie challenged students to examine the pseudoarchaeological claims made about the past in ANP 364: Fake Archaeology. Students explored topics from ancient aliens and Atlantis to mysterious megalithics and pyramids. While dissecting archaeological myths, frauds, and hoaxes, Mackie has guided students in learning how to identify false claims and understand why these ideas gain traction in popular media. Additionally, this course emphasizes the accurate methods used to reconstruct the past. During this class session, students worked in the Lab for the Education and Advancement of Digital Research (LEADR) on their projects which analyze how social media…
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MSU Museum Welcomes Dr. Stacey Camp as Curator of Archaeology
The Michigan State University (MSU) Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Stacey Camp as Curator of Archaeology. An accomplished historical archaeologist and professor in MSU’s Department of Anthropology, Dr. Camp brings a wealth of experience in research, teaching, and public engagement focused on immigration, identity, and labor in the United States. “The MSU Museum’s curatorial team continues to expand in ways that strengthen our interdisciplinary approach and deepen our community connections,” said Devon Akmon, Director of the MSU Museum. “Dr. Camp’s expertise in archaeology and material culture will enrich our collections, exhibitions, and research, while advancing our mission…
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Gungun Islam Awarded Dr. Delia Koo Scholarship for Research on Reproductive Health in India
Congratulations to Gungun Islam, anthropology graduate student, on receiving the Dr. Delia Koo Global Student Scholarship. This award supports her ethnographic fieldwork in West Bengal, India, where she is examining the complex inequities found within infertility. “In India, infertility is never just a biomedical issue,” Islam said. “It is deeply political—shaped by intersecting structures of sociocultural, economic, environmental, and political inequalities.” Her research investigates how assisted reproductive technologies (ART), while expanding possibilities for conception, remain largely inaccessible to many marginalized women. Islam noted that these women are faced with systematic neglect, religious prejudice, and humiliation in clinical settings all of which constrain…
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What ancient Indigenous cuisine can teach us about culture and community
A new collection of original essays, “Ancient Indigenous Cuisines: Archaeological Explorations of the Midcontinent,” is the first to examine trends in ancient Indigenous foodways across the region. This volume, a collaborative effort by Dr. Jodie O’Gorman, former chair and associate professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Anthropology, and Ph.D. alumni Dr. Susan Kooiman and Dr. Autumn Painter, explores the concept of cuisine and its connections to social experience—how what people ate shaped and reflected their lives. Recognizing overlapping research interests, O’Gorman, Kooiman, and Painter brought together scholars studying an array of related topics in a variety of cultural contexts. Their goal was…
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Language and Peacebuilding: Indonesian Youth Counter Conflict Through Creativity
A new arts-based research project reveals how young people in Ambon, Indonesia are transforming language into a tool for unity and healing. Associate Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Elizabeth Drexler, co-authored a new study titled Language and Conflict De-escalation: Preserving peace in Ambon through literature and art. In collaboration with Dr. Wening Udasmoro, Professor of Literature and Gender and Vice Rector of Education and Learning at Universitas Gadjah Mada, and Mariana Lewier, lecturer at Pattimura University in Maluku, the team examined how the youth of Ambon approach social issues related to peace, justice and human rights. Despite its now vibrant cultural identity,…
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Access Champion: Nicolas Gisholt
Nicolas Gisholt is a Senior Specialist Academic Advisor for the College of Social Science at the Center for Integrative Studies and the Department of Anthropology, former Specialist representative for the Chicanx Latinx Association, and advises the Chicano Latino Studies minor. Gisholt is passionate about advocacy for the Latino community, equitable distribution of resources for students; retention and graduation rates for students of underserved groups; and mental health in university students. He is our Access Spotlight for the month of September as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Gisholt originally began his academic career in Mexico City, studying psychology. It was a…
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Exploring Medical Anthropology with Dr. Heather Howard
Recently, we had the opportunity to visit a medical anthropology class taught by Dr. Heather Howard. During this visit, students explored how Indigenous peoples’ health is defined, understood, and researched from multiple perspectives. We spoke with Dr. Howard about her favorite part of teaching the course, how it prepares students for their future careers, and what she hopes they take away from the experience. Here’s what she shared: What’s your favorite part of teaching ANP 425? “I love to see students respectfully learning from Indigenous peoples’ experiences, strengths, and insights— and getting excited about how they can connect these with…
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Michigan State welcomes Dr. Phyllis Johnson to launch its first cultural resource management lab
With cultural resource management (CRM) accounting for up to 90% of archaeology jobs in the United States, Michigan State University (MSU) has taken a major step forward by hiring Dr. Phyllis Johnson, a new assistant professor of anthropology, to launch the university’s first CRM lab and training program. The CRM Lab, currently in development, hopes to support students with paid, hands-on experience in cultural resource management while completing archaeological contracts and generating revenue. Johnson envisions using the money generated from contract work to support the lab with equipment costs, graduate student assistantships, undergraduate internships and summer jobs. Once established, it…