Honoring Professor Emeritus Michael Agar

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing away of Professor Emeritus Michael Agar on the morning of May 20, 2017 after a courageous struggle with ALS.

Living with HIV as an Older Black Woman in Prince George’s County, Md.

Researchers with the University of Maryland Department of Anthropology and School of Public Health are calling attention to the unique and complex challenges faced by older Black women living with HIV in Prince George’s County, Md.

Nadine Dangerfield Recipient of the Graduate School's 2017 Outstanding Coordinator of Graduate Studies Award

Congratulations to Nadine Dangerfield who has been awarded the Graduate School's 2017 Outstanding Coordinator of Graduate Studies Award. Nadine has been the Assistant Director of the Graduate Program in the Department of Anthropology since 2013. This award acknowledges her efforts to enhance the educational experience of our graduate students, and ensure that the graduate program operates smoothly. Congratulations, Nadine! 

Fabio Correa and Emilia Guevara also received awards at the Graduate School Fellowship and Award Celebration. Congrats! 

Sarah Noe and Emily Colón Receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Congratulations to Sarah Noe and Emily Colón for receiving NSF Graduate Research Fellowships! The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are at the beginning of their graduate career and pursuing a research-based master’s or doctoral degree. The fellowship provides up to three years of educational support. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers. 

Reflections from the Diversity Initiative Visit to NMAAHC

On March 12, the Department of Anthropology Diversity Initiative sponsored a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture with a group discussion following at a nearby restaurant. We had 28 people participate including: graduate and undergraduate students, staff, alumni, prospective students, and family members.

Participants shared their reflections from the visit describing what was most meaningful, what they learned, and what was surprizing, some of which are highlighted below:

ANTH Alumni Make their Mark at National Park Service

When Brandon Bies earned his master's degree in anthropology with a concentration in historical archaeology in 2003, he knew where he wanted to go to work full-time: The National Park Service (NPS). "I kept an open mind thinking that I could work for a contracting firm- the route that a lot of anthropology people take- but I thought that a job with the National Park Service would be a great job out of graduate school," Bies said.

Searching for Answers 70 Years Later: New ANTH summer program to survey and investigate WWII aircraft crash site in Austria

More than seven decades ago during the Second World War, a military aircraft carrying United States service members crashed in the Eastern Alps near the city of Linz, Austria to the west of Vienna. Like so many of their fellow WWII fighters, the crew members were never identified and their families never knew for certain what happened to them. Now, thanks to an innovative new summer program being offered through the Department of Anthropology, a small group of University of Maryland students will play an important role in providing long-awaited answers to the descendants of these fallen service members.

Alumni Profile: Katie Geddes (M.A.A. '16)

Katie Geddes is a graduate of the M.A.A program (2016) and current Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  At NOAA, Katie works in the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research division where she is a Foreign Affairs Fellow.  In this role, Katie engages in international diplomacy and facilitates international collaboration and partnerships throughout NOAA and its national and international counterparts to advance oceanic, atmospheric, and climate observations research around the world.