News & Community
The Department of Anthropology, including both faculty members and graduate students, are often in the news. They also frequently lend their expertise to various community organizations. This webpage highlights some of these contributions.
August, 2023 - PhD candidate Javier Alvarez Vandeputte named Vanier Scholar 2023-24
Congratulations to Anthropology PhD candidate Javier Alvarez Vandeputte, who has been named one of four Western Vanier Scholars for 2023-24. Javier's research focuses on the linguistic revitalization strategies developed by the Mapuche Indigenous people of south-central Chile. The Vanier Canada Scholarships recognize leadership and scholarly achievement. Read the article in Western News.
July, 2023 - Professor Pamela Block & Students Take Unique Research Trip to Brazil
Western students Nadine Domingo, Monica Rocha Martinez and professor Pamela Block travelled to Florianopolis, Brazil for a field research trip in May 2023.
The group went to explore disability studies and activism, teaming up with Block’s longtime research associate and friend Marivete Gesser, a psychologist and professor at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) in Florianopolis. Read the article in Inside Western.
April, 2023 - PhD candidate Tamara Britton a finalist in SSRHC Storytellers Challenge
Anthropology PhD candidate Tamara Britton has been selected as Top 25 finalist in the 2023 SSHRC Storytellers Challenge.
Tamara's research is highlighted in the May 19 issue of Western News. Read the article.
View Tamara’s video submission, ‘People, Primates and Bamboo: Negotiating Balance through the Study of Human-Environmental Relationship in the Pacoche Wildlife Refuge, Ecuador’, here:
March, 2023 - Professor Lindsay Bell - Upcoming Book
In her upcoming book, Under Pressure: Diamond Mining and Everyday Life in Northern Canada, Anthropology Professor Lindsay Bell uses Mackenzie Place Tower as the central focus as she examines the way resource extraction has impacted demographics, economics and culture in Hay River, and the Northwest Territories more broadly. Read the story by Rob Rombouts.
March, 2023 - Roma Roth, BA’90, adapts another series by best-selling author Robyn Carr, this time setting it in Canada
When fellow producers told Roma Roth “romantic dramas never sell,” Roth ignored their advice. She chose to make a break from delivering highly rated thrillers for the tv movie market, and bypass a saturated marketplace of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries. Read the article by Keri Ferguson featured in Western News.
February, 2023 - Dr. Trish Markert joins the Dept. of Anthropology
We are delighted to introduce our newest faculty member! Dr. Trish Markert will be joining the Dept. of Anthropology as an Assistant Professor. Drawing upon historical archaeology and mixed methods such as ethnography, narrative and architectural analysis, oral history, and digital mapping, Dr. Markert studies how migrant communities create a sense of place across generations. Dr. Markert's research is focussed in a recent article by Rob Rombouts. Read the article.
January, 2023 - Mingyuan Zhang - Article in American Anthropologist
PhD Alum Mingyuan Zhang (2018) has a new open-access article, "“Burn to Harvest, Burn to Sabotage: Between Fire and Water on a Sugar Plantation in Madagascar” in American Anthropologist - THE JOURNAL. Read the article.
January, 2023 - Milk consumption increased ancient human body size
A new study led by Professor Jay Stock suggests that milk consumption in some regions between 7,000 and 2,000 years ago led to an increase in human body mass and stature. This ran counter to trends in body size experienced elsewhere in the world. Read the article by Rob Rombouts - Special to Western News.
December, 2022 - Links between brain and skeletal development offer new possibilities for understanding human evolution – study by Jay Stock
New research by Professors Jay Stock and Jaap Saers (University of Cambridge) has found that brain development in humans and other primates is closely linked to skeletal development. Read the story by Rob Rombouts.
December, 2022 -Tutankhaman’s face revealed for the first time – Andrew Nelson’s research
Tutankhamun’s face has been revealed for the first time. Sculptor Christian Corbet brought the “boy king” to life using a 3D model based on scans of the pharaoh’s skull taken by Professor Andrew Nelson. Read the article by Jeff Renaud in Western News.
December, 2022 - Greg Beckett on the crisis in Haiti and the importance of a Haiti-led solution - Globe and Mail article
Professor Greg Beckett’s latest article in the Globe and Mail describes the historical context of the current crisis in Haiti and the importance of a Haiti-led solution.
November, 2022 - How accessibility for disabled students can benefit all students - an article by Kim Clark
In this article, Professor Kim Clark and a research team of undergraduate students explore how instructors' everyday practices impact students - positively and negatively - who self-identify as disabled. Professor Andrew Walsh helped to design the team's research process.
October, 2022 - Climate change and deforestation may drive tree-dwelling primates to the ground
Ian Colquhoun was part of a massive collaboration study demonstrating the importance of protected habitats for lemurs and other arboreal species. Read more.
August, 2022 - Confirming museum shrunken head as human
Lauren Poeta, MA student, co-authored a paper confirming museum shrunken head as human, helping to preserve and understand Indigenous history. Content Warning. Article contains digital visualizations of Ancestral human remains. Read more.
July, 2022 - Supporting Mutual Care Relationships
Funding from the Canadian Centre of Caregiving Excellence will provide support for research (by co-investigator Pam Block) on primary caregivers of disabled or autistic sibilngs and how disability impacts mutual care relationships. Read more.
May, 2022 - Haiti Beyond Crisis - an article written by Greg Beckett & Laura Wagner
This article, in the series, suggests new ways to understand the current situation in Haiti and poses questions about what is and isn't happening in Haiti currently.
April, 2022 - Allies and Obstacles book wins Outstanding Publication in the Sociology of Disability Award
Dr. Pam Block wins Outstanding Publication in the Sociology of Disability Award for her co-authored book Allies and Obstacles
March 8, 2022 - Alum at helm of Trinidad and Tobago rugby
Maria Thomas, BA'05 (Anthropology), brings 'power and strength' to sports, management and life. Read the article.
February, 2022 - Disability Portraits from Brazil
Dr. Pamela Block's participatory research creation project, "Disability Portraits from Brazil", unveils a digital art gallery and podcast channel. See the website
February, 2022 - Archaeology Opportunity
January 7, 2022 - Western-Trained Egyptologist 'unwraps' mummy mystery
Paleoradiologist Shar Saleem uses CT Scans to reveal Amenhoptep I secrets with the colloboration of Dr. Andrew Nelson. Read the article.
October, 2021 - Spooktacular Imaging.
Dr. Andrew Nelson has CT-Scanned everything. Now is your chance to peek inside a warty pumpkin.
July 12, 2021 - Lindsay Bell - Article: From Ashes to Diamonds
July 9, 2021 - Neal Ferris - Archaeology of Native-Lived Colonialism
July 8, 2021 - Jay Stock - Body of Evidence Article
Prof Jay Stock shares new international research offering an insight on climate change impact on early human size. Read the article.
