Anthropology Department Annual Newsletter

2008 Letter from the Chair

Dr. Ruthbeth Finerman

A Chinese proverb warns, “If we don’t change our direction we’re likely to end up where we’re headed.” While it’s tempting to hunker down and wait for change at the top in these economically and politically troubled times, our program continues to make progress by building partnerships from the bottom up.

One fresh and exciting change is our new faculty member in biological anthropology. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Kathryn Hicks. She joins us from Northwestern University, where she investigated the impact of women’s social support networks on stress and immune function in Bolivia. Kathryn is developing courses on the intersection of biology and health, and plans new research in Memphis on environmental justice and health status. In these tight budget times, our new faculty line reflects very positively on our program’s reputation. This position will also allow us to further expand our links to other programs, especially those with a health focus.

In the spring, we hosted a vibrant joint meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology and Society for Medical Anthropology. More than 1800 scholars from around the world participated in the conference and learned about the work of our alumni, students, and faculty. During the meeting we also held a memorable reunion dinner. About 100 of our alumni and current students joined us to celebrate thirty years of graduate training in applied anthropology at The University of Memphis. If you missed the invitation to this event, it means you need to send us up-to-date contact information.

Our Advisory Board of area leaders also helps us meet changing needs in our program and in the wider community. Board members developed key events for the spring 2008 SfAA-SMA joint conference. This year they will offer guidance as we develop a new series of practicum preparation workshops. Please contact us if you are interested in joining the Board.

Our department also completed a highly successful external program review. The peer evaluators reported that “the national reputation of the program within applied anthropology is outstanding” and “it is also viewed as one of the best practitioner career-oriented MA programs in the country. The foundation for this success is a consistent and long-term commitment to the region, and excellent relations with students, alumni, and the University.”

Despite financial turmoil and reduced funding for higher education, our superb faculty continues to achieve excellence in teaching, mentoring, scholarship, and community engagement. Just this fall, Dr. Stan Hyland was honored with our College’s Meritorious Faculty Award, which recognizes exceptional instruction, research, and service. In this newsletter, you’ll see that our alumni also earned fresh honors and made important contributions to the community.

Thoreau observed, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” We know you are all busy, and many are challenged to find a course through difficult times, but you can continue to rely on our program and faculty as resources. Stay in touch, send us news, and allow us to celebrate your achievements! ^top

2008 SfAA/SMA Annual Meetings in Memphis

By Satish Kedia (SfAA 2008 Program Chair) &

Ruthbeth Finerman (SMA 2008 Program Chair)

The University of Memphis

The 68th Annual Meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Memphis was a tremendous success, with nearly 1,800 scholars from around the world coming together to share their dedication to intellectual pursuits and engaged scholarship. SfAA also welcomed 358 new members, including 210 students and 148 regular members, making the Memphis meeting one of the best in helping the SfAA membership grow.

The Society for Medical Anthropology (SMA), which co-sponsored our meeting, featured as part of their program organized symposia, volunteered sessions, workshops, poster competitions, and memorable special events, including a chartered sunset riverboat cruise. The SMA Plenary, one of the conference’s three plenary sessions, was chaired by Ruthbeth Finerman (U Memphis), Lenore Manderson (U Monash) and Carolyn Sargent (S Methodist U), and included a panel discussion on “The Political Construction of Global Infectious Disease Crises.”

The Consortium of Practicing and Applied Anthropology Programs (COPAA), chaired by Linda Bennett, also offered many organized events and sessions, including COPAA’s First International Distinguished Scholar Keynote Address. This address was delivered by Susan Wright (U Aarhus), who spoke on broadening the perspectives of applied anthropology and higher education beyond COPAA’s experiences in the United States.

Representatives from other co-sponsoring organizations including the International Network on Displacement and Resettlement (INDR), the Political Ecology Society (PESO), and the National Association for the Practice of Applied Anthropology (NAPA), also put together an impressive number of sessions, special events, and workshops, all of which were well-attended and intellectually stimulating for participants. The INDR sponsored a plenary on “Social Sciences and Forced Population Displacement,” featuring speakers Michael Cernea (George Washington U) and Theodore Downing (U Arizona), and facilitated by Satish Kedia.

 The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting, “The Public Sphere and Engaged Scholarship,” was well-represented throughout the conference. In each of the conference’s plenary sessions, esteemed scholars came together to share their expertise and thought-provoking insights with enthusiastic and receptive audiences. The Presidential Plenary, with plenary speakers Marietta L. Baba (Michigan State U) and Erve Chambers (U Maryland), was convened to honor prominent SfAA member Professor John van Willigen and was chaired by Satish Kedia. Echoing the conference theme in its topic, “The Art and Science of Applied Anthropology in the 21st Century,” the Presidential plenary, like the other two plenary, was well-attended and attracted a nearly room-capacity crowd.

Participants at the 2008 meeting were able to enjoy the many educational tours, recreational attractions, and eating establishments for which Memphis is world-famous. The location of the conference hotel proved an exciting backdrop for the meeting, and was particularly conducive to exploring the many exciting highlights of Memphis’s vibrant downtown. Conference-goers were also able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Beale Street, as well as getting an up-close look at Southern culture with a visit to the Center for Southern Folklore.

Tours of the National Civil Rights Museum, led by Katherine Lambert-Pennington; Chucalissa Archaeological Museum, hosted by Robert Connolly; and the College Park and Uptown neighborhoods, organized by Stan Hyland, all provided stimulating perspectives on the vital ways in which anthropology functions in various community settings. Keri Brondo was instrumental in encouraging participation of local scholars in the conference.

We, along with members of the Program Committee, express my gratitude to everyone who assisted, attended, or participated in the SfAA conference in Memphis. You helped make the 68th Annual Meeting an outstanding and remarkable event. ^top

Faculty Updates

Dr. Linda Bennett

Over the past year I have continued working in leadership positions in national anthropology organizations that focus on applied and practicing anthropology programs and supports for anthropologists working inside and outside of academia. In December 2007, a new committee of the American Anthropological Association was established as an outgrowth of recommendations of the AAA Practicing Advisory Work Group (PAWG). I agreed to chair the new standing Committee on Practicing, Applied, and Public Interest Anthropology (CoPAPIA).  This committee is working with Sections members of the AAA to advance benefits and supports for applied and practicing anthropologists, including academically and non-academically employed individuals. For example, committee members have organized a session for the 2008 AAA meetings on “Advancing the Position of Practicing Anthropology within the AAA,” with leaders of 9 Sections participating.  Additionally, the Anthropology News carries a monthly column edited by Shirley Fiske, a member of the committee; the column is called “Anthropology Works.” Furthermore, CoPAPIA is working with the new Editor-in Chief of the American Anthropologist to expand the inclusion of applied and practicing anthropology publications, including the review of reports to agencies.  Looking into the future, CoPAPIA in 2008 will conduct a survey of MA alumni--especially from applied programs--in terms of their experiences in the job market, the kinds of careers they have established, and their reflections on their graduate programs. Another project that is under way includes addressing tenure and promotion issues for applied anthropologists; this is being led by Sunil Khanna and other leaders in the Consortium of Practicing and Applied Anthropology Programs (COPAA) in conjunction with CoPAPIA.

This past year I have also been working with Keri Brondo on the analysis of data and report on the survey of “practicing anthropologists” by the Committee on the Status of Women in Anthropology.  We will be presenting a preliminary report to COSWA at the AAA meetings in November 2008 in San Francisco.  My enthusiasm for these organizational initiatives is a reflection of my appreciation of the University of Memphis Department of Anthropology’s commitment to applied anthropology and the very clear successes of our alums in wide ranging careers.

In a different vein, I spent three weeks in Croatia in fall, 2008, to participate in a study of retention of dialects and perceptions about the use of dialects on the Island of Korčula in the Adriatic Sea.  A team of four anthropologists from the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb and I traveled to Korčula and collected data in the two towns and six main villages on the island which has a population of about 20,000 people.  Questionnaire data regarding the recognition of and perceptions about dialectal differences in different communities on Korcula, other islands, and the mainland were collected from over 500 high school students in the three largest communities.  In addition, adults of various ages living in different communities were interviewed regarding word choices for a wide variety of terms.  While I was there, I discussed plans for a lectureship on applied anthropology at the University of Zagreb in spring 2010 and ideas for continued research in Croatia. ^top

Dr. Keri Brondo

It’s hard to believe a full year has passed; it’s been a whirlwind adventure in so many ways.  Acclimating a family - two new schools, two new jobs, a new home, and four new social and professional networks.  The honeymoon phase is coming to an end, and as I came up for air this summer, I found myself deeply satisfied with what life has to offer as an anthropologist in the mid-South.

Beginning in the Fall 2007, over 50 students in my Urban Anthropology, American Communities, and Anthropology of Tourism classes have engaged in service-learning opportunities and small-scale research projects in the Beltline community.  In the Spring, I competed with Bill Marler of Jacob’s Ladder CDC for a Strengthening Communities Grant Initiative (SCGI), which we were awarded to fund two exciting programs.

Life in the Beltline, a youth oral history project that trained 6 youth, ages 11-17, from the Beltline community to conduct video ethnographic oral histories with neighborhood residents.  The summer project culminated in the production and screening of 6 youth-produced films on community history.  Graduate student Andrew Mrkva showed great leadership in developing and teaching the curriculum for his graduate practicum. The project was featured in the Commercial Appeal, bringing important attention to the Beltline neighborhood from the greater Memphis community.

The second initiative funded by the SCGI focuses on the fairgrounds redevelopment, and is still underway.  In the Spring of 2008, Dr. Lambert-Pennington and I facilitated a series of community focus meetings under an asset-based development model to inform the area’s redevelopment.  A major report was circulated to community partners, the fairgrounds development team, and neighborhood groups.  This Fall I will work with graduate students Andrew Mrkva and Sam Gibbs, Beltline neighborhood leader Sharon Stone, and Bill Marler of Jacob’s Ladder, to compile a DVD production based off interviews conducted with residents regarding the fairgrounds development.

Internationally, I have begun a project with Dr. Connolly exploring faith-based development in Panama through the lenses of participants in medical missions of the Mississippi Episcopalian Diocese.  My research in Honduras also remains a strong passion and I hope to return to the north coast in the near future.  In my absence from the field, I have been working with Natalie Bown, a colleague from Newcastle University in Fisheries Management, to write up our 2005-2006 research on ecotourism, conservation, and resource rights in the Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area.  We see our work as contributing to debates in anthropology regarding the sociocultural and environmental impacts of the neoliberalization of nature.

Last December, I published a paper on Garifuna women’s land rights and activism in the Journal of International Women’s Studies.  The piece was later requested to be translated into Spanish by a Honduran Garifuna rights activist organization to use in support of their petition with the InterAmerican Human Rights Court to reclaim lost ancestral territory. Using start-up funds supplemented by additional generous support from the Department of Anthropology, the article was translated and republished in 2008.

I currently have two manuscripts out for review; one on General Motors’ lean manufacturing strategy (with Marietta Baba), and the other on the relationshipbetween identity politics and land rights on the north coast of Honduras.  I have also contracted with MSU Press to contribute to an edited volume that tells the story of GM’s Lansing Grand River Automotive Facility, as well as with Sage Publications to write a encyclopedia contribution on Women’s Leadership in Anthropology.

Speaking of gender and the anthropology profession, here at UM, Linda Bennett and I have been working with Cindy Martin, Harmony Farner, and most recently Andrew Mrkva, to write up the results of the 2007 survey of practicing anthropologists, sponsored by the AAA’s Committee on the Status of Women in Anthropology (COSWA).  Graduate students Jenn Graham and Sarah Kennedy also played a role in the data analysis for this project.  In addition to offering insight into the gendered dimensions of practicing anthropology, the survey has also increased our knowledge base of practicing anthropologists in general, in substantial and important ways. 

I continue to remain active in both the Society for Applied Anthropology and the American Anthropological Association.  I presented two papers at the SfAAs here in Memphis”: one on developing engaged scholarship partnerships and the other on “tooling up” students for interdisciplinary research in organizational settings.  I also organized (with Catherine Kingfisher) an invited session for the AAAs in San Francisco that featured four of COSWA’s past “Squeaky Wheel” recipients who shared their reflections on the status of women in anthropology.  Additionally, I presented a paper on “protecting” Garifuna territory in a panel on ecotourism, territory, and identity.

In closing, I want to thank all the staff, students, alumni, and faculty who have so warmly welcomed me into the department over this past year.  I look forward to continuing to collaborate and grow with you all in years to come! ^top

Dr. Robert Connolly

My first year in the Anthropology Department has provided a wealth of opportunities. As Director of the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa we completed a series of changes to enhance the visitor experience.  We created or updated several new exhibits including the very popular Hands-on Archaeology Laboratory.  In September, three new exhibits opened that feature the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.  A generous gift from the Friends of Chucalissa provided funds to purchase equipment for audio tours of the museum and site.  The Chucalissa Arboretum created by the Southwind Garden Club was certified and dedicated in the last year.  We have also taken steps to integrate the Museum into the surrounding southwest Memphis community.  A photographic exhibit by area youth hung in the Museum theatre this past summer.  Currently, community youths are developing an exhibit that will present the African-American cultural heritage associated with the Museum locale.   Graduate Assistants from the Anthropology Department along with interns from the Museum Studies Program are integral to the success of these projects.

The Museums Studies Graduate Certificate Program admitted a record number of new students this past year.  In the Spring Semester of 2009 I will offer a new course, Public Archaeology and Museums that will explore the presentation of cultures in a variety of museum venues.  Along with other new Department course offerings, we are providing students with a growing resource in the area of cultural heritage.

This past year I returned to a project initiated over the course of the last decade – faith based missions to Central America.  Dr. Brondo and I embarked on a research project that will begin to assess the impacts on both practitioners and clients in a nearly decade long medical mission among the Kuna and Embera near Torti, Panama organized through the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi.  This October I returned for my fourth trip.

Other things I am up to can be found at http://web.mac.com/robertlfs

^top

Dr. Ruthbeth Finerman

I returned to Ecuador this summer with Ross Sackett and students Nora Bridges, Chris Cosby and Patience Jarrett, who helped document pesticide exposure among indigenous families. The students were superb field assistants, and completed projects of their own during their stay. This work will enhance our understanding of globalization and health change in the Andes.

As Program Chair for the Society for Medical Anthropology’s spring 2008 meeting I organized the conference plenary, helped coordinate a forum on careers in medical anthropology, and chartered a sunset riverboat cruise for SMA members. The conference was a solid success and highlighted our graduate program in medical anthropology.

I also completed collaborative research with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s International Outreach Office. We examined culturally-appropriate international bioethics standards for medical research in El Salvador. Our team published a co-authored article in the Journal of Developing World Bioethics.

My partnership continues on a multi-year project with Dr. Teresa Cutts of Methodist Healthcare. The team is conducting a series of participatory action workshops to map community health assets. Several graduate students, including Patience Jarrett, Katherine Pritchard, and Carolyn Clark, worked on the project. The strategy identifies hidden resources, and stakeholder health priorities. The next phase will assemble locally-appropriate measures of wellbeing, and build a network of faith-based and health organizations. Volunteers from these organizations will be trained to help all neighborhood residents navigate the healthcare system. Our team plans to report on the project at the spring 2009 SfAA meetings in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I remain active on projects to address infant mortality in Memphis. Currently, I am co-PI with Drs. Lynda Sagrestano, Joy Clay, and Phyllis Betts, for an evaluation of a state-funded “Community Voice” infant mortality intervention. The initiative is coordinated by March of Dimes, with oversight from the county mayor’s office. The program trains lay health advisors in Memphis neighborhoods at high risk for infant death. Graduate students Nora Bridges, Katherine Pritchard, Carolyn Clark, and

and Nikia Puyol-Grayson, and alum Naketa Edney are key researchers on the evaluation team. ^top

Dr. Kathryn Hicks, New Faculty Member

I am very pleased to have joined the faculty here in the Department of Anthropology, and look forward to meeting more alumnae and community partners as the year goes on. 

I am currently working on grant applications for a project on environmental justice and health in El Alto Bolivia, the same community in which I completed my dissertation research.  In collaboration with cultural anthropologists from Bolivia and the US, I hope to investigate the strategies of social movements in improving access to water, and the health implications of an impending water shortage.  I am looking forward to developing a similar project on environmental health in Memphis, and am in the process of making contacts with researchers interested in complementary issues.  Related to this, I am in the process of designing a course on Culture, Health, and Environmental Justice for fall 2009.   

As a follow-up to a conference last spring on indigenous people and social movements in Bolivia, I am currently working on a paper for publication entitled “A Biocultural Approach to Fictive Kinship: Social Support and Women’s Health in El Alto, Bolivia.”  I also presented a paper at this year’s American Anthropological Association Meetings on the reaction of Bolivian doctors entitled “Cuban Doctors and the Changing Politics of Health Care in Bolivia.” Finally, at the spring meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, I will be presenting in an invited symposium in honor of the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, on the integration of biocultural and evolutionary perspectives in physical anthropology. 

In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone here in Memphis for making the transition to a new city and a new department so enjoyable, and look forward to getting more involved in the local community, now that I have settled in. 

 ^top

Dr. Stanley Hyland

Over the last year Dr. Hyland has been very busy with papers and projects, and has received honors for his work.  He has two recent publications in the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration; “Still a Long way to Go for the Lower Mississippi Delta” and “Reflections on the Culture of the Lower Mississippi Delta: Challenges and Opportunities.”  He is also in the process of working on an article entitled, “A Participatory Action Research Approach to Health Promotion: Youth as Co-Researchers” with J. Clay and C. Sadler.  Dr. Hyland is also working on a Lead Hazard Control Report for the Shelby County Government with Clay and Sadler.  Finally, he gave a talk on Building Capacity through Collaboration at the Memphis neighborhood leadership Conference here in Memphis.

Dr. Hyland has been busy in the field as well.  He has been on the City of Memphis Coordinating Responsible Authority Advisory Committee since 2004.  For the last ten years he has held a place on the advisory board for the Memphis City Gas and Water Community.  This past year Dr. Hyland has been on the executive steering committee of the Memphis Regional Design Center, and for the last three years, continuing into 2009, he has been an influence on the board of directors at the Urban Child Institute.

Dr. Hyland has helped win $630,000 in grants and contracts from 2004 to the present.  This money has gone to help his work with the “Lead Hazard Control Program Evaluation”, the “Evaluation of HOPE VI Dixie Homes Initiative”, and “Assessing the Impact of a Healthy Neighborhood Initiative” and “Strengthening Communities”.

Selected from 27 submissions, each project in this initiative, funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis and the United Way of the Mid-South was given money to fund their individual vision.  Within this Strengthening Communities Initiative there are five different projects bringing together University of Memphis students and faculty with non-profit organizations working towards a common goal of community revitalization.  These projects, started in May include one full-time professor and are required to be completed with in 18 months.  These endeavors include a Middle School Math and Science Program in the Uptown neighborhood, an Oral History Project in the Beltline neighborhood, a Walk ability and Safe Routes to School in the Rozelle-Annesdale neighborhood, a Mural Project following Highland St. in the University District, and an Abandon Housing Study in the Frayser Rugby neighborhood.

Dr. Hyland has recently been recognized for his commitment and success in engaged scholarship and teaching.  This year he was recognized by the Engagement Academy for University Leaders by the University of Memphis, and became the University’s representative at Virginia Tech.  He also accepted the Meritorious Faculty Award by the College of Arts and Sciences.  This award recognizes the exceptional faculty within the university and their outstanding contributions. ^top

Dr. Satish Kedia

Since last year, I have been a part of an NIH funded project dealing with developing wireless sensor devices to study addictive behavior and psychosocial stress in an individual’s natural environment. A multidisciplinary team of researchers is collaborating on this innovative efforts, including Dr. Santosh Kumar (PI) from Computer Science, along with Co-PIs, myself and Dr. Kenneth Ward from Health and Sport Sciences at The University of Memphis, a neuroscientist, Dr. Mustafa al’Absi at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Emre Ertin from Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Ohio State University, and scientists from the SpectRx Inc. Currently, there is no technology available that assesses addictive behavior and its relationship to stress in real time. This multidisciplinary project has the tremendous potential to take behavioral research to the next level of methodological sophistication.

2007 was particularly busy and eventful for me.  My involvement at the Institute for Substance Abuse Research & Evaluation (I-SARE) continued to grow. At this point, we conduct four different alcohol and drug evaluation research projects sponsored by the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.  Based on this research, in addition to publishing a number of evaluation reports, we also published two policy papers: Tennessee’s Problem Gaming Initiative and Prescription Drug Abuse: A Public Health Issue in Tennessee.

Last year, I also edited two NAPA Bulletins, published two journal articles, two book reviews, and six monographs on program evaluation. The two journal articles, “Mono- versus polydrug use patterns among publicly funded clients in Tennessee,” was published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. The second article, “Gender effects on client-spousal collateral agreement levels in substance abuse post-treatment reports,” appeared in Addiction Research and Theory.I have also been involved with a number of professional endeavors. I served as the Program Chair for the 2008 SfAA conference held in Memphis. The conference was a tremendous success, due in large part to the support I received from colleagues and students in the Anthropology Department. Currently, I am serving as co-editor for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA) Bulletin.

During the next few months, I hope to finalize a few longer manuscripts from my research on sexuality and adherence for patients with HIV/AIDS, caregiving and adherence for children with celebral palsy, and the health impacts of pesticides among Filipino farmers.  ^top

Dr. Katherine Lambert-Pennington

Dr. Katherine Lambert-Pennington has been deeply involved this semester in a revitalization project in a South Memphis Neighborhood.  The South Memphis Renaissance Project is a holistic approach to community revival from the bottom up.  She and her students, along with an interdisciplinary team of additional students and professors from the University of Memphis, have been working with Reverend Kenneth Robinson of St. Andrew’s AME Church on his vision to improve and sustain the physical, spiritual, emotional, and economic life of the surrounding community. 

She has also been busy with A Strengthening Communities Initiative. The initiative, started in May, is a collaboration between the University of Memphis, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, and the United Way of the Mid-South who have awarded the five groups in total, $76,980.   As a Co-Principle Investigator of the project, Dr. Lambert-Pennington heads up the evaluation of the five funded neighborhood projects, Selected from 27 submissions, these community-university teams are working to solve issues of safety, housing, education, and beautification in their neighborhoods.  Students and faculty members will become more engaged within the individual community they are working and be allowed the chance to work with residents to assess where the grant money can best be used.

In addition to her work throughout the school year Dr. Lambert-Pennington will be working through her break.  With the help of her Faculty Research Grant she plans to return to Australia over the holiday break where she will be doing follow-up fieldwork in the Sydney area with urban Aboriginal residents of La Perouse NSW.  ^top

Dr. Ross Sackett

I continue to enjoy teaching our introductory course on Human Origins and Prehistory, especially the challenge of communicating the evidence of human prehistory and evolution to a student audience increasingly distracted by recent controversies in Creationism and “intelligent design”.

I’ve used the discussion of traditional and scientific origin stories to reinforce the anthropological messages of cultural relativism and the important social functions of faith and worldview, trying to impress upon students the distinctions between the cultural search for meaning and the scientific pursuit of accurate descriptions of nature. I also teach a regular rotation of upper division and graduate courses, including nutritional anthropology, paleontology, ascent to civilization, and the core required seminar in anthropological data analysis.

I also serve as undergraduate advising coordinator for the Department. While this initially felt like a burden, it’s turned into a great joy, as I have the opportunity to meet and mentor most of our majors each semester.

This summer I also joined in a team research field season in Saraguro Ecuador, where I served as one of the “Priests” of the indigenous community’s Corpus Christi celebrations. I led the religious procession, and facilitated major food distributions similar to Melanesian Big Man feasts. On an a vocational note, I had the pleasure of competing in a major telescope making competition and amateur astronomy gathering called Stellafane where, for the third consecutive year, my telescope won an award.  ^top

Dr. Charles Williams Jr.

Dr. Williams continues to have an active teaching, research, advising, and community services agenda.  However, after 20 years of doing contract evaluation research in alcohol and drug treatment and prevention for the State of Tennessee, Dr. Williams chose not to renew his grants/contracts for fiscal year 2008-09.  Never the less, Dr. Williams will continue as the director of the Alcohol and Drug Prevention Research Center (ADPRC) at the University of Memphis by focusing his time and attention in another area of research which is fast becoming one of his passions, community and faith-based health care delivery.  Also, he has returned full-time this fall to the classroom where he will continue to teach ANTH 4120/6120 Africa’s New World Communities and ANTH 1200 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology to both regular and Honors undergraduate students.

In February 2008, Dr. Williams was invited to present a paper at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Tennessee State Conference, 5th Annual Race Relations Summit Health Forum entitled: The Way Forward: The State of AIDS/HIV in the Black Community at Lane College, Jackson, TN.  Also, in March 2008, in an invited session of the Society for Applied Anthropology 68th Annual Meeting, Dr. Williams served as the moderator of a session hosted by Dr. Tony Whitehead of the University of Maryland entitled: Race, Gender, Incarceration and Reentry: Implications for Black Families, Communities, and the Broader Society at the Marriott Downtown, Memphis, TN.

Dr. Williams’ other research related and community services activities during the summer and fall of 2008 involved his cooperative efforts with Soulsville Charter School and Melrose High School concerning the historical implications of race, age and gender in the 2007-08 Primary Election; a presentation entitled: The Harvest Truly is Plenteous, but the Laborers are Few at the 2008 Miracle, Healing and Empowerment Conference, Holiday Inn, Memphis, TN.; and a mini-workshop for the teachers of Hanley Elementary School on a community oriented curriculum guide pertaining to the historic African American Community of Orange Mound devised in collaboration with Dr. Stan Hyland entitled: Community Essential Learning (CEL) Core Curriculum. ^top

Student Updates

Carolyn Clark

The U.S. Mid-South Memphis is particularly plagued with high rates of infant mortality.  In the summer of 2008, Carolyn Clark and Patience Jarrett, two medical anthropology graduate students, completed their practicum with Alpha Maxx Healthcare, a local healthcare agency who supports multiple interventions to reduce infant mortality and preterm births among low income, minority women.  While there, we interviewed staff and observed staff social workers and nurses evaluate clients’ health and needs throughout their pregnancies.  Through these interviews, we discovered a need for more information pertaining to nutrition; therefore, we created a new website for Alpha Maxx which included a section covering preconception, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition.  After consultations with many different experts in the field, a website was developed which incorporated all of the health concerns facing this at-risk population.  While a majority of the information is directly focused on nutrition and dietary habits, some of the information pertains to other aspects of women’s health including: contraception options, information about breastfeeding, how to avoid barriers to good health, etc. The material is laid out in an easy-to-follow format, is interactive, and is written at a sixth grade reading level to ensure adequate comprehension.  We also included a resource guide to help clients contact other local agencies for more help or information on pregnancy and nutrition.  While working there, we learned about healthcare agencies and pregnancy in general, and we were able to put our anthropological skills to use in order to create an end product to help reduce infant mortality.

Harmony Farner

I began this summer by writing a grant for the Freewill Shelter and Outreach, Inc., located in Humboldt, TN, a shelter for the homeless and those recently released from incarceration in Gibson County. The shelter was awarded $65,000 which will be used to purchase both the men’s and women’s shelter along with the adjacent property, on which to expand. Throughout the summer I assisted Dr. Bennett, Dr. Brondo, practicum with Dr. Yaschica Williams, a professor from the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Jail East. Jail East is an all women’s jail located just off of Sycamore View. For the remainder of this school year Dr. Williams and I will be creating a central database of female offenders housed at Jail East, assess their current classification system and rehabilitative programs, and provide

recommendations on which to improve them. Our hope is to modify the current classification system to give more offenders access to programming, and incorporate a set of gender-specific programs, all in order to reduce the recidivism rate in Shelby County. In addition, we plan to disseminate information to women upon release that highlights the services available to them in areas such as housing, transportation, employment, and counseling.

Patience Jarrett

This summer I went to Saraguro, Ecuador with Dr. Finerman, Dr. Sackett, Chris Cosby, and Nora Bridges for three weeks.  In Saraguro, we collected data on medicinal plant use and inventoried plants that were found in the huertas, plant gardens, of different women within the community.  We also studied pesticide use in Saraguro and studied how safety equipment was used and sold through participant observation and informal interviews.  Also on this trip, I conducted my own study of alcohol use in the community and studied how Alcoholics Anonymous has been altered to fit the cultural needs of the population by attending meeting with local community members.  In addition, I worked with Nora Bridges on her individual study of naturalista stores in the community.  For this study, we interviewed several store clerks and inventoried their medicinal plant products and treatments.  We also interviewed a local doctor who worked at the town hospital and discovered that medical plants are commonly used to treat a variety of conditions in their patients.  The data collected on this trip was preliminary but will hopefully become the basis of future papers to be submitted at conferences and for publication.

Steve Barlow, a graduate of the urban anthropology track in 1996, was named the first Executive Director of the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation (UNDC), a private not for profit charged with revitalizing the community surrounding the University of Memphis. The UNDC was formed in 2004 by neighborhood residents, business and property owners, and the University of Memphis. Steve began his position August15.  Since 1994, Steve has been active in community organizing and economic development efforts in the Memphis region.  He was instrumental in the development of the LeMoyne-Owen College Community Development Corporation, where he served as Associate Director for five years.  He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi, and formerly practiced with the Memphis office of Bass Berry & Sims in the Commercial Lending and Real Estate division. 

“This is a unique opportunity to develop creative public/private partnerships and to strengthen relationships of key stakeholders in the University District,” Steve shared in an August 15 press release. “I believe this is a pivotal time for the organization and for the neighborhoods it serves.  I look forward to building on past successes in the neighborhood and to working with the diverse, committed university and community leaders to bring positive change.”

Andrew Mrkva

Over last summer I worked with several youths from the Beltline Community to produce short videos on their community as an oral history project. As a part of the Strengthening Communities Grant awarded to Dr. Brondo, Rev. William Marler of Jacob’s Ladder CDC, and Sharon Stone of the Beltline Neighborhood Association, the project overall focused on training youths how to conduct ethnographic research and weave the pieces into a coherent video that would elucidate the experience of living in the Beltline Community. The curriculum included writing a journal, data mining at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, developing a list of questions, interviewing local residents in their own homes, recording life at the Beltline Youth Enrichment Center, and then editing the content into a story. The youths performed admirably and created six videos that were shown at Mt. Pleasant Church on August 16 to an audience of supporters and residents from the community. The project was then covered in the Commercial Appeal on August 21 and elicited the interests of researchers and past residents alike.

The youths themselves enjoyed performing interviews and researching their community’s past. Unlike interviewing, fewer of the youths were fond of the tedious editing process. The youths also documented their thoughts and ideas in a blog that the Center may further utilize. Most of the youths hope that the videos will influence community members to work towards strengthening and improving their community. My own hopes are that the oral history project will continue with the help of Sharon Stone and Rev. William Marler utilizing the curriculum model created in the process. Dr. Brondo, Samantha Gibbs, and myself will also be determining how to devise a compilation video to present to authorities of the Fairgrounds redevelopment to support the community’s place in the redevelopment process. ^top

Alumni Updates

Christina Blanchard-Horan

AIDS kills millions each year in and outside the United States. Well-conducted clinical trials research addressing questions relevant in resource-limited settings (RLS) are of critical importance in the fight against AIDS. According to Lansang and Dennis, health research benefits communities by improving health and reducing health inequities. Moreover, adequately implemented research-capacity building can “reduce the risk of exploitation in international health research,” according Bell AJ, Brattegaard K, Oziemkowska M, Thomas et al (2004).

I work with a team of people who are working to develop clinical research sites in resource limited settings. We recently completed a study of the challenges related to site development and startup of one perinatal HIV AIDS therapeutic clinical trial. The HIV protocol we evaluated sought to identify interventions to reduce emergence of nevirapine (NVP) resistance for mothers receiving a single dose of NVP during childbirth to prevent transmission of HIV to their infants. This multicenter study is being conducted in resource limited settings located at sites in Haiti, India, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi. The Operations Center works with sites to identify and address challenges they face in getting studies up and running.

Using in-depth interviews, surveys, and focus groups, we learned that although clinical sites varied by geographic location, cultural norms, infrastructure, and standards of care and previous experience, all of them faced similar challenges with regard to site development and study implementation. Challenges to community participation, laboratory preparedness, pharmacy services, clinical research preparedness, and regulatory affairs delayed the start of this study over two years.

Capacity building for clinical research sites in resource-limited settings requires a multidisciplinary approach with focused attention to involving community early with targeted education, strengthening laboratory capacity to meet certification standards, and determining national drug importation requirements early in the process. In addition, allotting time for the lengthy regulatory review processes for sites with multiple reviewing bodies can reduce frustration. We believe that researchers and sponsors should remain vigilant and flexible while working with dynamics of research in resource-limited settings.

Laurie Chow

Hi everyone!  I officially graduated August 2008 in Medical Anthropology.  Since May, I moved back to Los Angeles.  I am now at University of Southern California (USC) pursing master’s degree #2 in Public Health, concentrating on Epidemiology and Biostatistics.  I am also interning at County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Health, Acute Communicable Disease Control Program as a Student Professional Worker. 

Though work sounds more epidemiology driven, I am actually doing more anthropological-related work.  Two main projects I have been working are on Homeless Community Mobilization on Skid Row and Reptile-Associated Salmonellosis Awareness.  Between those two projects I have done community outreach with local community-based organizations, designed, implemented, and analyzed a survey, assisted with health education, conducted a focus group, and working on the start of a grant.

 If I can give an advice, I would say just go out there, go for it, and network.  The reason I got my current internship is because I spoke with a presenter at SfAA.  I simply asked for a job and eventually got it.  Just go out, find what you want, and ask for it.  Simply asking for something goes a long way and is as easy as that.  On that note, if you would like to speak to me about anything (school, work, life, etc…), feel free to contact me.  itsmeitzme@gmail.com

Jason Hodges

I'm closing out my first official week as a Community Health Assessor at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Things have been moving at a blistering pace; I think I have attended more meetings in the past few days than I ever have in my entire (admittedly short) professional career. Luckily, I have been presented with many opportunities to stretch my anthropological muscles. I will be assisting a variety of projects that are in different stages of implementation: Evaluating local restaurant owners' impressions of a nutritional menu labeling program, gathering neighborhood residents' perceptions of the walk-ability/bike-ability of their neighborhood, talking with rural landowners to understand their yard care habits and their openness to learning about environmental-friendly ways to go about yard care, and talking with area health clinics to get feedback regarding the Public Health Nurse Network program (Health Dept nurses make routine visits to area clinics to inform them of various health related issues occurring in Tacoma). I've even been asked to make a presentation to the Office of Communicable Diseases on qualitative methodology this coming Tuesday. So, I believe I will have lots to work on in the coming months.

Opal continues to amaze me as she grows into toddler-hood; I can tell by the way she intently watches people in action that she is destined to become a 'master anthropologist'. Renee is doing great as well; early next month we should find out the sex of Opal's future sibling!

Melinda S. Magsumbol

Melina S. Magsumbol, a 2004 graduate of the medical anthropology track, started her fellowship for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) at the Organic Pesticide Laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA. The pesticide laboratory collaborates with universities, research institutions and governments all over the world in conducting epidemiological studies on pesticide use and its impact on human health. As a fellow, she participates in these research projects and learns cutting edge laboratory analyses for these chemicals. She is continuing her research work on the insidious effects of pesticides on vulnerable populations such as farm workers, women and their children.

Kyle Olin

I came to the University of Maryland in July as a research associate for the Cultural Systems Analysis Group (CuSAG).  We are currently working on a series of applied ethnographic assessments with the Court Services and Supervision Agency relating to their efforts to reduce recidivism among ex-convicts reentering communities in Washington, DC, the most recent of these being an assessment of a court-mandated drug treatment program In addition to my role providing research support, I am helping write grant proposals to fund the development of additional research activities, including international collaborations with institutions in the Caribbean and India, as well as partnerships with community organizations in the DC area. I am also assisting in the teaching of a course with Professor Tony Whitehead entitled “Applied Urban Ethnography,” integrating technology, including GIS, in data collection and interpretation, and will be teaching the summer session of the course next year. 

Christin Reeder

I joined the University of Memphis Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action (CBANA) as a Community Organizer in January 2008. I was thankful to have a professional stepping stone toward community development and its varied host of movers and shakers. Thanks graduate assistantships!

CBANA is a Think Tank partnering with community organizations and city agencies in Memphis and Shelby County. The Center specializes in researching the impact of weak markets, urban decay, and subprime lending on the quality of life for Memphians living in affected neighborhoods. We recently partnered with the Division of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on a project called Neighborhood-By-Neighbor: A Citywide Problem Property Audit. The project was established to document residential properties and green space out of compliance with Memphis Housing Code by using hand-held computers with GIS software and built-in camera. HCD will receive a 'blight percentage' used to request federal funding for public relief and home repair.

Participating community organizations are interested in housing code violations and structural needs in their communities and have run the gamut from neighborhood associations and Community Development Corporations to civic clubs, faith-based groups, schools, and businesses. Participating community organizations will receive a database, a detailed map of their community, and a technical resource manual to use in partnership with CBANA. Communities are using these resources to prioritize challenges in their neighborhoods and implement data-driven strategies at the grassroots level. Some strategies are vacant lot clean-ups; inoperable car removal; shaming/suing slumlords via Environmental Court; community code enforcement; and grant applications for community development projects.

This experience has provided me with holistic insight into city services, local housing policies, homeownership in Memphis, and environmental health risks in distressed communities. I am learning the types of tools sustainable neighborhoods need to protect their homes, their communities, and their health. I live with three cats, two guinea pigs, and one groovy Homo Sapien named Ian who is studying to be a horticulturist.

Lindsay Wetmore

My husband (Alex) and I left our jobs at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA last September and headed west to Los Angeles, CA (Finerman and Sackett's old stomping grounds). I took a job as a Community Health Research Coordinator for the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles/University of Southern California. Together with a collaborative that spans all of LA County (largest county in the country), we have developed a Center for Community Translation, which will address issues surrounding cancer surveillance. A few major goals of this center will be to identify who has cancer, what kind, available treatment/education and more importantly, who is NOT being seen, educated, treated, etc. As you can imagine, working in a multi-ethnic setting like Los Angeles offers a multitude of opportunities to learn about the diverse health beliefs and practices of the many Asian, African and Eastern European people who now call Southern California home.

More importantly, in July 2008, Alex and I welcomed our first daughter, Ava Katherine "Kate" Arkader, to this wild world! She was born early, and into some pretty wicked circumstances...but she is home with us now and thriving! I can't wait to hear her first words (hopefully something along the lines of: "Paul Farmer is my hero!").

Until then....best to all the UofM alumni and feel free to look us up if you're in the SoCal area! ^top

Alumnae and Student News

Dr. Linda Nichols, University of Memphis alumni, and her staff recently received the 2008 Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award for her project, REACH VA.  Her work centers on veterans suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia, and provides support to their caregivers.  This award recognizes her leadership in implementing partnerships between community organizations and caregiving researchers.

Sarah Frith (a 2005 graduate) has been accepted into the DrPH program in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. This was her first choice and obviously, she is very excited.

Dr. Mohamed Kanu was awarded Tennessee State University Distinguish Research Award for 2007-08 and was recognized in their most recent faculty assembly by the President of the University.

Jenn Graham received a scholarship to attend the SEMC (Southeast Museum Conference) meetings held October 14-17, 2008.

2008 College of Arts and Science travel enrichment Fund Awards were received by Andy Mrkva, Carolyn Clark, and Patience Jarrett. ^top

Faculty Publications

Bennett, Linda and Shirley Fiske. 2008. New Committee on Practicing, Applied, and Public Interest Anthropology (CoPAPIA) Anthropology News 49(4): 24. 
 
Bennett, Linda and Shirley Fiske. 2008. Anthropology Works Column: Student Perspectives on the Viability of an Applied Master's Degree. Anthropology News. 49(6): 37.  
 
Brondo, Keri Vacanti. 2008. La pérdida de la tierra y el activismo de las mujeres garífunas en la costa norte de Honduras. [Online] 9(4): 372-394

Brondo, Keri Vacanti. 2007. Land Loss and Activism in Honduras. Journal of International Women’s Studies. [Online] 9(1): 99-116.  Available: http://www.bridgew.edu/SoAS/jiws/Nov07/Garifuna1.pdf.

Brondo, Keri Vacanti and Laura Woods.  2007. Garifuna Land Rights and Ecotourism as Economic Development in Honduras’ Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area.”  Ecological and Environmental Anthropology. [Online] 3(1): 2-18. Available:http://eea.anthro.uga.edu/index.php/eea/article/view/25.

Hyland, S.E., J. Gnuschke, J. Wallace, R. Hanson, and S. Smith.  2008.  Still a Long Way to Go for the Mississippi Delta.  Journal of Health and Human Services Administration.  31(1): 72-104.

Hyland, S.E.  2008.  Reflections on the Culture of the Lower Mississippi Delta: Challenges and Opportunities.  Journal of Health and Human Services Administration.  31(1): 156-167.

Hyland, S.E. First Years Last a Lifetime. 2008.   Five minute videos on the importance of brain development from prenatal to first three years of age.

Hyland, S.E., J. Clay and S. Schmidt.  2008.  Lead Hazard Control Report.  Shelby County Government. 

Guerrón-Montero, Carla (Volume Editor), Satish Kedia and Tim Wallace (General Editors). 2008. Careers in 21st Century Applied Anthropology: Advice from Academics and Practitioners. NAPA Bulletin 29. Published for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropology Association, by the Wiley Blackwell Publishing.

Guerrón-Montero, Carla (Volume Editor), Satish Kedia and Tim Wallace (General Editors). 2008. Careers in 21st Century Applied Anthropology: Advice from Academics and Practitioners. NAPA Bulletin 29. Published for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropology Association, by the Wiley Blackwell Publishing.

Inges, Palma and Jennifer Sepez (Volume Editors), Satish Kedia and Tim Wallace (General Editors). 2007. Anthropology and Fisheries Management in the United States: Methodology for Research. NAPA Bulletin 28. Published for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropology Association by the University of California Press.

Kedia, Satish and Florencia G. Palis. 2008. Health Effects of Pesticide Exposure among Filipino Rice Farmers. The Applied Anthropologist 28(1): 40-59.

Kedia, Satish. 2008. Nutritional and Health Impacts of Forced Displacement in India. In India: Social Development Report 2008, edited by Hari Mohan Mathur. Oxford University Press.

Kedia, Satish. 2008. Recent changes and trends in the practice of applied anthropology. In Careers in 21st Century Applied Anthropology: Advice from Academics and Practitioners, edited by Carla Guerrón-Montero. NAPA Bulletin 29. Published for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropological Association, by Wiley Blackwell Publishing.

Kedia, Satish, Marie Sell, and George Relyea. 2007. Mono-versus Polydrug Use Patterns among Publicly Funded Clients in Tennessee. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2 (33): 1-9.

Kedia, Satish and George Relyea. 2007. Gender Effects on Client-spousal Collateral Agreement Levels in Substance Abuse Post-treatment Reports. Addiction Research and Theory 16 (1): 23-36.

Kedia, Satish. 2007. Prescription Drug Abuse: A Public Health Issue in Tennessee. Substance Abuse in Tennessee: The SAT Report 2(2): 1-4. Memphis, TN: Institute for Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluation (I-SATE), The University of Memphis. Available: http://www.isate.memphis.edu/Reports/PrescriptionDrugs.pdf

Kedia, Satish. 2007. Tennessee’s Problem Gambling Initiative. The SAT Report 2(1): 1-4. Memphis,TN: Institute for Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluation (I-SATE), The University of Memphis. Available: http://www.isate.memphis.edu/Reports/GamblingReport.pdf

Kedia, Satish. 2008. Effectiveness of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Services in Tennessee 2006-2007. (ISBN: 0-9788034-2-6). Memphis, TN: Institute for Substance Abuse Research & Evaluation (I-SARE), The University of Memphis.

Kedia, Satish. 2008. Treatment Effectiveness for DUI Offenders in Tennessee 2006-2007. (ISBN: 0-9788034-5-0). Memphis, TN: Institute for Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluation (I-SATE), The University of Memphis.

Kedia, Satish. 2008. Tennessee Access to Recovery (TN-ATR) 2005-2006 Outcomes Evaluation Report. Memphis, TN: Institute for Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluation (I-SATE), The University of Memphis.

Meerwarth, Tracy L., Julia C. Gluesing, and Brigitte Jordan (Volume Editors), Satish Kedia and Tim Wallace (General Editors). 2008. Mobile Work, Mobile Live: Cultural Accounts of Lived Experiences. NAPA Bulletin 30. Published for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropology Association, by the Wiley Blackwell Publishing (In press).

Wallace, Tim, Edward Liebow, Satish Kedia, and Alayne Unterberger (Editors). 2007. Applied Research and Practice from the Next Generation: The NAPA Student Achievement Award-Winning Papers, 2001-05. NAPA Bulletin 27. Published for the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, a section of the American Anthropology Association by the University of California Press.

Charles Williams. 2008. Something Old Is New Again: Mutual Aid and the Tennessee Office of Minority Health in Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (November 2008 Supplement). (with Elizabeth A. Williams, MA, PhD (Vanderbilt University), and Mohamed Kanu, MA, MPH, PhD (Tennessee State University) [Online] (http://www.jphmp.com/pt/re/jphmp/toc.00124784-200811001-00000.htm;jsessionid=JBpFSwRnFFW ^top

Faculty Presentations

Bennett, Linda.  2008. Session Co-Organizer.  Collaboration between AAA Sections in Advancing the Position of Practicing Anthropology within the AAA.  107th Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association, San Francisco. CA. 

Bennett, Linda.  2008.  Discussant.  The Academy and Public Interest Anthropology.  107th Annual Meetings of the American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, CA. 

Brondo, Keri Vacanti.  2008.  Protecting Garifuna Territory?: Rights, Roots and Resource Control in Honduras' Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area.  Paper presented in session entitled, “Recent Perspectives on Ecotourism.” American Anthropological Association 106th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Brondo, Keri Vacanti, Carrie Gibson, Jennifer Graham, and Andrew Mrkva.  2008.  "Growing Community: Encouraging Stakeholder Collaboration in Community Building Initiatives." Paper presented in session entitled, "Engaged Scholarship in Memphis: Current Collaborations and Future Directions for Urban-Serving Universities." Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Brondo, Keri Vacanti. 2008.  "''Tooling Up' for Interdisciplinary Research in Organizational Settings." Paper presented in session entitled, "The Scholar-Practitioner in Organizational Settings." Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Brondo, Keri Vacanti.  2008.  Session Organizer. The Squeaky Wheel Squeaks Again: Reflections on the Status of Women in Anthropology.  COSWA Invited Session. American Anthropological Association, 107th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Brondo, Keri Vacanti. 2008.  Session Organizer. Engaged Scholarship in Memphis: Current Collaborations and Future Directions for Urban-Serving Universities. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

 Brondo, Keri. 2007.  Gender, Work and Family in Anthropology: An Overview.  American Anthropological Association, 105 th Annual Meeting.  November 2007.

Connolly, Robert.  2008.  Session Organizer.  Applying Anthropology in Memphis Museums. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Finerman, Ruthbeth, Lenore Manderson and Carolyn Sargent.  2008.  Session Organizers.  SMA Plenary Session: The Political Construction of Global Infectious Disease Crises.  Society for Medical Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN.  March 29, 2008.

Cutts, Theresa, Patience Jarrett, Katherine Pritchard, and Ruthbeth Finerman.  2008.  Mapping Faith-Based Health Assets.  Society for Medical Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN.  March 29, 2008.

Ruthbeth Finerman, Nora Bridges, Katherine Prichard, Carolyn Clark, Carrie Brooks, Naketa Edney, Lynda Sagrestano, Joy Clay, and Phyllis Betts. Grassroots Infant Mortality Prevention: Taking Authoritative Knowledge to the People. American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, November 2008

Christopher Cosby and Ruthbeth Finerman. Globalization, Pesticide Access, and Health Risk in Andean Ecuador. American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, November 2007

Hicks, Kathryn and Nicole Fabricant.  2008.  Cuban Doctors and the Changing Politics of Health Care in Bolivia.  107 th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, CA.

Hicks, Kathryn.  2008.  A Biocultural Perspective on Fictive Kinship: Social Support and Women’s Health in El Alto, Bolivia.  Northwestern University Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Invited Conference: Indigenous People Mapping New Terrain in Bolivia.

Hicks, Kathryn.  2008.  Social support and immune function among urban women in highland Bolivia.  Annual Meeting of The Human Biology Association, Columbus, Ohio.

Hyland, Stanley E.  2008.  Discussant.  Engaged Scholarship in Memphis: Current Collaborations and Future Directions.  Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Hyland, Stanley E.  2008.  Building Capacity through Collaboration.  Memphis Neighborhood Leadership Conference.  Memphis, TN. 

Hyland, Stanley E.  2007.  The Role of Engaged Scholarship in Strengthening Communities in the Metropolitan University.  Urban Serving University Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.  

Kedia, Satish.  2008.  Session Organizer.  Presidential Plenary Session in Honor of John van Willigen: The Art and Science of Applied Anthropology in the 21st Century.  Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Kedia, Satish.  2008.  Session Organizer.  Plenary Session: Social Sciences and Forced Population Displacement. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Kedia, Satish.  2008.  Political Economy and Societal Consequences of Methamphetamine Epidemic in the United States. Paper prsented at the EHRLICH II 2nd World Conference on Magic Bullets, Nürnberg, Germany, October 3-5.

Kedia, Satish.  2008. Applying Qualitative Techniques for the Study of Tobacco Use and Intervention. Paper presented at the Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies International Summer Program for Tobacco Control Research, Faculty of Medicine, Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syria, July 13-17.

Kedia, Satish. 2008. Qualitative Research of Cultural Tobacco Use Methods. Paper presented at the Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies International Summer Program for Tobacco Control Research, Faculty of Medicine, Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syria, July 13-17.

Checker, Melissa and Katherine Lambert-Pennington.  2008.  Session Organizers.  Talking Back: Anthropologists and Their “Informants” Discuss the Relative Merits of Engaged Anthropology. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Lambert-Pennington, Katherine.  2008.  From Hope to Home:  The Triumphs and Challenges of Home Ownership and Community Building in College Park.   Paper presented in session entitled, Engaged Scholarship in Memphis: Current Collaborations and Future Directions for Urban-Serving Universities." Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Lambert-Pennington, Katherine.  2008.  Session Organizer.  Crossroads: Engaging Students, Scholars and the Memphis Community in Civil Rights History.  Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Lambert-Pennington, Katherine, Carol Ekstrom, and Pamela Palmer.  2008.  Session Organizers.  Getting Schooled and Connecting Students: community Engagement and the Learning Corridor.   Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Lambert-Pennington, Katherine.  2008.  Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Building a Toolkit for Successful Community Engagement. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008.

Lambert-Pennington, Katherine.  2007.  A School for the Community or a Community School: The dynamics of Aboriginal Education in La Perouse. American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting.

Williams, Charles.  2008.  Invited paper presented at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Tennessee State Conference, 5th Annual Race Relations Summit Health Forum entitled: The Way Forward: The State of AIDS/HIV in the Black Community at Lane College, Jackson, TN. 

Williams, Charles.  2008.  Moderator of session hosted by Dr. Tony Whitehead of the University of Maryland entitled: Race, Gender, Incarceration and Reentry: Implications for Black Families, Communities, and the Broader Society. Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meetings, Memphis, TN. March 29, 2008. ^top

Anthropology Club News By Harmony Farner

UMAC Fall 2008

This semester’s activities:

September – First business meeting of the semester

October – Bake Sale that raised $200

October – Heritage Days at Chucalissa

November – Annual Fall Picnic at Chucalissa with a special tour given by Dr. C, current Director

December – Election of new officers for the Spring 2009 semester

The Anthropology Club started the fall 2008 semester with the appointment of new officers.  Harmony Farner was elected president, and Jenn Graham ran as her vice president.  Nora Bridges and Jamie Alexander served as the secretary and treasurer, respectively.  The first meeting was held in September.  Ample contributions were made by staff and students in baked goods that went towards a bake sale helping to raise $200 for the club.  Members of the club also helped out at Chucalissa for the Heritage Days celebration held as well in October.  Then in November the club returned to Chucalissa for their annual fall picnic, with a special tour given by Dr. Connelly, University of Memphis Professor and current director.  The semester wound down with the election of new officers for the spring of 2009.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the recently elected club officers who will be taking on their new roles in the upcoming year.

President: Samantha Gibbs, graduate

Vice President: Yolanda Scott, undergraduate

Secretary: Dan Buchanan,  undergraduate

Treasurer: Letitia McCarthy, undergraduate ^top

Donate to the Department of Anthropology!

Your gift can help sustain our Advances in Anthropology Foundation. The fund supports the Charles McNutt Public Lecture Series, and support for graduate student travel to participate in professional meetings. Please consider making a donation!

Credit Card: Please call the U of M Foundation at (901) 678-3953. Be sure you specify that your gift is for the “Department of Anthropology Advances in Anthropology”.

Cash or Check: Please make your check payable to The University of Memphis Foundation and be sure you specify “Department of Anthropology Advances in Anthropology”.

Mail your gift to: Department 238, The U of M Foundation, P.O. Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38148-0001. Or, you can personally deliver your gift to The Alumni Center at 635 Normal Street. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  ^top

Edited by Dr. Kathryn Hicks and Sarah Kennedy

Department of Anthropology
316 Manning Hall
Memphis, TN 38152
Tel. (901) 678-2080
Fax (901) 678-2069

The University Of Memphis

A Tennessee Board of Regents Institution

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

                                                                                                                                        ^top