The 2013 AAA Summer Interns and Association for Feminist Anthropology (AFA) Summer Intern has been selected. Congratulations to Jeff Emerson, Jalene Regassa and Rachel Nuzman!
Rachel Nuzman will be the 2013 AFA Summer Intern. Nuzman is a senior at Saint Mary’s College of California. She is double majoring in Anthropology and English, and minoring in Women and Gender Studies. Rachel notes that through her studies, she has “developed an incredible passion for analyzing cultural influence and pressure on gender and language.”
The AFA is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Nuzman will research an annotated history of the AFA, utilizing the AFA Archives housed at the Smithsonian and other sources, to mark this important anniversary. The finished product will be a useful guidebook for research and scholarship related to AFA’s mission: pedagogy and scholarship in feminist anthropology.
Please help support Rachel’s internship by making a financial contribution to the AFA-AAA Summer Internship Program.
Jeff Emerson, an AAA Summer Intern, will be working with the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the Naval History & Heritage Command, the official history program of the Department of the Navy.
A native of Iowa, Emerson is a senior at Luther College. He double majors in Anthropology and Chemistry.
Several opportunities have led Emerson to an interest in the fields of archaeometry, oceanographic archaeology and artifact conservation. Work with the National Park Service at the Klondike Gold Ruck National Historical Park in Skagway, Alaska, and an internship in summer 2012 with the Nautilus Exploration Program searching for ancient shipwrecks in the Black Sea have contributed most to these curiosities. While on the Nautilus expedition, Jeff assisted the lead scientist with geochemical research of the Black Sea’s stratified water column and the underlying sediments. This investigation turned into the core research for his senior capstone project in chemistry to better understand the chemical processes within the water column and sediments, and how they influence the deterioration or preservation of archaeological artifacts left in situ.
Jalene Regassa, an AAA Summer Intern, will be working with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. Regassa is a senior at Colby College. She double majors in Anthropology and Global Studies. “As an Ethiopia-American, I am very much interested in exploring the ways in which African cultures interact with American cultures and people” says Regassa.
Jalene has a passion for learning, which has compelled her to become an active member of the Colby African Society. Over the past three years, She has played a significant role in revitalizing the club’s activities of representing Africa at Colby College. Her Anthropology major has been valuable in learning about the various cultures that exist in Africa and in appreciating the plurality of experiences across the continent, which she believes allows for a balanced and holistic understanding of Africa and its people.
In a recent interview, Regassa relays her excitement for the upcoming internship: “I am excited to begin my AAA internship at the Smithsonian National Museum for African Art this coming summer. I believe it is a great opportunity to further develop my knowledge while combining my growing interests in anthropology, African cultures, and art.”
The AAA Summer Internship is in its third consecutive year. The program is proudly funded entirely through member donations. This summer AAA needs to raise $8,000 to host Emerson and Regassa. The internships are unpaid; however, the students are provided housing and a meal/travel stipend. Please support these students by making your financial contribution to the AAA Summer Internship Program today.
Filed under: AAA Sections, Anthro in the Media, Association Business, Career/Funding/Awards | Tagged: 2013 AAA Summer Internship Program, AFA Summer Intern, anthropology internship, anthropology students, Association for Feminist Anthropology, Colby College, Jalene Regassa, Jeff Emerson, Luther College, Rachel Nuzman, Saint Mary's College of California | Comments Off
justice system. Dr. Dana-Ain Davis of Williams’ dissertation committee notes, “In addition to being an outstanding leader, Karen also has an outstanding record of academic achievement.” She is currently working on her PhD in anthropology at City University of New York. Karen received her Bachelors of Fine Arts at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in anthropology and continued on to receive a Masters of Arts in Performance Studies at New York University.
Searching for a Career in Anthropology
Today’s guest blog post is by anthropology student Ennis Barbery.
When Elizabeth Van Dolah and I became the student representatives for the Washington Area Professional Anthropologists (WAPA), we thought about the main reasons students are interested in attending WAPA’s events, and we held student happy hours to discuss what sorts of events students wanted. One of the main reasons that students become involved with WAPA is that we want to make connections with anthropologists working in the career settings to which we aspire. We want to learn about how they got started, the challenges they faced, and the advice they have for those of us trying to find our way into their chosen career field. With this knowledge about student interests and goals in mind, Elizabeth and I began planning the WAPA Career Panel that was held on the evening of April 2nd, 2013 at the Charles Sumner School in Washington, D. C.
For the panel, we attempted to recruit practicing anthropologists from a variety of sub-disciplines and working in different types of agencies. We ended up with a nicely balanced group of three: Kirsti Uunila, an archaeologist working as a Historic Preservation Planner for Calvert County, Maryland; John Primo, an ecological anthropologist working for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; and Frances Norwood, a medical anthropologist working as a social science research analyst for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. On the night of April 2nd, followed by some time to eat and socialize at a nearby restaurant, each of the panelists gave a brief talk about their current careers, explaining the paths they took in finding those careers, how mentors helped direct them, and giving advice to those wishing to get started on a similar path or to make a change in their current careers. Then, we opened up the floor for discussion. 25-30 people were in attendance and I recognized many of the attendees as students. The questions they raised ranged in topics, from navigating to the government job application website to balancing work and family; from the rationale for getting a PhD as compared with a master’s degree to recommendations about specific medical anthropology programs in the area.
Apart from the important advice that the panelists provided, this career panel helped to humanize these professional and very successful anthropologists for students. Sometimes, especially when we are insulated in coursework, it becomes difficult to imagine that we will eventually be getting paid to do anthropological research. The panelists told stories about bartending and cleaning park toilets. Their paths to their current careers were meandering, and the stories they told helped me relate to them and see myself as a practicing anthropologist.
Filed under: Career/Funding/Awards, Commentary | Tagged: career in anthropology, Elizabeth Van Dolah, Ennis Barbery, Washington Area Professional Anthrpologists (WAPA) | 2 Comments »