the University of South FloridaApplied Anthropology

Annual Newsletter 2017

Contents Department Updates …… 1 Faculty Spotlight ………… 2-4 Graduate Research ……… 5 Where are they Now? ….. 6 Research Opportunities .. 7 Anthropology in Action .. 8

Applied

“Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of

the humanities.” -Alfred L. Kroeber

UPDATES

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USF GLOBAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDThe department of Anthropology has been awarded the University of South Florida’s 2016 Global Achievement Award in recognition of an “outstanding contribution to USF’s mission to ensure student success in a global environment.” Our graduate students have conducted research in over 50 countries!

NEW Courses

DEPARTMENT

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Climate Change and Development

Physician-Patient Interaction

Biocultural Bases of Health and Disease

Zooarchaeology

Culture and Society through Film

At USF, the principal sub-fields of anthropology - cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic – are integrated through a commitment to practical applications that will understand the past and benefit contemporary and future societies. As applied anthropologists, we study, design, and evaluate policies, programs, and outcomes that have real consequences. Our faculty and students engage in world-class innovative research throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Our work addresses globalization, economic development, resource and health disparities, environmental remediation, diet and nutrition, community advocacy, heritage resource management, education, media, and communication. We teach students the skills needed to conduct effective analyses of human social phenomena at both the local and global levels, and we offer opportunities to develop and apply those skills through research, internships, and service learning in Tampa Bay and beyond. While providing rigorous training for undergraduate majors and both masters and doctoral students, we are also committed to bringing the unique insights of anthropology to large numbers of students in general education classes.

FacultySpotlight

Highlighting Faculty Achievement throughout 2016

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Dr. Christian Wells (along with Dr. Linda Whiteford and Dr. Rebecca Zarger) is collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of environmental engineers and marine scientists on a $3.9 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that examines the complex relationships between tourism development, wastewater management, and coastal health in Central America and the Caribbean. The project is part of NSF’s “Partnerships for International Research and Education” program in which anthropology faculty and students are working alongside other sustainability scientists from UNESCO, Exeter, Prague, and the U.S.V.I. at field sites in Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, and Bolivia. In 2016, Wells and a team of engineering faculty received an additional $1.9 million from NSF’s CRISP (“Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes”) program to bring the lessons learned from the international research home to Tampa Bay to help solve critical infrastructure problems—especially how underserved communities are subject to cascading infrastructure failures during times of disaster. Wells and colleagues published two major research articles in 2016 (in Environmental Engineering Science and Journal of Cleaner Production) that describe the results of the work thus far. In addition, Wells and Whiteford hosted an NSF Seminar at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe to plan additional publications and collaborations, including upcoming visits to Durham, Exeter, and University College London in the UK.

Dr. David Himmelgreen and representatives from the USF College of Public Health, Feeding Tampa Bay, and Humana, the health insurance provider, recently formed the Hunger Action Alliance (HAA). The goals of the HAA are 1) to increase public awareness about food insecurity (and hunger) in Tampa Bay, 2) to conduct studies on the links between food insecurity/hunger and health throughout the life course; 3) to evaluate existing food assistance programs, and 4) to work with local agencies on developing new programming aimed at reducing food insecurity. Anthropology faculty Dr. Tara Deubel, Dr. Elizabeth Miller, and Dr. Rebecca Zarger have been involved with HAA activities. Moreover, several research projects have been completed or underway including an evaluation of a weekend food backpack, mobile food pantry, and the Farm-to-Fork Program. Graduate students Aria Walsh-Fez, Ann Vitous, Sara Bradley, Ann Tezak, Jackie Siven, and Laura Kihlstrom have had leading roles in carrying out the research on these projects. With more local partners joining the HAA, there will be additional opportunities for faculty and students to participate in its activities.

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Dr. Cate E. Bird is a Forensic Anthropology Postdoctoral Fellow with the Florida Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Sciences (IFAAS) at the University of South Florida. Her work concerns cold case identifications of unknown decedents primarily found in Florida. Her primary responsibilities include reviewing cold cases, exhuming unidentified remains, performing skeletal analyses, and updating unidentified person profiles. Dr. Bird’s doctoral dissertation evaluated perimortem skeletal trauma in prisoners executed by Soviet security officers in the Soviet Republic of Lithuania from 1944 to 1947 in order to investigate agency of execution squads implementing violence on behalf of the state during the Stalinist period. Dr. Bird’s current research examines unknown decedents, macro-level identity, and the role that structural inequality plays in the identification process in domestic casework. Specifically, she explores the varied social processes that contribute to a

disproportionate number of vulnerable groups (e.g. foreign nationals, homeless, etc.) among the unidentified dead within the United States.

Dr. Robert Tykot organized and hosted the International Obsidian Conference, in June (2016) on the island of Lipari, Italy with participants from many countries around the world, including Australia, Chile, Japan, Korea, Phillipines, and Russia. Regarding his own research on obsidian in the Mediterranean, he has now chemically analyzed more obsidian artifacts (~8000 from Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt) than all other scholars combined since the first study in 1964 led by Colin Renfrew. Most of this has been accomplished in the last few years, visiting museums and storage facilities in these countries and conducting the analyses using a portable, non-destructive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF). Obsidian studies have become increasingly important in recent years due to the implications of the results on our understanding of prehistoric socioeconomic systems and their chronological development or changes. In summer 2016, Dr. Tykot was interviewed in three separate locations (Lamezia, Province of Calabria; island of Lipari, Province of Messina; island of Ustica, Province of Palermo) by Italian media, about his research on obsidian exchange and prehistoric cultures, resulting in at least nine Italian newspaper/online articles. Dr. Tykot is also am serving as the President of the International Association for Obsidian Studies.

Dr. Elizabeth Miller’s recent work has focused on the microbiome in mothers and infants. One project, funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation (“Ecology of the human milk and infant salivary microbiomes”), is underway to sequence and characterize the milk and infant salivary microbiome of a rural Kenyan population. The results from this study will be compared with a US sample to uncover what ecological factors are associated with microbial diversity and how maternal-infant microbiomes communicate with each other. Another project, in collaboration with USF Nursing, is following very low birth weight infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Tampa General Hospital. This project explores how the microbiome develops in these infants through the age of five years, and its association with behavioral, growth and health outcomes. Dr. Miller’s part of the project encompasses the relationship between the microbiome and growth, with the hopes that the results can help infants like these foster healthy growth outcomes. This research is funded by the NIH division of Nursing Research, and is entitled: “The preterm infant microbiome: Biological, behavioral and health outcomes at 2 and 4 years of age.”

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The most satisfying applied anthropology efforts communicate to the public the importance of grounded anthropological research on pertinent themes. This approach has been applied in recent archaeological investigations at the Crystal River site, north of Tampa. Crystal River was once among the most famous sites in North American archaeology, owing to its numerous mounds and the large and diverse suite of exotic artifacts of bone, stone, shell, metal, and mineral recovered by antiquarians in the early twentieth century. While archaeology matured, however, work at Crystal River stagnated and the site faded in importance. In 2010, with funding from the NSF, Dr. Pluckhahn and his team initiated a program of minimally invasive archaeology that has gradually transformed Crystal River from among the most enigmatic sites of its period to perhaps one of the best known. Among other insights, the team has a much better understanding of how people at Crystal River responded to climate change over the first millennium, including swings in sea level equal to that projected for the near future. Their work has been documented in a number of academic publications, but since Crystal River is also a Florida State Park, they feel a particularly heavy burden to make the research accessible to the public and useful for park managers. The public has participated in the fieldwork, and they are now working to make the results of our research accessible to a wider audience.

In 2010 USF anthropology’s Dr. Kevin A. Yelvington began conducting fieldwork on wine tourism in the Temecula Valley, southern California. Wine grape growing in the valley probably started in the early 1800s with vines planted by Spanish missionaries and worked by indigenous peoples under the control of the Spanish priests. The first commercial grapes were planted in 1968 and the first winery was established six years later in 1974. Today there are over 40 wineries. In 2013, he received a multi-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s Cultural Anthropology Program to conduct field work with his graduate

students on what he calls “wine capitalism.” Project investigators have looked at the role of labor in wine production, at wine consumption and the establishment of a tourism complex that includes wine tasting rooms, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues all in the construction and promotion of terroir, or a “taste of place,” and at the role of the environment, especially water, in the time of California’s historic drought in the production of the wine commodity. In this large and complex project, Yelvington and his students set out collecting oral histories, conducting archival and ethnographic research, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The NSF grant provided funding for graduate students to investigate various aspects of the wine tourism industry. Jason L. Simms (Ph.D. 2013) did fieldwork on water use in the winemaking process, and Lauren Dillon-Sumner (M.A. 2014) did fieldwork on the role of public policy in the growth of the industry. Current Ph.D. student Elizabeth Murray is completing her dissertation on the touristic marketing and “branding” of the area, and current Ph.D. student Zaida Darley is completing her dissertation on the interaction of wine production, consumption, and the environment. The funding is set to end in 2017. The applied aspects to the project include information for winegrowers and tourism officials regarding the environment, but also information for workers’ advocacy and consumer advocacy groups.

ResearchGraduate

Highlighting Graduate Applied Anthropology Research Across the Globe

Vivian Gornik is a a third year PhD student in the cultural anthropology/heritage studies track. She is taking a broader look at heritage, specifically national heritage in the United Kingdom. It is widely accepted that heritage and the past are invoked to (re)produce and ( re ) e n f o rc e c o n t e m p o ra r y national identities. For her dissertation research she will be explor ing how her i tage and heritage sites perpetuate particular authorized discourses of Englishness and/or Britishness in contemporary, multicultural Britain. By understanding how the heritage sector works to create the current discourses, policy change suggestions can be made to make the national heritage more inclusive and representative of today’s Britain. In a post-Brexit reality, the rising backlash against multiculturalism can and should be fought. She believes that while heritage is often used to re(produce) nationalistic views, it can also be used to combat xenophobia and promote diversity. Vivian Gornik will be working as a Visiting Research Student at the University of Exeter from March – July 2017. During that time she will be completing fieldwork at two heritage sites: Tintagel Castle in Cornwall and Glastonbury in Somerset. sShe will also be continuing the blog she started during that internship by documenting her 2017 fieldwork: https://viviangoestoengland.wordpress.com/

Vivian GornikRyan LoganRyan Logan is a third year, dual

degree PhD/MPH student c u r r e n t l y fi n i s h i n g h i s coursework. Logan is on the medical anthropology track and is in the Department of Community and Family

Health in the College of Public Health. Logan's research

w i l l e x p l o r e t h e r o l e o f community health workers, their impact in the

Latino immigrant community, and their broader function in the provision of health care and advocacy in the Midwest. His research will demonstrate the vital function of this position and its potential health impacts for increased integration into the broader healthcare workforce

About our Graduate ProgramThe department offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Anthropology, which trains students to apply their knowledge and skills to contemporary human problems, whether as academics or practitioners. At USF, we balance world-class training in theory and method with practice, placing applied research at the core of our training. In 1974, USF was the first in the nation to focus on applied anthropology, and we have been a leader ever since. For many, the M.A. degree qualifies them for careers in the private and public sectors. Our doctoral graduates have gone on to academic positions or are working in professional positions across the nation and the world.

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Ph.D.

Degrees Awarded Since 1974

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NOW?Where are they

From Media Coverage of the Opening: On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 Kuwait University’s Anthropology Museum celebrated its Grand Opening.

Under the auspices of Prof. Husain al-Ansari, President of Kuwait University (KU), the first Archaeology and Anthropology museum at Kuwait University was opened on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. At the opening ceremony, al-Ansari thanked the College of Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology for this pivotal step in the history of Kuwait University. The Anthropology Museum’s Grand Opening coincides with the 50th anniversary of the founding of Kuwait University.   The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology includes exhibition halls, a research laboratory, and storage rooms. "The museum contains more than 500 archaeological remains from Kuwait and adjacent regions dated to 7000 years ago", said Dr. Hasan Ashkanani, Director of the Archaeology and Anthropology Museum. Exhibition spaces feature artifacts from more than 40 diverse cultures, including Arabian, Native American, and African.   The museum installation took two years with voluntary work by anthropology students and with the financial support of Tabco Food Company (Elevation Burger). Tabco’s chief executive officer, Mr. Ali Mahmoud, stated that the role of the private sector is vital to the furtherance of the practical education and training of the youth in cultural studies. Particularly, Kuwait has witnessed a growth in terms of opening museums, cultural centers, and opera houses.   Kuwait University’s academic community was honored by the participation of Sheikha Hussah Sabah al Salem al Sabah, Director General and Co-Founder of the Islamic Archaeology Center, dar Al-Athar al-Islamia. Impressed with his effort, Sheikha Al-Sabah presented Dr. Ashkanani with an antique as a gift. Overwhelmed by her generosity, the Dr. Ashkanani donated the priceless antique to the museum to enhance its collection.

 

Dr. Hasan Ashkanani - Ph.D., USF Spring 2014 Assistant Professor, Kuwait University Founding Director of the Archaeology and Anthropology Museum

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Are you a USF Anthropology alumnus? How are you using your Anthropology degree? Be featured in our newsletter! Please email: tricaricoa@mail.usf.edu

This event is significant because this museum is the first of its kind at the national collegiate level. The museum can foster new models of public education and promote public discourse about archaeology, heritage, culture, and the role of anthropology in resolving global dilemmas.   The ceremony was concluded by tours throughout the exhibition halls. Students had the opportunity to show their work to visitors. Displays included various items related to anthropological subfields and laboratory work, such as archival management and conservation efforts.

Research Undergraduate

OpportunitiesStudy Abroad Opportunities

within the Department of Anthropology

2017 USF Summer London Program Please Contact Dr. Thomas Pluckhahn, tpluckhahn@usf.edu for more information

Our faculty members engage in innovative research utilizing wide array of sub-disciplinary approaches. Geographical strengths are centered on the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa, with additional interests in Europe and Asia. Research themes and key strengths of the department:

1 Biocultural Dimensions of Human Health and Illness

2 Archaeological and Material Culture Studies

Community Identity and Heritage 3

4Communication and Representation in Cultural Mediation and Education

Global Dynamics of Sustainable Resource Management and Economic Development

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Social and Cultural Constructions of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender

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Adult and Juvenile Osteology and Bioarchaeology Fieldschool Transylvania Dr. Jonathan Bethard Please visit: http://www.archaeotek-archaeology.org/

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Join the Anthropology Graduate Student Organization, in conjunction with the Department of Anthropology, the Anthropology Club, and USF's Career Services for Anthropology in Action! Visit the Social Sciences building on February 22nd, 2017 from 10am to 4pm for a planned public anthropology event that seeks to show undergraduate and graduate students, employers, and community members the value of anthropology and the many uses it has across disciplines and fields. This years event will be different from past years events. Building on this success of the “This is Anthropology Expo,” we have chosen to move our annual event from the Marshall Student Center to the Social Sciences building where students will be able to see Anthropology in Action through a series of lab tours, demonstrations and special lectures.

February 22nd, 2017 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Social Sciences Building

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You're Invited!

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