Alumna Casey McHugh Works for USAID in Liberia

Casey McHugh (M.A. Anth-ID 2011), was recently appointed to the position of Education Program Support Specialist at USAID/Liberia. She will be providing support on the conceptualization, design, documentation, and management of USAID education assistance projects in Liberia. Previously, Casey worked in Liberia as a research assistant for Prof. Steve Lubkemann.

Alumnus Hermon Farahi Is Documentary Filmmaker

Hermon Farahi (M.A. Anth-Int’l Dev. 2011) has recently returned from Mt. Everest working as a documentary filmmaker with the LoveHopeStrength cancer foundation. Farahi and his coworkers produced a series of short documentaries about their journey on Mt. Everest. You can see their daily uploads at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6mR6zcipx49k5DhD4QHeEfTA4NBLpl3c.

Alumna Joanna Brucker Sends Greetings from Kosovo

Alumna Joanna Brucker (BA Anth with Special Honors, 2007) writes:

"Many warm greetings from Kosovo. I have been here now for six months and some of the most transformational of my life. I currently work for a local non-profit as their educational coordinator. The non-profit, Balkan Sunflowers (www.balkansunflowers.org or www.learningcentersnetwork.org) provides educational extension and support for the minority populations here in Kosovo, namely the Roma and Ashkali. I work as advisor to four educational centers, providing daily training to the local tutoring staff of high school students, writing curriculum to be used in the centers and doing all sorts of outreach and cooperative training with local INGOs. The work is absolutely fascinating - and I am learning Albanian!"

The Anthropology Department is delighted to learn of Joanna's work and wish her all the best in the future.

Alumnus Enters 2010 Teach for America Corps

Recent graduate Nicholas Profeta (BA Anth and Econ 2010) was accepted into the 2010 Teach for America corps, the largest and highest-caliber corps in the organization's 20-year history.

Starting this fall, Nicholas will teach in Dade County, FL, bringing new energy and leadership to the challenge of closing the academic achievement gap for students in low-income communities. In a year where admission was more competitive than ever before, with an acceptance rate of 12 percent, Nicholas was selected from a record 46,000 individuals who applied to Teach For America and will join nearly 4,500 new corps members teaching in 39 regions across the country.

New jobs for three recent M.A. graduates

Matt LeDuc (M.A.-Int. Dev. 2010) recently started working as a short-term consultant for the World Bank. Matt will assist in the preparation of a "Concept Note" on social sustainability in Bank-funded development projects. This study will lead to the development of a core training and certification program for social development specialists at the World Bank.

Maureen Moodie (M.A.-Int. Dev. 2010) is employed by the Neighborhood Farm Initiative (Washington, DC) and its sister organization, DC's Field to Fork Network. She is involved in promoting community gardens, home composting, and similar activities, and helps manage the Field to Fork Network's blog (http://fieldtoforknetwork.org/blog/).

Isaac Morrison (M.A. -Int. Dev. 2009) has joined the nonprofit group Innovation Networks (Washington, DC) as a full-time researcher. The group does research for other nonprofits on their performance, helps quantify their goals, etc. Isaac hopes to also keep teaching anthropology at Montgomery College.

Please send your news bulletins to anth@gwu.edu. Thanks.

Education and job bulletins, recent B.A. graduates

Mary Brown (B.A. Archaeology 2010) will attend the University of Liverpool for an M.A. in Egyptology.

Melissa Cradic (B.A. Archaeology-honors and Classical Humanities 2010) will attend Cambridge University for M.Phil., after which she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Anthropology at UC-Berkeley.

Robin Clay Lange (B.A. Archaeology-honors and Classical Humanities 2007) has completed her master’s degree in archaeology at the University of Durham and returned to New York.

Ashley Randall (B.A. Anthropology 2009) is back in Michigan after a tour as a Peace Corps community health development volunteer in Burkina Faso.

Jessica Ring (B.A. Archaeology 2010) has entered the Anthropology M.A. program at GW.

Please send your news bulletins to anth@gwu.edu. Thanks.

Matt LeDuc (MA 2010) is consultant at World Bank

Matt LeDuc (M.A.-Int Dev 2010) recently started working as a short-term consultant for the World Bank. Matt will assist in the preparation of a “Concept Note” on social sustainability in Bank-funded development projects. This study will lead to the development of a core training and certification program for social development specialists at the World Bank. The Note will include a set of recommendations regarding the main objectives of the training program, as well as its content, scope, and target audience. It will also identify gaps between existing training programs and the training needs of social development specialists at the Bank. Matt is involved in compiling the results of a questionnaire and assisting with a series of focus groups with Bank staff.

Alice McKeown (MA 2002) directs Vital Signs Online for Worldwatch Institute

Alice L. McKeown (MA Anth-ID 2002, BA Anth with Special Honors 2000) continues to research and publish for Vital Signs Online and other publications as part of her work at the Worldwatch Institute. She reports on such topics as the growth of organic agriculture, the mixed prospects for jobs related to biofuels, and the drastic decline in the size of coral reefs. Before going to the Worldwatch Institute in 2008, Alice worked for more than five years with the Sierra Club, where she became an expert on coal, energy policy, and air pollution.

For more, visit her Worldwatch profile.

Isaac Morrison (MA 2009) teaches class in ceramics and archaeology

Isaac Morrison (MA Anthropology-International Development 2009) is teaching a course at Baltimore Clayworks. Material in Context: Ceramics and Archaeology is a 6-week course that is directed towards professionals and students in the field of archaeology who wish to better understand the methods and cultural processes that go into the creation of pottery. The class aims to teach basic ceramic crafting within a scientific, historical, and theoretical context. The class will be held on Saturdays 11 am - 2 p.m., April 17- May 22. The fee is $165 for members and $185 for non-members.

Chris Garces (MA 1999) receives Mellon fellowship and completes doctorate

Chris Garces (M.A. Anthropology, 1999) has received a Mellon postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell. He also finished his doctorate at Princeton University last May while teaching several courses at Sarah Lawrence College. Dr. Garces's dissertation tracks the use of charity as a modern political instrument in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Nisha Ramachandran (BA 2009) working for NGO in New Delhi

Nisha Ramachandran (BA Anth 2009) is working as an intern for Jagori, an NGO in New Delhi. She is focusing on an action research project regarding water and sanitation, with an emphasis on women's safety.

She reports:

"A lot of things that I learned in Barbara Miller's Anth 002 and Anth 154 classes are things that I am seeing everyday in my job here. I realize how much I know about our work and how to go about addressing these issues because of her classes."

We wish Nisha continued success in her endeavors.

Claire Twomey (BA 2008) working with the Open Society Institute

Claire Twomey (BA Anth and IAFF 2008) celebrated her one-year anniversary as a program associate at the Open Society Institute, a non-profit organization in New York City

She reports:

"I can't believe the year has passed so quickly. It's a little scary to tell you the truth. The organization is great, has great benefits, and really wonderful people working for them. I really consider myself lucky to have landed this job. I have traveled twice for work this year, and I might be going to Hong Kong in the winter."

Nicholas Lembo (MA 2009) joins US Chamber of Commerce, runs blog

Nicholas Lembo (MA Anth/ID 2009) works at the US-India Business Council, a wing of the Chamber of Commerce, where he handles business intelligence research and run our programming calendar.

Nick recently finished a consultancy at the World Bank working to maintain the organization's blog on youth and development. This blog can be accessed at: http://youthink.worldbank.org/

In addition, Nicholas's personal blog Zzzeitgeist can be accessed at http://zzzeitgeist.blogspot.com/ According to the site description, this is a blog that "seeks to identify, explain, and link the many disparate strands of international politics and economics. How does China’s internet firewall affect its trade obligations? What's the best way to regulate international credit markets? Do mosquito nets really promote development? How can the international community address climate change without disrupting global commerce? And, most importantly, why does all of this matter?"

Emma Parkerson (BA 2009) working for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Emma Parkerson (BA Anth and Psychology 2009) has a new position with the National Board for Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

"She reports: "[NBPTS's] mission is to maintain rigorous standards and provide a voluntary certification system for what accomplished teachers know and do. I work in the Standards, Assessment, Operations, and Research Department to organize committees for continued revision of the standards. It is a very interesting time to be a part of the education community, that's for sure!

"I'm glad to report that I find myself accessing my anthropological knowledge each day, especially since we just completed the revision of our Social Studies-History and English as a New Language standards! I am thankful to have a strong foundational knowledge of culture, language, and human interaction and hope that it continues to help me move toward a more international- and policy-focused career in education."

Katie Reid (BA 2009) working with Spectrum for Living, Accepted at Seton Hall's MA Program

Congratulations to Katie Reid (BA Arch and Art History 2009) on her new position as Lead Recreation Aide with Spectrum for Living, an organization which works with developmentally and physically disabled adults.

She says "I love working with this population! I also get to use my ASL knowledge since there's several adults who are deaf and disabled."

Katie will be leaving her current job to attend the Museum Professions MA Program at Seton Hall University, New Jersey.

"Living in DC and going to school at GW has given me the knowledge and experience that I need to be successful at Seton Hall University's Museum Professions Masters Program. I made valuable connections with professors and fellow Museum employees at museums such as the NGA and Alexandria Archaeology Museum. I am looking forward to beginning the next chapter of my academic career as a grad student and fulfilling a dream of working at a museum."

Alison Maassen (BA 2009) teaching English at Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Alison Maassen (BA Anth and IAFF 2009) is living at Isla Mujeres, about eight miles off the coast of Cancun, teaching English in a low-income majority Maya community this year.

She reports:

"As the island is a popular tourist destination, the ability to speak English is a huge economic advantage for the community.

"As for plans beyond this year, I wish to refocus my studies in public health/medical anthropology, and will eventually be going to grad school for a Masters in Public Health... if anyone is coming down to the Mayan Riviera in the next year, feel free to contact me!"

Teresa Uczekaj (BS 2009) returns from working with HIV/AIDS hospital in India

Teresa Uczekaj (BS Bio Anth 2009) recently returned from a five-week posting at the Asha Kirana Hospital in Mysore, India.

She reports:

"[The work] was coordinated through a non-profit organization called Pro World Service Corps, the same organization I worked with in Mexico when I led International Alternative Spring Break at GW.

"While I was there I worked on two main projects and several little ones every day. One of the main projects was to collect baseline data on anemia and the progression of HIV/AIDS using in-patient records, and for the other I was asked to write a case study on the challenges facing women living with HIV/AIDS in India. Smaller projects included daily health related activities, demonstrations, and skits for the patients.

"It was an incredible experience on so many levels and I got to meet a lot of extraordinary people!"

Adam Prins (BA 2009) at Egyptian Museum in Cairo

Adam Prins (BA Anth and Arch 2009) is at Cairo's Egyptian Museum working to update their database and cataloging system. This position comes subsequent to his employment at an archaeological excavation in Cyprus earlier this summer, where he worked to create digital maps for future publications of the project's findings.

Adam reports:
"In January I will be traveling to the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt to dig at a Roman city called Amheida (known in the ancient world as Trimithis). All the while, I'll be applying to graduate school and hopefully starting my Master's degree next fall."

Cotlow awardee Abigail Greenleaf with Peace Corps in Cameroon

Abigail Greenleaf (BS Public Health 2007), awarded a Cotlow Research Grant in 2006 for her project "The Journey of a Culture: The Sudanese Immigrant Community in Iowa City, Iowa," is in Cameroon as a health extension worker with the Peace Corps.

She reports:

"I am really enjoying my time here in Cameroon. It is an anthropological heaven! I am living in a compound with a muslim family. There are three wives and over thirty kids so someone is always explaining something to me. The wives are great and are always inviting me to go to naming ceremonies, funerals, etc. I am learning Fulfulde, the local language and hopefully will be able to speak really well by the end of my two years."

Lissa Cruzado (MA 2007) working with El Hogar de Mi Hermana to help Victims of Abuse

Lissa Cruzado (MA Anth 2007) is working with the DC organization El Hogar de Mi Hermana (My Sister's Home) to help shelter and educate women who have been victims of domestic violence as well as social, economic, physical, and sexual abuse.

Cruzado is serving as Coordinator of Education and has given several interviews conducted in Spanish regarding the organization's mission and upcoming events. These interviews can be read at:

El Tiempo Latino

El Pregonero