Boise State University Anthropology Department

Congratulations to our Anthropology master’s students on receiving their advance degrees!!

Good luck with your final exams and papers!

Congratulations to Dr. Kristin Snopkowski and Hallie Shean for recently receiving a grant from the Society for Companion Animal Studies!

Their $12,000 grant will be used to evaluate the ability of fear-free dog training to improve the well-being of dogs and survivors after intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is a critical problem affecting millions of people worldwide. In addition to the danger they present to their partners, abusers can also threaten and harm companion animals.

Learn more about their research on our website.

Summer Class Highlight📚

Medical Anthropology introduces students to the dynamic relationship that exists between health and culture. The course will discuss epidemiology, medical ecology, nutrition, ethnomedicine, the social meaning of illness, medical and cultural change, and alternative health models. This is a great class for anyone interested in medicine! Sign up for this class in your myBoiseState.

May is Idaho Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month!

There are two events this week to celebrate:

- Thursday, May 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the State Historic Preservation Office downtown. There will be food trucks and booths from local artists, communities, and historic preservation organizations.

- Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Celebration Park. There will be hands-on learning activities with experts. Learn how to make an arrowhead, cordage, and more!

Last week, our professors participated in a poster party for the Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative (HSSI). Dr. Mario Zimmermann presented his research, "Historic Smoking Traditions in Africa: The Case of the Dahomey Kingdom."

Join us next week as Casey Nielsen defends his thesis, "Differential Effects of end-Pleistocene Climate Change and Early Humans on Megafaunal Spatial Distribution in the American Southwest."

When: April 28, 2025 at 10:00 a.m
Where: ILC, room 401

Good luck, Casey!

We asked AI to create an action figure starter pack for our anthropologists and this is what it came up with 🤯

What do you think of our figurine? Would you want one?

The use of AI is rapidly increasing, even for anthropologists. AI-assisted ethnography can support researchers in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.

Congratulations to our undergraduate students who presented in the 2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase! We enjoyed learning about your research and future plans. If you are interested in joining a VIP group, talk to your advisor or check out our website for more information.

Pictured: Jazzy Day, an anthropology student, presented her research about late archaic hunter-gatherer diets.

Join us this week as Nora-Rose Thornton defends her thesis, "Physiological Stress in Industrial London: The Irish Catholic Experience." Her research explores the relationship between status and health in Industrial London (1760 – 1900) by examining two sites: St. Marylebone Paddington Street North, a high-status Anglican site, and St. Mary and St. Michaels, a low status Catholic site.

When: April 18, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Riverfront Hall, room 303

Good luck, Nora-Rose!

As Graduate Student Appreciation Week comes to an end, we want to thank our Graduate Teaching Assistants for all of their hard work! Thank you to our first-year TAs Autumn, Sascha, and Jolene for helping undergraduate students in their anthropology classes.

Congratulations to two of our graduate students who presented at the Graduate Student Showcase! If you see Nora Rose or Casey around campus, ask them about their research.