Anthropology News Archive | 2016

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  • News | 2016

    • Congratulations to Dr. Taylor whose book, Schooled on Fat, was named a finalist for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards.

    • KVEO News recently interviewed Drs. Spradley and Goche about their work on immigrant identification in Brooks County. 

    • Marek Jasinski, photograph 2016

      Speaker: Marek Jasinski | Professor, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Historical Studies 
      Date and Time: Friday, October 14, 2016 | 3:00 pm 
      Location: Evans Liberal Arts 114

      This presentation will explore a few research projects addressing Painful Heritage of modern times conflicts – WWII, Civil War in Poland, and the present waves of migrations to Europe and USA. According to Harold Pinter “The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend to remember”. James Young states that “Social memory is never pure – it always has an agenda”.  According to Noam Chomsky one of the most important mechanisms in creating social/collective memory is “Manufacturing of Consent”, i.e. “History Engineering”. Dynamic interactions between past events and social memory are particularly significant regarding memories of painful and shameful events like wars, genocide, and mass killings. Such research often requires an interdisciplinary approach that includes archaeology of contemporary past, biological anthropology, genetics, and history. Results of interdisciplinary research on this topic often challenge existing hegemonic narratives and politics of memory in addressing painful past or present.

       

    • Texas Observer recently did an article on Shumla and Dr. Carolyn Boyd.

    • Dr. Brunson wrote an Anthropology News article for the Society for Medical Anthropology on healthcare reform in the U.S.

    • KENS 5 News in San Antonio recently interviewed Dr. Spradley and Dr. Gocha about their work on the OpID project for a story regarding migrant border crossers.  The video can be found here - Researchers Overcoming Major Hurdles, Working to Identify Human Remains on Border.

    • Anthropology's new cultural anthropologist, Dr. Taylor, has two upcoming book readings/signings of her new book "Schooled on Fat: What Teens Tell Us About Gender, Body Image, and Obesity.

      Thursday, Sep 1, 5:30-7:00
      BookHolders
      2025 Guadalupe Street

      Friday, Sep 9, 7:00-8:00 pm
      Brave New Books
      1904 Guadalupe Street

    • The NY Times recently published an article titled, Whose Lives Should Be Saved?  Researches Ask the Public, featuring Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana. For several years, the UPMC Center for Health Security, where Monica works, has been holding forums to see how people would ration limited medical resources during disasters or pandemics. Such a difficult, but incredibly important topic, to explore.

    • Dr. Taylor wrote a blog about her research on body image and fat teasing in teens for the Huffington Post and she's been invited to be a regular blogger. Congratulations, Nicole! 

      You can find the blog post on Huffpost.

    • Nearly every year, Dr. Jon McGee has students who volunteer with the Canterbury Archaeology Trust while on their study abroad trip. This year they're working on an Iron Age site at East Wear Bay, which looks like a wonderful place to dig!

      Iron Age Grinding Stone Iron Age Site East Wear Bay

      Left Image: Iron Age Grinding Stone - Right Image: Iron Age Site: East Wear Bay

    • John_Kappleman, photograph 2016

      Speaker: John Kappelman | Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas 
      Date and Time: Friday, November 11, 2016 | 3:00 pm 
      Location: Evans Liberal Arts 114

      The Pliocene fossil “Lucy” was discovered in the Afar region of Ethiopia in 1974 and is among the oldest and most complete fossil hominin skeletons. Although her skeleton is marked by typical postmortem damage, there is a subset of perimortem breaks that appear to document high-energy bone-to-bone compressive fractures at several of the major joints.  We propose that the most likely cause of these fractures, and of her death, was a “vertical deceleration event,” or impact following a fall from considerable height. Lucy has been at the center of a vigorous debate about the role, if any, that arboreal locomotion played in early human evolution. It is therefore ironic that her death can likely be attributed to injuries resulting from a fall, probably out of a tall tree, thus offering unusual evidence for the presence of arborealism in this species.

       

    • The University film series "Be a Bobcat", met with masters student Lauren Meckel at the Osteology Research and Processing Lab (ORPL) to find out more about forensic anthropology at Texas State. 

    • Dr. Kent Reilly

      Dr. F. Kent Reilly III spoke at the inaugural School of Advanced Research (SAR) Presidential Address that closed a productive week discussing Spiroan artwork, heritage, and culture. The meeting at the SAR in Santa Fe was held preparation for the upcoming museum exhibition entitled Spiro and the Mississippian World. The exhibition will showcase Spiroan objects recovered from the site and feature a reconstruction of the Spirit Lodge as it was described in AD 1922. Museum visitors will be familiarized with artwork and religious iconography of Mississippian culture as it were AD 1400, and learn of the modern descendants who continue the artistic legacy. The exhibition is expected to travel within the United States and internationally to museums throughout the world, and is scheduled to open February 2018 at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, OK.

    • Dr. Ahlman was interviewed at the recent Society for American Archaeologists conference for a podcast series called “A History of the Caribbean in 100 Objects.” He spoke about a coin he and students found last year during the St. Kitts field school.

    • Dr. Kate Spradley was recently contacted and interviewed by a reporter from USA Today because of abstracts she read from the proceedings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA). These abstracts were written by Texas State Anthropology Graduate student and recent graduates. There were 16 Texas State student presentations at AAPA and four of the presentations concerned research of migrant remains that are part of Operation Identification. The information found in the article is based off of our graduate student's research.  

      Below is the article link and title and authors of the abstracts/presentations discussed during the interview.

      USA Today article

      Nutrition and proportionality: A study of undocumented migrants from the Texas-Mexico border
      ALEJANDRA AYALA BAS and M KATHERINE SPRADLEY.

      Indicators of Stress within Modern Undocumented Border Crossers Along the South Texas Border
      BRITTANY S. MCCLAIN, MICHELLE D. HAMILTON and M. KATE SPRADLEY.

      Cranial base height as an indicator of developmental stress in native Mexican and American-born Mexican populations
      ALEXIS GOOTS1, KATE SPRADLEY1 and HAILEY DUECKER1,2.

      The Anthropology of Forensic Identification in Texas
      JAMES P. FANCHER, M. KATE SPRADLEY, HAILEY A. DUECKER, CASSIE E. SKIPPER, BRITTANY S. MCCLAIN, MARILYN E. ISAACKS, CHLOE P. MCDANELD, SOPHIA R. MAVROUDAS, ALEXIS C. GOOTS and ALEJANDRA D. AYALA BAS.

    • The San Marcos Mercury wrote an article about the work of Jacob Hooge and Dr. Fritz Hanselmann are doing at Spring Lake.

    • 2015 Anthropology Student Award Winners

      Ruth Carrillo

      Lauren Meckel

      Outstanding Anthropology Undergraduate
      Ruth Carrillo

      Outstanding Anthropology Graduate
      Lauren Meckel

      2016 Academic ExcellenceAward Winners
      Lauren Alexander Isabella Bortolussi Taylor Bowden
      Dusti Bridges Alexandria Briere Amber Lynn Cabading
      Ruth Flores Carrillo Sarah Anne Davis Natalie Dorman
      Leslie Blythe Doyle Wyatt Ellison Joshua Miguel Flores-Manges
      Katelyn Frederick Ashlee Guzman Oceanna Lyn Hart-Pontejos
      Kari Helgeson Shanna High Kyleigh Hoelscher
      Olivia Hornik Brianna Kight Emily Koehn
      Victoria Lanas Lora LaPree Simone Longe
      Elizabeth Miller Courtney Otte-Petrill Donnell Pomeroy
      Aireka Rinehart Chloe Scarborough Mary Lucyia Schmidt
      Mary Schooler Margaret Sensiba Anna Shupp
      Jenna Lea Stephenson Emily Tanner Alyssa Wagner
        Shelly White  

    • Archaeology magazine published a great article describing the Muskogee Creek of Florida, who are seeking “federal acknowledgement,” or the right to officially call themselves a tribe. Dr. Reilly has worked with the Muskogee Creek for many years, he and our students have participated in their “busks," and several graduate students have done ethnohistorical theses on aspects of their culture. There’s a photo of Dr. Reilly on page 4 cooking up yaupon holly leaves, which makes the basis of the “black drink” used in rituals.

    • Lisa Henry & Doug Henry, photograph 2016

      Speakers: Lisa Henry | Chair and Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of North Texas & 
      Doug Henry | Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Programs, University of North Texas 
      Date and Time: Friday, February 3, 2016 | 3:00 pm 
      Location: Evans Liberal Arts 114

      From the South Pacific to rural Texas, and from North Texas to West Africa, we discuss two careers in Applied Medical Anthropology.  We focus on various projects, got through various combinations of gumption, serendipity, hard work, and occasionally naiveté.  Ours is a “big tent” definition of applied anthropology, running the gamut of “traditional” cultural anthropology on applied topics, to client-based consulting, to community-driven empowerment.  We have worked with traditional healers, the United Nations, rural “PA’s,” paramedics, patients with disordered sleep, Hunger Coalitions, HIV providers, refugees, County Health Departments, the World Health Organization, and Emergency Medical Systems.  The common thread has been to use the methods and analytical frames of Medical Anthropology to analyze what happens when things don’t go as expected, improve things, and to make life better for those around us. 

       

    • Dr. Steve Black has agreed to participate it Texas State University Crowdfunding and is currently working with the University to raise money to continue his research for the Ancient Southwest Texas project. 

    • Dr. Agwuele has won two fellowships: the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship (summer 2016) and a Fulbright Fellowship (fall 2016, spring 2017).  In addition, Dr. Agwuele will be traveling to Nigeria this summer for his Research Enhancement Program (REP) grant.

    • Our student worker, Stevesha Todd, has been chosen as a McCoy College Ambassador!

      The McCoy College Ambassadors are a select group of students chosen each semester and recognized as active student leaders and representatives of McCoy College. Above all, these students express a desire to engage other students on topics of leadership and personal development. Ambassadors have the opportunity to interact with the Dean of McCoy College and serve as a student advisory council to her. In addition, the group engages with their classmates as peer mentors to promote leadership and involvement within the college. Ambassadors are also involved with outreach to prospective students and College guests.

    • Anthropology major, Ruth Carrillo, has been named the outstanding undergraduate student for the college. Congratulations, Ruth! 

      Outstanding Undergraduate, Ruth Carrillo

    • Courtney Siegert (mentor Dr. Hamilton) has won a $3,000 Freeman Fellow Award for her thesis work in forensic anthropology. The fellowship can be used for living expenses, equipment purchases and travel. Congratulations to Courtney!

    • I’m happy to announce that Dr. Wescott has been chosen as the Liberal Arts nominee for the 2016 Presidential Excellence Award in Scholarly/Creative Activity. Congratulations, Danny, and the best of luck in the next round of selection!

    • The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment would like to announce that Dr. Hanselmann (“Fritz”) has accepted a new position at the University of Miami, where he will be a member of the faculty in the Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society and a Director of the Exploration Sciences Program at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS).  Dr. Hanselmann will be leading a graduate program in underwater and maritime archaeology, directing underwater exploration initiatives, and expanding the existing dive training at RSMAS.

      While we are sad to see him go and wish him the very best, Dr. Hanselmann will continue to be affiliated with The Meadows Center as a Meadows Fellow  to collaborate with the Center as one of the Principal Investigators of the Monterrey Shipwreck Project and advise future underwater archaeology at Spring Lake and elsewhere.