Department Happenings
Note: The department maintains a calendar of events on
our website at http://www.umass.edu/anthro. Please check it regularly to find
out what is going on.
Wednesday
May 5
3:30
PM
Department
Meeting in Machmer W-15
Monday
May 10
3:45
PM
The
Anthropology Colloquium will present a
documentary
film that promises a lively discussion. Watch out for an announcement via
department email. Machmer E‑14.
Note:
Due to circumstances beyond her control, Frederique Appfel‑Marglin, very
excited about speaking to us a second time on May 10th, unfortunately, had to
decline.
Wednesday
May 12
Last
Issue MegaMemo
Events Elsewhere
Friday,
May 14
9:00
AM - 1:45 PM
The
second annual graduate mentoring symposium talks include Elizabeth Connor,
Biology; Mathew Ouellet, Center for Teaching; Lynne Alaire Bibeau, and G. Albyn
Davis, Communication Disorders; Carolyn Anderson, Stephanie Kent and Gu Li,
Communication; Anne Averill, Entomology and Linda Shea, Hospitality and
Tourism, Room 174 Campus Center. To register RSVP by May 7 Diane Gerrish at the
Graduate School graddean@resgs.umass.edu
Wednesday,
May 19
5:00 - 7:00 PM
“Bringing
Japan to Boston, the Edward S. Morse Collection is a new exhibit at the Peabody
Museum. Opening Reception at the Tozzer Library, 21 Divinity Ave, Harvard.
Good News!
Ramon
Solorzano, Jr. Will give his PhD prospectus presentation on May 14, 2004. Good
Luck Ramon!
Anouk
Tryon will have her MA thesis defense and general exam on May 17, 2004. Good
Luck Anouk!
Emilienne
Rasoazanabary will take her MA general examination on May 19, 2004. Good Luck
Emilienne!
Person of the Week
Claire
Wendland entered the department in 1999, already a practicing physician since
1990. She worked on the Navajo reservation doing obstetrics and gynecology
since 1994, (including all summer and most winter breaks during grad school.)
She found her medical education had prepared her technically, but not ethically
for practicing medicine among people whose worldview was very different from
her own, who lived in poverty and faced considerable discrimination and who
pretty consistently valued community over the individual. In Claire’s words,
“Working on the rez, as they call it, was a blast, and very challenging.” She
used to drive into Albuquerque to visit the University Library and read what
others had written about cross-cultural medicine, particularly ethics, and
eventually realized that the more interesting work in this field was being done
by anthropologists, not doctors or philosophers. Eventually, Claire decided she
wanted to think about such matters in a more in-depth way and that was what led
her to grad school.
Claire
was interested in how education,
(especially medical education) instills beliefs about moral purpose into
students. Her dissertation research focused on medical students in Malawi, a
very poor country, to figure out how material poverty shapes doctor’s
identities and their understandings of the meaning of their work. In short, her
conclusions found that it matters a lot.
Her
dream is to someday work at a medical school. She says, “People who enter
medical school are often idealists, but this idealism is pretty consistently
crushed out of them by the end of their training. I don’t believe it has to be
that way, and would love to help make an institutional structure in which
activist medicine, not just corporate medicine, could flourish”.
Claire
passed her PhD defense with distinction this April.
Coming
Up: A surprise! Guess who?
Call for Papers
The
22nd Annual Graduate Student Conference in Medieval Studies is
holding a meeting October 2, 2004 at Brown University. Abstracts are being
accepted on all topics related to late antiquity through the middle ages. The
conference planners strongly encourage papers from a wide range of disciplines.
Send abstract of 300 words or less and brief personal statement to Amy Vines
at: MedievalConference@brown.edu. Or try: www.brown.edu/departments/medievalstudies/.
Deadline
June 4, 2004
The
Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology is holding its 9th
Annual Paper Competition. Graduate and Undergraduate students are invited to
submit abstracts related to historical archaeology in the Northeastern United
Sates and the eastern provinces of Canada. Students are required to present
their papers orally to the membership and submit a copy of the finished paper
with references to the organizers in advance of the conference. Winners receive
a certificate of award and a years membership in the CNEHA and publication of
their paper in Northeast Historical Archaeology. Guidelines may be found at http://www.smcm.edu/Academics/soan/cneha/student2001.html.
Deadline June 30, 2004
Grants and Fellowships
Funding opportunities with upcoming deadlines, from
your friendly Graduate Student Grant Service, and others:
The
anthropology internship program at the American Museum of Natural History, NY
offers opportunities for undergraduates and graduates to work on projects
relating to the collections or to the ongoing research interest of curatorial
staff. Current collections and research interests include North, South and
Mesoamerican archaeology and ethnology; Asian, African and Pacific ethnology
and human biology. The internship program supports students with monthly
stipends for periods from two months to one year. Go to:
http://research.amnh.org/grants/anthrointern.html. Or,
send applications to Chair, Division of Anthropology, American Museum of
Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street, New York, NY
10024. Deadline December 1, 2004
The
Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada offers Strategic Research
Grants for Aboriginal Development. The grant is aimed at helping teams of
Aboriginal community organizations and university based researchers develop
research partnerships to investigate issues of concern to Aboriginal peoples.
For more info: www.sshrc.ca/web/apply/program.
Deadline
June 30, 2004
JOBS
More info is available in the Jobs Book in 214. There
are two notebooks: one called “Jobs Open” (for off-campus employment) and one
called “Positions Open” (for on-campus student employment). Listings will run
in the MegaMemo for two consecutive weeks.
Research
Assistantship position open: August 30, 2004 through May 31, 2005. Tasks: Edit the weekly newsletter of the
Department of Anthropology (the MegaMemo), and serve as the office
manager for the journal, the African Studies Review. 20 hours per week. Stipend and benefits equivalent to a
departmental full-time TA position.
Substantial facility in the following PC applications a must: WORD,
WordPerfect, Excel, and Access.
Preferences given to graduate students in anthropology. Position will remain open until filled. A detailed description is posted outside
Machmer 213 and is also available to be sent as an attached file by writing to faulkingham@anthro.umass.edu.
Archaeological
Services is seeking Field Technicians for an anticipated busy field season.
Need 1-2 people right away for Greenbush Old Colony Railroad archaeological
excavations. Apply as soon as possible.
Duties include archaeological excavation, note taking, photography, map making,
etc. 40 hours per week. Most projects are out of town. Expenses paid.
Interested parties please contact Mitch Mulholland (mulholland@tei.umass.edu) or by telephone 5-1626.
Oakton
Community College is seeking an assistant professor of anthropology. The
successful candidate will show ability to teach anthropology, physical
geography and archaeology. Masters degree in anthropology preferred. For
applications: www.oakton.edu. Or contact the
Assistant to the Director of Human Resources, Oakton Community College, 1600 E.
Golf Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016.
No
Deadline Specified
The
Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign
seeks to hire a sociocultural or linguistic anthropologist with expertise in
the ethnography, language and culture of Russia, Eastern Europe, or Eurasia for
a one‑year Visiting Assistant Professor position Please send a letter of application, vita,
writing samples, and the names and current contact addresses of three referees
to Paul A. Garber, Head, Department of Anthropology, 109 Davenport Hall, 607
South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. Deadline May 19, 2004
The
University of Toronto Department of Anthropology seeks a two year, assistant
professor in biological anthropology. Seeking someone to teach introductory
level and upper level human biology. Preference given to Canadian and permanent
residents. Send application, CV, teaching dossier and three reference letters
to Chair’s office, Anthropology Department, 100 St. George St. University of
Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G3. Deadline May 31, 2004
Bloomsburg
University is seeking a cultural anthropologist to fill a one year appointment
which may lead to a further appointment. The successful applicant will teach
four, three credit courses per semester.
Send letter of application, CV, and the names of three references to
Chair, Search Committee, Department of Anthropology, Bloomsburg University, 400
E. 2nd St. Bloomsburg, PA, 17815. Deadline July 2, 2004
Texas
Tech University, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work,
seeks a Biological Anthropologist for a visiting faculty position for the fall 2004 through the spring 2005
semesters. Applicants with an
anthropology Ph.D. or ABD welcome. Candidates are expected to
teach courses in Introduction to Physical Anthropology and a course in human
variation & adaptation at the undergraduate
& graduate levels.
Applications to include a statement of teaching and research interests,
vita, and 3 references. Send to: Robert R. Paine, Biological Anthropology Search Committee, Dept Sociology,
Anthropology & Social Work, Texas
Tech University, Box 41012, Lubbock, TX 79409. (robert.paine@ttu.edu). Deadline May 8, 2004
The
National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit organization that defends
the teaching of evolution in the public schools, is seeking
applicants
for a position in its Public Information Project.
Staff members in the Public Information Project provide advice and
support to local activists faced with threats to evolution education in their
communities. They also provide info on evolution and related issues to the
general public, and contribute as needed to NCSE’s publications.
Any
of the following will be considered a plus:
Background
in evolutionary biology or related scientific fields; Background in K‑12
science education; Experience with creationism/evolution controversy;
Experience in grassroots activism, especially on civil liberties and/or
educational issues; Experience in managing electronic forms of activist
communication. Send letter of application, resume, short non‑technical
writing sample, and names and contact information for 3 references familiar
with your qualifications to pips@ncseweb.org. Deadline May 10, 2004
From Harper’s Index
1. Number of people in France who are injured each
year opening oysters: 2000
2. Estimated percentage of web links for requests to
“unsubscribe” from mass emails that fail:
63
3. Number of plaques bearing biblical verses that the
Park Service reinstalled at the Grand Canyon:
3
4. Number of states that do not use the word
“evolution” in their science curricula:
5
5. Maximum fine in Baltimore for dancing or not
standing during the singing of national anthem: $100.
6. Number of MP3 players designed to be clipped inside
an AK-47's ammunition chamber sold world-wide last year: 10,000
7. Rank of Texas among states in which the largest
percentage of citizens lack health care insurance: 1
8. Rank of Vermont:
42
9. Days after a columnist outed an undercover CIA
officer last year that the Justice Department began investigating it: 74
10. Days after Paul O’Neill criticized the President
on TV in January that the former treasury secretary came under investigation: 1
11. Maximum prison sentence in months for causing the
death of a U.S. worker by willfully violating federal safety regulations: 6
12. Maximum prison sentence in months for harassing a
wild burro on federal lands: 12
13. Estimated percentage of U.S. voters whose 2004
vote will be cast via computer system producing no paper record: 29
14. Estimated number of handstands an adult male panda
does daily: 8
15. Estimated
percentage of television static that derives from the big bang: 1