The Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University engages in the discipline as a humanistic science of cultural and biological diversity across time and space. Our strength is in our diversity of approaches to this fundamental inquiry. Our faculty specializes in socio-cultural anthropology, archaeology, medical anthropology, physical anthropology, and anthropological linguistics. We work towards an understanding of the human condition, past and present, in countries across the world and in our own backyards. Our undergraduate and graduate students are trained to be critical thinkers. We offer undergraduates research opportunities inside and outside the classroom, and our graduates find that their degrees have prepared them for a wide variety of experiences within and outside the discipline. I encourage you to explore this new website and see for yourself the many approaches to anthropological research practiced by our faculty and graduate students, and visit us often here or on Facebook to keep up on the achievements of our faculty, students, and alums.
News & Updates
- Professor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis publishes in Textos AntropológicosProfessor Emeritus Dr. William Lovis, in collaboration with Bolivian colleagues José M. Capriles (The Pennsylvania State University) and David Trigo Rodríguez (Universidad Mayor de San Simón, formerly of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, or MUNARQ), coauthored the article “La Repatriación de una momia andina del Museo de la Universidad Estatal de Michigan al Estado Plurinacional
- Ph.D. Student Alexis VanBaarle Awarded J. Lawrence Angel Student AwardDepartment of Anthropology Ph.D. student Alexis VanBaarle has been selected as the 2024 winner of the J. Lawrence Angel Student Award. The J. Lawrence Angel Student Award is given yearly for the best student paper presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences conference. Alexis’ advisor for this project was Dr. Heather Garvin of Des
- Ph.D. Candidate Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s Artwork Featured in ExhibitDepartment of Anthropology Ph.D. candidate Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s artwork is currently featured in a two-person exhibit hosted by the Evanston Art Center in Evanston, Illinois. The exhibit is titled “You’re Not Really Seeing This” and will be on display through April 22, 2024. Kelsey’s work utilizes plastics and other recycled material through the medium of
- Ph.D. Student Emily Nisch Awarded Indigenous America 250 InternshipDepartment of Anthropology Ph.D. student Emily Nisch has been awarded an NCPE Internship through the National Park Service and the Indigenous America 250 initiative. Indigenous America 250 is a community-engaged, community-driven scholarly research project led by Indigenous scholars that is reexamining the Revolutionary War period and its aftermath from the perspectives of Indigenous communities and
- The Department of Anthropology Welcomes new MSU Museum Archaeology Collections Manager, Samantha EllensThe Department of Anthropology is happy to welcome the new MSU Museum Archaeology Collections Manager, Samantha Ellens. The position of Collections Manager is jointly supported by the MSU Museum and the Department of Anthropology. Samantha will be responsible for the care, preservation, and documentation of the archaeological collections that are managed and curated collaboratively by
- Professor Gabriel Wrobel awarded research grant by the Alphawood FoundationDepartment of Anthropology Professor Gabriel Wrobel has been awarded a research grant by the Alphawood Foundation. This funding is in support of a project based in Northern Belize titled “The Marco Gonzalez Archaeological Project: Exploring Ancient Maya Coastal Adaptations in Northern Belize,” and the research will run in conjunction with an MSU Education Abroad program. The