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Anthropology undergraduate Levi Webb: Passion for the stars and the people below them
Levi Webb’s academic advisor suggested he add a minor in computational modeling or mathematics, a more “typical” pathway for an astrophysics major, but after taking anthropology-based ISS courses on different cultures and perspectives, Webb decided to follow his passion. “As someone who earned an International Baccalaureate Diploma in high school and, thus, came to MSU with a considerable amount of credits, I ambitiously decided to fully major in a second field that (for the most part) has nothing in common with my first field of study,” he said. “The bonus is that I get to learn about two of my…
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Campus Archaeology Fieldschool’s Excavation of MSU’s First Observatory Featured in Local Media
In summer of 2023, workers from Michigan State University Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, were installing hammock posts close to student residence halls near West Circle Drive when they encountered a hard, impenetrable surface under the ground. The discovery turned out to be the archaeological remains of MSU’s first observatory. Located just behind what is now Wills House, the observatory was built by Professor Rolla Carpenter in 1881. After the initial discovery in 2023, the Campus Archaeology Program, Directed by Dr. Stacey Camp, carried out test excavations the confirmed the presence of the observatory’s foundation. Additionally, in collaboration with archaeologists from The…
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The Department of Anthropology Welcomes new MSU Museum Archaeology Collections Manager, Samantha Ellens
The Department of Anthropology is happy to welcome the new MSU Museum Archaeology Collections Manager, Samantha Ellens. The position of Collections Manager is jointly supported by the MSU Museum and the Department of Anthropology. Samantha will be responsible for the care, preservation, and documentation of the archaeological collections that are managed and curated collaboratively by the MSU Museum and the Department of Anthropology. Samantha will oversee a range of collections activities, including conservation and storage of materials, supervising student volunteers, and managing access to collections for teaching and research. Samantha’s background in outreach and museum management brings a community-based approach to her research and contributions…
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Associate Professor Dr. Masako Fujita publishes in American Journal of Human Biology
Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Masako Fujita, along with her student Amulya Vankayalapati of Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University and her veterinary epidemiologist collaborator George Wamwere-Njoroge of the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya, has published an article in American Journal of Human Biology. The article is titled “Effects of household composition on infant feeding and mother–infant health in northern Kenya.” The article explores how having alloparents in the house can influence mother-infant health among formerly semi-nomadic Ariaal cattle/camel herders who have settled to combine pastoralism with dryland agriculture for their livelihoods. The study shows that household-level…
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Professor Dr. Gabriel Wrobel receives Fulbright Specialist Award to Belize at Institute of Archaeology
Department of Anthropology Professor Dr. Gabriel Wrobel has been awarded the Fulbright Specialist Award to complete a project with the Institute of Archaeology in Belize. At the Belize Institute of Archaeology, Dr. Wrobel will be giving talks about archaeology, cultural heritage, bioarchaeology, and digital heritage for high school and college students with the goal of generating interest in the Institute’s work and spreading awareness of volunteer opportunities with the Institute. The Fulbright Specialist Program pairs U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while networking…
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Associate Professor Dr. Mara Leichtman publishes in Ethnography
Department of Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Mara Leichtman published an article in Ethnography, in part of a special journal issue titled “Transnational Giving: Evolving Religious, Ethnic and Political Formations in the Global South.” The article title is “Humanitarian Sovereignty, Exceptional Muslims, and the Transnational Making of Kuwaiti Citizens.” This article explores the changing relationship between Kuwaiti Islamic humanitarian missions abroad and the Kuwaiti state. Read the full article at: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ETH/current Abstract: What is the role of transnational non-state philanthropic actors in the Kuwaiti humanitarian mission abroad? How does humanitarian aid reinforce and (re)conceptualize Kuwaiti notions of citizenship? A key provider…
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Dr. William Lovis showcases new research in archaeological chemistry journal
Professor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis from the Michigan State department of Anthropology recently coauthored a chapter in the journal Chemistry in the Service of Archaeology: Dating and Materials Analysis, part of the American Chemical Society Symposium Series. Lovis and his team of researchers from Wisconsin-LaCrosse, Eastern Michigan, Sherbrooke (Canada) and Muhlenberg College presented their findings from recent analysis done on beads found alongside an ancient Andean funeral site. Funerals have existed for centuries as an opportunity to celebrate and memorialize someone’s life, and the ancient world is full of examples of the cultural practice of individuals being buried alongside objects…
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Assistant Professor Dr. Kurt Rademaker and Ph.D. Candidate Emily Milton publish in Quaternary Science Reviews
Department of Anthropology Assistant Professor Dr. Kurt Rademaker and Ph.D. Candidate Emily Milton, along with lead author Ph.D. Candidate Sarah Meinekat of the University of Tübingen, M.A. Student Brett Furlotte of the University of Saskatchewan, and Dr. Sonia Zarrillo of the University of British Columbia, published in Quaternary Science Reviews. The article is titled “Fire as high-elevation cold adaptation: An evaluation of fuels and Terminal Pleistocene combustion in the Central Andes.” This article explores the use of fire as a method of human adaptation to the cold in high-elevation environments, and details the methods employed by the authors to determine…
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Indigenous Graduate Student Collective offers support, programming centered around the Indigenous community
Michigan State is home to a diverse group of students from hundreds of different backgrounds and lifestyles, and nearly as many campus organizations exist to support these students. The MSU Indigenous Graduate Student Collective is one such group. The Indigenous Graduate Student Collective is a group of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduate students dedicated to Indigenous studies and issues while also offering support and encouragement to help uplift Indigenous voices at MSU. The mission of the Collective is to build connections across campus and the community, expand learning opportunities and support for graduate students and to discuss and address issues…
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MSU Anthropology Alumnus receives recognition from the Department of the Interior for publication on history of the Transcontinental Railroad in Utah
Michael Polk (MA ‘79), along with his co-authors, was recently recognized by the United States Department of the Interior for the publication of their book, “Rails East to Ogden: Utah’s Transcontinental Railroad Story.” The group received the DOI’s Environmental Achievement Award on behalf of their efforts to promote and preserve cultural resources including archaeological sites, historic buildings and landscapes. “Rails East to Ogden” chronicles the history of the Transcontinental Railroad in Utah, specifically the now abandoned 87-mile portion of track converging at Promontory Summit. Originally a significant portion of the railroad, the location where efforts by Union Pacific and Central…