Dr. Michael D. Coe Lecture: "Collecting the Americas"

The Anthropology Department and the Museum Studies Program were pleased to host Dr. Michael D. Coe on October 14, 2010 as the first lecturer in the 2010-2011 George Washington University Seminar program Museums and Antiquities: A New World.

Dr. Coe, Professor of Anthropology and Curator Emeritus of the Anthropology Collection at Yale University and the Peabody Museum of Natural History, gave a lecture entitled “Collecting the Americas”. Dr. Coe explored the issue of whether scholars should study and publish research findings of objects that have ambiguous archaeological provenances.

The next lecture in the series “Looting and the Art Market in Antiquities” will be given on November 30, 2010 by Dr. Fabio Esteban Amador. Dr. Amador is an Associate Research Professor of Anthropology at The George Washington University and Program Officer at National Geographic Society.

The schedule for Spring 2011 lectures is as follows:

“Taking the Long View: Twenty Years of Repatriation at the National Museum of Natural History.”
William Billeck, Jan. 27


“A New Vision of a Past: Pueblo Origins and the Development and Depopulation of the Mesa Verde Region.”
Mark Varien, Feb. 17


“Branding the Maya: the Implication of Cultural Heritage Production in the Mayan Riviera.”
Traci Ardren, March 3


“Lower End Artifact Collections: is a practical accommodation possible among archaeologists, collectors, and museums?”
David K. Thulman, April 7

Upcoming Event: Boe Titla, Apache Country Singer and Songwriter

Boe Titla, an Apache country singer and songwriter, will be presenting "Songs of Apache Places and Histories" on October 11, 2010 from 5:00-6:30PM. The event will be held in Phillips B-120, with a reception following.

Lambert (Boe) Titla is a talented singer, songwriter, and artist from the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. Born in Bylas, Arizona, Boe is a member of the Black Water clan. His solo performances and recordings have provided entertainment and insight for audiences in Arizona, New Mexico, and throughout the southwest. His songs and stories about Apache places and histories have made him a featured performer at numerous Native American events and Cowboy Poetry gatherings. Boe's album, Native American Balladeer is available on CDBaby.com.

The event is jointly sponsored by the Departments of Anthropology and Music, the Institute for Ethnographic Research, and the GW Anthropology Society.

2006 Cotlow Award Recipient Releases Report on HIV/AIDS in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area

Dana Thomson (BA Int'l Affairs, 2008), a 2006 Lewis B. Cotlow Award recipient whose research involved a comparative study of HIV/AIDS care organizations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, recently released a report entitled "HIV/AIDS in the Washington, DC metropolitan area: Whitman-Walker Clinics, 2007". This report, building upon Ms. Thomson's previous research, summarizes demographic, medical, social, economic, and geographic characteristics of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at Whitman-Walker's three clinics in 2007. The report is unique for its social determinants framework and use of maps to summarize HIV/AIDS data.

Ms. Thomson is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Global Health and Population from the Harvard School of Public Health. She is hopeful that the data and methods from this report can be utilized by the DC HIV/AIDS community and beyond.

Key findings, the full report, and a list of upcoming presentations can be found at: http://dchivaids.wordpress.com/

Anthropology Society announces study hours, general meeting

The GW Anthropology Society hosted study hours on September 12 in the Anthropology Department seminar room and plans to hold these regularly throughout the year. The Society will have their first General Interest/Body Meeting September 13 at 8 p.m. in the same room. These events follow a well-attended potluck on September 10.

The Society's e-mail address is nacirema.gwu@gmail.com. All anthropology students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to join.

Brian Richmond becomes Anthropology Department chair

Associate Professor Brian G. Richmond is the new chair of the Anthropology Department, replacing Catherine {"Kitty") Allen, who will serve as deputy chair through the fall. Brian, who came here from the University of Illinois in 2002, teaches courses in human evolution, functional anatomy, and analytical methods. He stepped into the chairship after another busy field season hunting fossils in Kenya.

For more on Dr. Richmond, visit http://www.gwu.edu/~anth/who/richmond.cfm

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.

Alumna Susan Joy Bishai Graduates GW Law School

Congratulations to alumna Susan Joy Bishai (MA Anthropology-ID, 2007) on her graduation from The George Washington University Law School. After completing her Master's in Anthropology, Ms. Bishai went on to complete her J.D. with a focus in human rights and immigration law.