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
- Assistant Professor Joe Hefner published in Forensic AnthropologyDepartment of Anthropology Assistant Professor has published an article in the journal Forensic Anthropology, along with coauthors Dr. Stephen Ousley of the University of Tennessee (posthumously) and Dr. Ron Richardson of Mercyhurst University. The article is titled “MaMD Analytical 1.0: A Computer Program for Macromorphoscopic Trait Analysis” and covers the use of MaMD Analytical software,
- Ph.D. Candidate Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s Artwork Featured in Bangkok Art ExhibitDepartment of Anthropology Ph.D. candidate Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s artwork is currently featured in Warin Lab Contemporary, an arthouse in Bangkok, Thailand. The exhibit is titled “Threads of Change” and will be on display from April 6th until May 25th, 2024. Kelsey’s work utilizes plastics and other recycled material through the medium of weaving to bring
- Anthropology Undergraduate Sasha Franklin awarded Andrew Undergraduate Fellowship and Dean’s Assistantship from College of Social ScienceAnthropology undergraduate student Sasha Franklin has been awarded the Andrew Undergraduate Fellowship and a Dean’s Assistantship from the MSU College of Social Science. Sasha’s proposal was titled “Online Learning and Digital Cultural Heritage in Belize”, and the project will begin in the fall 2024 semester. It is an applied research project involving the creation of
- Anthropology Undergraduate Allison Thomson awarded Dean’s Assistantship from the College of Social ScienceAnthropology undergraduate student Allison Thomson has been awarded a Dean’s Assistantship from the MSU College of Social Science. The project is titled “Utilizing GIS to Visualize Bioarchaeological Data,” and funding will take place over the 2024-25 academic year. This project aims to improve accessibility and visualization of archaeological data by using Microsoft Access to build a
- Associate Professor Najib Hourani awarded Creating Inclusive Excellence GrantDepartment of Anthropology Associate Professor Najib Hourani, along with fellow PI Dr. Rebecca Karam (Sociology) received the 2023-24 Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant from the Michigan State University Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. The project, entitled “Counting MENA In,” also received funding from MSU’s Department of Anthropology, Department of Sociology, Muslim Studies Program, and the
- Ph.D. Candidate John Boyd awarded Dissertation Research Overseas FellowshipDepartment of Anthropology Ph.D. candidate John Boyd has been awarded a Dissertation Research Overseas Fellowship from the MSU African Studies Center. This funding is in support of fieldwork taking place in Morocco during the 2024-25 academic year. During this fieldwork, John will be researching social and youth movements in Morocco through participant observation and interviews