The Department of Anthropology is very pleased to introduce our new Graduate Secretary, Joan Reid, who joined the department Fall of 2015. She is a longtime MSU employee and very experienced in working with Graduate Students. She’s been at MSU 26 years, having worked in Urban Affairs and for several language programs in the College of Arts and Letters. Prior to coming to Anthropology Joan worked in the Graduate Office for the School of Social Work’s Masters of Social Work (MSW) and PhD graduate programs. In Anthropology, Joan provides graduate students with information and resources necessary to progress through the…

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With the end of Spring Semester now in sight, we have a new cohort of promising graduate students waiting in the wings and defending dissertators on center stage.  It may be some sort of record for us this year as we anticipate that 17 Ph.D. students will have defended and submitted their dissertations between August of 2015 and August of 2016. Happy reports of jobs landed and dissertations completed make their way to my door in increasing numbers. Our newer graduate students are also impressive. With the revenue from our online courses we are able to offer recruiting packages to…

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The Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University invites applications for a one- year position in historical archaeology, with the potential for a one-year renewal. Areas of specialization are open, although we are particularly interested in candidates with an active research program focused on the Early Historical Period of mid-continental North America. The successful candidate for this position will teach introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses.  Additionally, limited service to the program is expected in relationship to the Campus Archaeology Program. Compelling evidence of scholarly activity and teaching effectiveness is required.  A Ph.D. in anthropology is required by date of appointment.…

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Julie Fleischman was awarded a Fulbright IIE to conduct her dissertation research on Khmer Rouge regime violence by analyzing skeletal trauma and memorialization in Cambodia. Mari Isa was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to investigate the relationship between developmental changes in bone structure and the expression of long bone fracture. Sabrina Perlman was awarded a Fulbright IIE to conduct her dissertation research on the gender dynamics of self-managing type 2 diabetes in Ghana. Fayana Richards was awarded a Pen to Paper Writing Retreat Travel Grant (Writing With, For and About Service-and Community-Engagement), a National Women’s Studies Association…

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James Bielo (2007) was promoted from Lecturer to Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Miami University. He has recently published an introductory text for anthropology of religion courses (Anthropology of Religion: The Basics) and launched an interactive online curation of biblical entertainment sites, the first of its kind: http://www.materializingthebible.com Linda Dwyer (1999) spent the last six years working as a full-time lecturer at Salisbury University, Maryland, teaching Cultural Anthropology and Chinese language courses while mentoring student projects. She spent summers teaching and conducting research in Anqing City, China, and presented this research at the 44th Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies…

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The Provost Undergraduate Research Initiative (PURI) provides funding for undergraduates to work closely with a faculty member on a major research project that forms part of the faculty member’s own initiatives. The Department of Anthropology usually receives several PURI grants each year. Jonah Stone and Dr. Masako Fujita were awarded one of Anthropology’s PURIs for Summer 2015 to test iron status in dried blood spots. Jonah describes their work, and his role in it: “I have always been interested in how humans function, both biologically and socially. I think this is what led me to physical anthropology in the first…

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Dr. Isabel Montemayor (Ph.D. 2014) began her first semester as Assistant Professor of Anthropology this fall at University of Texas, Arlington. Her appointment is in the joint department of Anthropology and Sociology, but also includes appointment as Faculty Research Associate with the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS). Her teaching responsibility includes classes on Medical Anthropology, Latino Health Issues and Global Cultures, but her primary role at the university is research. Dr. Montemayor was excited to join a university with a strategic plan for “Health and the Human Condition” and a strong focus on Hispanic populations, where she would be…

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Dr. Jennifer Bengtson (Ph.D. 2012) has settled in as Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Southeast Missouri State University. She tells us about her current endeavors teaching and researching Mississippian Culture: What attracted you to your current position? I feel like I landed my dream job. I have always envisioned myself working at a small, undergraduatefocused institution. I enjoy the autonomy I have in setting up my lab and building a bioculturally focused archaeology program. The first two years were really difficult as I worked through the course rotation for the first time. But now that I have gotten into a…

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Dr. Marcy O’Neil became an adjunct for Anthropology shortly after earning her degree from the department in 2012, and this led to her current position as Advisor for Peace and Justice Studies. She now regularly teaches its core course, ANP 336, as well as other classes in Anthropology and ISS. Dr. O’Neil particularly loves working with the Peace and Justice students, who continue to impress her with their enthusiasm. “They’re not satisfied with the world as it is,” she says. “All want to find ways to make a change.” Applying anthropology to solve real-world problems is what motivated Dr. O’Neil…

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