The Department of Anthropology and the University of Washington celebrates the achievements of our students each spring as many of them graduate and leave our immediate community. With this newsletter, we attempt to do something of the same — share with you, our larger community, the accomplishments of the current members of the Department of Anthropology and our many and far-flung alumni. We also want to take the opportunity to introduce you to new members of our community as a way of… Read more
Anthropology Professors Rachel Chapman and James Pfeiffer are collaborating with the Somali Health Board on a new research and advocacy project titled, Mama Ammaan (Safe Mother) Project:… Read more
By Elen Feuerriegel
For some, evolution can be a “hot button” issue — human evolution even more so. Public discourse in the U.S. around evolution is often polarizing and trying to create a meaningful dialogue between scientists and the public within that contentious space is frequently unproductive. Underpinning much of the debate surrounding scientific versus religious explanations of our origins is a lack of understanding about what evolution is and how it happens.
Like many scientists, I… Read more
By Jenna Grant
In 2017, award-winning diasporic Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh came to the University of Washington as a Walker-Ames Scholar. As someone who has long admired his work, I wanted to make something for him, an offering of sorts, in honor of his visit. Panh is known for his innovative practice that includes improvisation and animation in addition to more traditional techniques of documentary and narrative cinema. His films deal with memory; genocide and its effects; French… Read more
A new resource, a website called, “Visible on Ancestral Lands: Coast Salish Public Art Works in King County,” documents the public art created by Coast Salish artists and installed in King County. That is, the art that is permanently installed in public locations for all to see. The website was created by Crisca Bierwert, an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Washington.
This is a collaborative project. Crisca created the website by working… Read more
Traditionally, the University of Washington Anthropology Department hosts a guest lecturer to discuss their research at the Friday Afternoon Archaeology Lecture Series (FAALS). However, on Friday, April 26, 2019, thanks to the tireless work of Jack Johnson, UW students had the opportunity to meet with several Cultural Resource Management (CRM) companies to pursue careers or summer jobs in private archaeology. Among the invited companies were… Read more
Miguel Ochoa, who has a bachelor’s from UW Bothell, worked with the Perot Museum of Natural History in Dallas last year to translate their brand-new Homo naledi (South African hominin fossil) exhibit into Spanish. Miguel is currently a PhD student in anthropology at the UW Seattle. He is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and is studying Neandertal locomotion with Professor Patricia Ann Kramer.
By Miguel Ochoa
There is a critical gap in evolutionary… Read more
Age old question students of anthropology are asked, is “what can you do with that?” — as an anthropologist, I’d posit (and the jury is in) that you can do just about anything your imagination can envision.
Anthropologists completing degrees at every level are trained in — written communication, analytical and critical skills, the ability to gather, assess and interpret data, oral communication and presentation skills, time management, discussion and group work skills, statistical and… Read more
FACULTY
Sareeta Amrute has been named Director of Research at Data and Society. Her appointment began in January 2019.
Holly Barker and Luke Tornabene (UW Biology) received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for International Research Experience for Students (IRES). The grant provides scholarships to take students to American Samoa, the Marshall Islands, and Tonga over the next three years to highlight Indigenous Oceanic traditions in the STEM fields and to work with local… Read more
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Ulil Amri accepted a postdoctoral teaching fellowship in the Department of Environmental Studies, at Gonzaga University beginning in August 2019.
Diane Baumann accepted a tenure track position as an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Idaho beginning in autumn 2019.
Stephanie Cruz accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in the School of Dentistry, pursuing research on fluoride hesitancy beginning in spring 2019.
Delaney Glass was awarded a 2018 Adawia Alousi… Read more
We would like to take this opportunity to thank those generous donors who contributed to our efforts this past year. We believe that anthropology makes a world of difference and we want you to know that you make a world of difference to us!
Dr. David AgoadaAmerican Council of Learned SocietiesProfessor Ann Anagnost & Mr. John BurgeMr. Jefferey BabautaDr. Evelyn BarbeeDrs. G. Carter Bentley & Lynda EmelDr. Robert BoydDr. Carol & Mr. Thomas BraunDr. Ruth BryanDr. Allan… Read more