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Access Spotlight: Dr. Kehli Henry
Kehli Henry, Ph.D., is Michigan State University’s Access Spotlight honoree. During the month of November the college celebrates the diverse history, culture and accomplishments of our Native American and Indigenous community members. There are over 500 federally recognized tribes across the country including a dozen in the state of Michigan, each with its own unique set of shared traditions, language and customs. Henry is a proud Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe woman), and as a researcher who has worked closely with Native American communities striving to increase awareness and improve access to a wide range of public services and programming, she is a…
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Associate Professor Dr. Joe Hefner receives $2 Million Dollar Grant from the Department of Justice
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Dr. Joe Hefner has been awarded $2,062,069 from the Department of Justice for a project entitled MOSAIC: Unifying Methods of Sex, Stature, Affinity, & Age for Identification through Computational Standardization. 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, population affinity (i.e., ancestry), and stature. The data collected to develop a biological profile typically includes both metric and nonmetric/morphological data from across the entire skeleton, and these data are…
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New faculty member Dr. Madeline Mackie’s work at the La Prele Mammoth site is featured in this quarter’s American Archaeology magazine
New faculty member Dr. Madeline Mackie’s work at the La Prele Mammoth site is featured in this quarter’s American Archaeology magazine. The approximately 12,900-year-old site contains the remains of a butchered Columbian mammoth and at least four camp areas thought to be associated with the animal’s butchery. The presence of an associated camp is particularly notable as there are only two other proboscidean (mammoth and their kin) butchery sites in North America where camps have been identified. In addition to stone tools and animal remains, the site has produced a suite of artifacts including a bone bead and needles, some of the…
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Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Drexler named Diversity Champion by the College of Social Science
The Department of Anthropology is pleased to announced that Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Drexler has been named Diversity Champion by the College of Social Science. Dr. Drexler has worked for decades as a researcher and an educator to understand cultural and historical issues linked to human rights and social justice. To learn more about the award and Dr. Drexler’s work, visit https://socialscience.msu.edu/news-events/news/2024-08-21-3.html
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Honoring Dr. Bernard Gallin (1929-2023)
The Michigan State University Department of Anthropology is sad to announce the passing of Professor Emeritus Dr. Bernard Gallin. Dr. Gallin passed away at the age of 94 on December 16th, 2023. Dr. Gallin taught, conducted research, with the Department of Anthropology from 1962 until his retirement as Professor Emeritus in 2002, and for 15 years served as the Anthropology department chair. Dr. Gallin received a B.S. from City College of New York in 1951, followed by beginning graduate studies at Cornell University. After only one year his studies were interrupted by the Korean War, as he was drafted and…
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New Book by Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Drexler: Infrastructures of Impunity: New Order Violence in Indonesia
Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Drexler announces the publication of her new book, Infrastructures of Impunity: New Order Violence in Indonesia, available now from Cornell University Press. From the publisher’s website: In Infrastructures of Impunity Elizabeth F. Drexler argues that the creation and persistence of impunity for the perpetrators of the Cold War Indonesian genocide (1965–66) is not only a legal status but also a cultural and social process. Impunity for the initial killings and for subsequent acts of political violence has many elements: bureaucratic, military, legal, political, educational, and affective. Although these elements do not always work…
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Campus Archaeology Program Uncovers Foundations of MSU’s First Observatory
Discovery gives insight into campus history, provides educational opportunities In summer of 2023, workers from Michigan State University Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, or IPF, were installing hammock posts close to student residence halls near West Circle Drive when they encountered a hard, impenetrable surface under the ground. Believing it to be either a large rock or building foundation, IPF called MSU’s Campus Archaeology Program, or CAP. After cross-checking old maps, campus archaeologists determined that it was the foundation of the first observatory on MSU’s campus, constructed in 1881. “The campus archaeology program is designed to protect and mitigate our below…
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MSU Biomarker Laboratory for Anthropological Research is seeking mid-Michigan breastfeeding mothers for upcoming study
Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Masako Fujita, Director of the MSU Biomarker Laboratory for Anthropological Research, is looking for mid-Michigan breastfeeding mothers to volunteer for an upcoming study, “Exploring Human Milk Immune Specificity.” Qualifying volunteers will be asked to:
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Associate Professor Heather Howard named the recipient of the 2023 College of Social Science Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Excellence Award
Associate Professor of Anthropology Dr. Heather Howard has been named the College of Social Science’s recipient of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who plays a leadership role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment. The Office of the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers the Dean’s Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards once every two years. On…
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Society of Antiquaries elects first MSU professor Dr. Ethan Watrall as fellow
The Society of Antiquaries elected Dr. Ethan Watrall, associate professor in the Michigan State University Department of Anthropology, as a fellow. The Society of Antiquaries was founded in 1707, and represents the oldest learned and prominent scholarly society focusing on heritage and archaeology. The society’s 3,000 elected members include some of the most prominent scholars and professionals in heritage and archaeology such as national museum directors, curators, directors of heritage preservation trusts and non-profits, and members of the UK parliament. Dr. Watrall is the first MSU professor to have ever been granted this distinction, only the fourth elected from the Big…