Stories and News
Stories and news from the Department of Anthropology
Dr. Hallett co-authors article in “Nature.”
“Humans in Africa’s wet tropical forests 150 thousand years ago,” an article co-authored by Dr. Hallett, was recently published in “Nature.”
Students from Drs. Hernandez and García Chávez’s decoloniality course visit Mexico City
This exciting learning opportunity was recently described in a newsletter from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Dr. Hernández explores Hach Winik (aka Lacandon Maya) well-being
In this paper, Dr. Hernández and Armando Valenzuela Gómez examine what Hach Winik (aka Lacandon Maya) well-being means in the context of Puerto Bello Metzabok, Chiapas, Mexico.
Upcoming lecture by Dr. Hernández to the South Suburban Archaeological Society (May 16)
On May 16 (7:30pm), Dr. Hernández will present “A Forest of Conflict: The Rainforest, Warfare, and Relational Archaeology at Tzunun, Chiapas, Mexico” at the Karie Irwin Community Center (18120 Highland Ave.) in Homewood, Il. Sponsored by the South Suburban Archaeological Society.
Congratulations to Our 2024 Anthropology Graduates!
Graduating seniors were honored at the 2024 Anthropology Gala, which featured special recognition for outstanding accomplishments and students who earned departmental honors.
Dr. Strand publishes book, awarded grant
Dr. Strand’s book “A Winning Dialect: Reinventing Linguistic Tradition in Rural Norway” (UToronto Press) will be published in May. Dr. Strand has also been awarded a Wenner-Gren grant for upcoming ethnographic research.
Dr. Butler receives two faculty fellowships in teaching and learning
Dr. Butler has been named a Brackley Fellow with the Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS). This fellowship explores the concept of “vocation” as it relates to course design and pedagogy. In addition, Dr. Butler has been named Program Evaluation Faculty Fellow with the Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy (FCIP), where his work focuses on the historical development of centers of teaching and learning.
Dr. Butler receives teaching award, is runner-up for second
Dr. Butler has received the Adolfo Nicolas SJ Excellence in Engaged Learning and Teaching Award.
Dr. Tallman receives advising/mentoring award
Dr. Tallman has received the Alice B. Hayes Award for Advising and Mentoring.
Dr. Nichols receives teaching award
Dr. Nichols has received the Sujack Master Teacher award. The Sujack Awards constitute the highest academic honor that a faculty member can achieve within the College of Arts and Sciences.
Anthropology Speaker Series, “You are what you eat: Food, ethnicity, and social justice” (April 5, 4pm)
An interdisciplinary panel hosted by the Anthropology Department: “You are what you eat: Food, ethnicity, and social justice” with presentations by Drs. Paula Tomczak (Anthropology), Christine Hippert (SES), and Alice Weinreb (History). April 5, 2024, 4 pm Regis Multipurpose Room
Dr. Adams receives Fulbright Specialist Program award
Dr. Kathleen Adams, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, was recently awarded a Fulbright Specialist Program award. The award will support her time at one of Indonesia's premier universities, the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta. Dr. Adams will share expertise to help develop a graduate program stream that emphasizes critical tourism studies, anthropology, museums, and heritage.
Dr. Tallman presenting at upcoming “Frugal Innovations in Global Health” Conference
This two-day conference introduces innovations in improving global health equity by addressing pervasive gaps in healthcare access. The theme of this year's conference is clean water and sanitation. Dr. Tallman will present about “Action Research to Address Water Insecurity and Women’s Health in Indonesia and Peru.” March 14 and 15, 9:00-10:30 AM REGISTER
Dr. Hallett (Anthropology), Dr. Cerasoni (Biology), and ELEVEN LUC undergrads co-author article
The article, which was on the cover of the Journal of Lithic Studies, and involved work from NINE Anthropology majors, describes findings that help contribute to new ways of thinking about flint knapping.
Dr. Talman to host panel on water insecurity and gender-based violence
Dr. Talman to host panel on water insecurity and gender-based violence
Jenna Tuckerman (BA ‘21, Anthropology) awarded Fulbright-ETA
Congratulations! Jenna will be heading to Morocco as part of the Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant Award program.
New Edited Volume from Dr. Grauer
The Routledge Handbook of Paleopathology (A.L. Grauer, ed.) London: Taylor and Francis. "The volume begins by exploring current methods and techniques employed by paleopathologists as means to highlight the range of data that can be generated, the types of questions that can be methodologically addressed, our current limitations, and goals for the future. Building on these foundations, the volume introduces a range of diseases and conditions that have been noted in the fossil, archaeological, and historical record, offering readers a foundational understanding of pathological conditions, along with their potential etiologies. Importantly, an evolutionary and highly contextualized assessment of diseases and conditions will be presented in order to demonstrate the need for adopting anthropological, biological, and clinical approaches when exploring the past and interpreting the modern world. The volume concludes with the contextualization of paleopathological research."
Dr. Hernandez organizes special issue of “Ancient Mesoamerica.”
In this special issue, the authors harness archaeological, art history, geospatial, experiential, and military history approaches to examine the particulars of how past Mayas made war. Themes of the issue include practices of fortification, tactics, strategy, weaponry, and landscape.
Dept. of Anthropology--Student Travel and Research Award Competition--Student Applications: **Spring 2023 One-Time Policy Change**
The Department is pleased to offer a one-time increase in the funding amount request for the Student Research Award and Student Travel Award. During Spring 2023 only, this amount will be increased from up to $250 per award to up to $500 per award. (Funding expenditures must be completed by June 30, 2023.) Also, re: previous awardees: Award rules state that a student may only receive one research award and one travel award during their time as an undergraduate. For this semester only, if a student has previously received a research or travel award, they may apply again for up to $250 in any award category. For this semester, the March 1 deadline has been changed to a rolling deadline. Award applications are available and are currently being accepted. Students who may be submitting applications later in the Spring 2023 semester are encouraged to inquire with Dr. Krueger if funds are available before preparing an application. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Dr. Hernandez asks “Is war inevitable”?
Dr. Hernandez (with Dr. Justin Bracken ) recently published an essay in 'Sapiens' entitled “Is war inevitable? Consider the ancient Maya.” In the essay, “two archaeologists show how investigating tactics, weaponry, and the logistics of battle helps answer questions about social conflict in the human experience.”
Dr. Krueger awarded NSF-MRI grant
Dr. Krueger was recently awarded a National Science Foundation-Major Research Instrumentation (NSF-MRI) grant to establish the ChEW (Chicago Experimental Wear) lab. This grant will bring Artificial Resynthesis Technology (ART), a novel chewing simulator developed at the Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, to Loyola University Chicago. This technology, only used for clinical research, will now be used to answer questions about dental wear found in the fossil record, including humans, primates, and other organisms. Currently, seven undergrads (aka “The ChEW Crew”) are working with Dr. Krueger, and she welcomes inquiries about student research involvement. Dr. Krueger describes her research and the groundbreaking potential of ART in biological anthropology here:
2022 Student Award Winners
On Friday, April 29, 2022 the department had its annual year-end celebration, during which awards were presented to graduating seniors. The winners were: The Chardin Award for outstanding student in all fields of anthropology: Tasia Rusco Outstanding student in Biological Anthropology: Emily Driehaus The Father Eugene Buechel, S.J. Award for student who combines anthropology knowledge with work for others: Hannah Maher Breidenbach Award for Outstanding Student in Cultural Anthropology: Emma Falk Breidenbach Award for Outstanding Student in Cultural Anthropology: Sana Jeong Durkheim Award for Outstanding Student in the combined Soc-Anthropology: Rayne Deffenbaugh
Dr. Catherine Nichols named Sujack Master Researcher
On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, Dr. Catherine Nichols was named a Master Researcher as part of the 2022 Sujack Family Faculty Research Excellence Awards. The Sujack Awards constitute the highest academic honors that a faculty member can achieve within the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Nichols, in particular, was named a Master Researcher for her extensive research productivity which included the publication of her book Exchanging Objects: Nineteenth-Century Museum Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution, which was issued by Berghahn Books, one of the premier scholarly publishers in the area of museum studies.
Undergraduate Women's Leadership Award
Dr. Paula Skye Tallman is the feature keynote speaker for The Gannon Center for Women and Leadership Undergraduate Women's Leadership Award
Emily Driehause lecture on "Sex, Science, and Anthropological Inquiry"
Emily Driehaus, a Senior double major in Anthropology and Multimedia Journalism, is on the move. This month, she gave a guest lecture in the class, "Sex, Science, and Anthropological Inquiry" (ANTH 106), where she is a teaching assistant for Dr. Paula Skye Tallman. Emily based her lecture on a paper she wrote last year for Dr. Kathleen Adams, titled, "Effects of Colonialism and Globalization on the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among LGBTQ+ People and Sex Workers in Southeast Asia". Her presentation aligned perfectly with ANTH 106's content and garnered a thunderous ovation from the class!
Twice Over Podcast out of Fordham University features special guest Dr. Catherine Nichols
Catherine Nichols talks with Anne Fernald and Steve D’Agustino about teaching with the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection, considering inquiry-driven pedagogy and opportunities to involve students in knowledge creation. You can listen to “Inviting Students In” wherever you get your podcasts.
Dr. Paula Tallman Publishes Two Articles on Health and Nutrition in the Amazon
Working in the Peruvian Amazon with then undergraduate student Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego, new faculty member Dr. Paula Skye Tallman found that indigenous Awajún community members were suffering from a "dual burden" of both under and over-nutrition (Tallman et al., 2021). Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego took their research one step further by examining what community members were eating. She found that the diversity of traditional Awajún diets has substantially decreased and been replaced with carbohydrate-heavy market foods (Sanchez-Samaniego et al., 2021), potentially explaining the trends they found in dietary health. Giuliana is now pursuing her PhD on cardiovascular health in the Peruvian Andes and continues to work with Dr. Tallman. Dr. Tallman encourages any LUC students interested in these topics to reach out to her (ptallman@luc.edu)!
New Book from Dr. Catherine Nichols! Exchanging Objects is based on her research at the Smithsonian Institution.
Dr. Nichols' new book, Exchanging Objects, is based on her research at the Smithsonian Institution.
Anne Grauer named AAAS Fellow
Join us in congratulating Professor Anne Grauer on being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science! This honor is awarded to distinguished scientists for their significant contributions to scientific knowledge.
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Dr. Catherine Nichols to present on teaching with digital humanities for the Library Journal webinar.
Dr. Catherine Nichols to present on teaching with digital humanities for the Library Journal webinar.
Dr. Kathleen Adams Wins Books Award
Dr. Kathleen Adams has been awarded the 2020 Ed Bruner Book Prize by the Anthropology of Tourism Interest Group for her 2020 co-edited volume.
Dr. Nichols to speak at the Day of Digital Humanities at University of Texas
Professor Catherine Nichols is participating in a panel about Digital Humanities Data at the University of Texas-Austin.
Kathleen Adams participates in webinar on COVID-19 and tourism in Southeast Asia
Kathleen Adams was an invited panelist on a recent webinar, “Southeast Asia, Tourism, COVID-19 and Silver Linings.” An American Anth. Association Anthropology of Tourism Interest Group Blog featuring the panel (and link to the 30 minute webinar) can be found here: http://atig.americananthro.org/southeast-asia-tourism-covid-19-and-silver-linings/
Kathleen Adams has a new article in the journal Tourism Geographies.
Kathleen Adams recently published an article about the intersections between migration and tourism in Indonesia, urging more attention be devoted to local conceptions and experiences of mobility, which do not always align with “Western” dominant binary categories. The article can be found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14616688.2020.1765010?journalCode=rtxg20
Anthropology students Diandra Sarr and Sana Leebe awarded Gilman Scholarships
Anthro major Diandra Sarr plans to study in Senegal, while Anthro minor Sana Leebe’s program will take her to Jordan, once COVID-related travel restrictions are lifted. Congratulations to both!
New Report from Dr. Gomberg-Muñoz and Project Solidarity
Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz is part of collaborative research team that recently released findings-to-date from their research with deportees in Mexico City.
East Asian Textiles Project Virtual Launch on March 30
The East Asian Textiles project is a collaboration between the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities and the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection. There will be a virtual launch on Monday, March 30, via Zoom. At 1:30 p.m., Xiaolin Sun, project director and MA student in Digital Humanities, will be speaking about the project and website. Please join us!
Stacy Drake of the Field Museum to Speak about Human Remains in Museum Collections
Dr. Drake's talk will address concerns around viewing and engaging with human remains at educational institutions like museums and illustrate some of the ways in which the Field Museum is working to navigate and mitigate potential cultural trauma caused by past collection methods. Join us in the IC 4th Floor at 4:00 on Thursday, February 13!
Dr. Adams Gives Keynote Lecture at Tourism Forum in China
Kathleen Adams’ lecture at the 4th Boao International Tourism Communication Forum, in Hainan, China, was titled “Dark Tourism as Engine for Tourism Vitality?: Learning from Indonesian Case Studies.”
Anthropology Speaker Series Event: "Repairing Family and Community After Deportation"
Youth leaders from Mexico and El Salvador will highlight stories of youth engagement and the impact of deportation and violence on young people in Latin America. Join us at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 in IES 123/124!
10th Anniversary Edition of Dr. Gomberg-Muñoz’s “Labor and Legality” Just Released
The new edition of Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz’s first book, an ethnography of undocumented immigrants working in a Chicago-area restaurant, incorporates new interview data, updated policy discussions, and recent theoretical approaches to inequality.
Loyola Anthropologists Head to Vancouver for 2019 AAA Conference
Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz, Catherine Nichols, and Thea Strand attended the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting in late November, presenting original research and participating in a variety of events.
Senior Nicholas Puente's Provost Fellowship Research Focuses on Prehistoric Social Inequality
Puente's original archaeological research took him to Veracruz, Mexico, over the summer, alongside Loyola anthropologist Dr. Philip Arnold.
Another New Book from Dr. Adams in 2019! The Ethnography of Tourism
Dr. Adams is co-editor of and contributor to a brand-new volume addressing the ethnographic study of tourism, including topics ranging from emergent culture to authenticity to contested sites and beyond.
2019-20 Anthropology Speaker Series Kicks off Oct. 2
The first event in this year's lineup is a talk by Kristin Otto on the theme of repair in material culture studies and museum collections. Join us at 6:30 on Oct. 2 in the IC 4th floor!
New Article by Dr. Penglase in Ethnography Journal
Ben Penglase’s most recent article is titled “Tubarão and Seu Lázaro’s dog: Spectacular and banal violence in a Brazilian favela.” In it, he re-examines his ethnographic research on violence and insecurity in a favela in Rio de Janeiro.
Article out from Dr. Nichols in Teaching and Learning Anthropology Journal
Dr. Nichols's "Teaching and Learning Anthropology in the Museum: Developing an Exhibit with the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm” discusses her work with interns in the May Weber Collection.
Alum Katie Day Good ('07) Contributes to Slate with an Essay on Printing Her Facebook Account
Dr. Good, now an Assistant Professor at Miami University in Ohio, studies mediated communication in American education and everyday life. Click through for a link to her piece in Slate!
New Book from Dr. Adams out in May 2019
Kathleen Adams's most recent book, titled *Indonesia: History, Heritage, Culture*, is published by the Association for Asian Studies Press. Click through for links to an author interview with Dr. Adams and an excerpt from the book.
Dr. Krueger Featured on Sausage of Science Podcast
Kristin Krueger was interviewed for a June 2019 episode titled "The Toothy Ladies" on the Sausage of Science, a podcast from the Human Biology Association.
Congratulations to Our 2019 Anthropology Grads!
Graduating seniors were honored at the 2019 Anthropology Gala, with special recognition for outstanding accomplishments and those who earned departmental honors.
Dr. Adams in Switzerland, Belgium and Portugal to Start the Summer
Kathleen Adams was in Europe to give lectures, advise advanced graduate students, and participate in workshops and conferences in late May and early June.
Dr. Nichols Presents at Collections in Circulation Conference at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London
Dr. Nichols presented the paper “Illustrating Anthropological Knowledge: the Exchange and Use of Duplicates Specimens at the US National Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum”. Click through for a link to a podcast of her talk.
Dr. Gomberg-Muñoz Co-Hosts Successful SANA-SUNTA Spring Conference
The Society for the Anthropology of North America and Society for Urban, National, and Transnational Anthropology held a joint spring conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, co-hosted by SANA President Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz. The meeting featured more than 200 attendees and several dozen local participants.
Marisa LaBella Presents at SANA in Puerto Rico
Congratulations to recent anthropology graduate Marisa LaBella for presenting her research on the devastating effects of federal policies on immigrant communities at the SANA-SUNTA Spring Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Contributions by Dr. Krueger Featured in PBS Nova and National Geographic Articles
Dr. Kristin Krueger recently contributed expert comments to Nova's reporting on the newly identified Homo luzonensis and to National Geographic's coverage of four hominin teeth recently found in Southern China.
Professor Adams Presents Paper at Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting
Dr. Adams' paper, “Rethinking Power in Upland Indonesia: Spirits and Sacred Statues in an Era of Heritage-Consciousness,” was part of the panel “Rethinking Power in the Southeast Asian Present” at the AAS conference in Denver in March.
Dr. Krueger Publishes Paper in American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Titled "Dental microwear texture analysis of Homo sapiens sapiens: Foragers, farmers, and pastoralists," the paper finds significant differences in dental microwear texture signatures among populations with different diets.
Dr. Nichols Publishes Article on Her Research at the Field Museum
Nichols chronicles exchanges of anthropological museum specimens between Field Museum Curator of Anthropology Paul S. Martin and renowned southwest archaeologist Harold Gladwin.
Alum Michele Statz Launches First Book at AAA 2018
Statz (BA ’05, PhD UWash ’14) launched her first book, Lawyering an Uncertain Cause: Immigration Advocacy and Chinese Youth in the U.S., at the 2018 American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting.
Dr. Strand Publishes Article on Written Dialect in Norway
The article addresses non-standard spellings in rural Norwegians’ digital communication and in local marketing campaigns. It is published in the journal Multilingua as part of a special issue on contemporary language revitalizaiton in Europe.
Mia LaRocca ('17) Wins Fulbright Award to Italy
The Fulbright/Casten Family Foundation Award will allow Mia to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, which is committed to promoting a sustainable and just food economy through the tenets of the Slow Food movement.
May Weber Ethnographic Art Collection Finds a Home at Loyola
A university acquisition that was years in the making is now giving students a chance to study non western folk art – and unravel the mind of a collector.
Professor Jim Calcagno creates new online course for TED
Professor Jim Calcagno has developed one of the first online courses available as part of TED’s new Ted Studies series. Dr. Calcagno’s 2013 Evolutionary Anthropology article “What Makes Us Human” served as the inspiration for the course, which features a set of curated talks on evolution from experts such as Jane Goodall.
Landfill on campus a glimpse into Chicago's past
What’s underneath this grass on Halas Quad, may surprise you: old garbage. Extending across this part of Loyola’s Lake Shore campus is a landfill that contains about 60 tons of trash. Hundreds of artifacts exposed during construction projects have been collected and studied by Anthropology professor Dr. Daniel Amick.