Wichita State News: Anthropology

Anthropology expert to speak at Wichita State

Mon, 1 Apr 2013 16:37:00 CST

Marc N. Levine, assistant anthropology professor at the University of Oklahoma and assistant curator of archaeology at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, will give two lectures on April 18 and 19 at Wichita State University. The talks will cover cultural and ritualistic traditions of ancient Mesoamerica.

Both events are free and open to the public. A reception will follow the April 18 talk in 117 Neff Hall.

Levine will present "Obsidian Reflections: Symbolic Dimensions of Obsidian Use in Ancient Mesoamerica" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in 211 Hubbard Hall. He will depart from the traditional study of obsidian production, trade and use, and will focus on the rock's ritualistic and symbolic connotations in Mesoamerican thought and religion.

The second lecture, "An Archaeology of Social Life at the Mixtec Capital of Tututepec, Oaxaca," will be held at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in 100 Lindquist Hall. Levine will discuss household excavations at the ancient capital of Tututepec and the everyday lives, social relationships and practices of low status commoners.

The lectures are sponsored by the Sally and David Jackman Lecture Series in WSU's Department of Anthropology.

Anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson to speak at WSU

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:00:00 CST

In honor of Earth Day, anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson will give lectures on April 22 and 23 at Wichita State University. The two talks are free and open to the public.

Bateson will present "Earth Our Kin: Climate Change and the Ecological Threat" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 22, in 100 Lindquist Hall. She will address society's inability to address ecological dangers. She hopes to develop a new pattern of interaction with the natural world through examining human societal systems of kinship that establish cooperative relationships.

The second lecture, "An Anthropologist looks at the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam," will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in 100 Lindquist Hall.

Mary Catherine Bateson

Bateson in a professor emerita in anthropology and English at George Mason University. Since fall 2006, she has been a visiting scholar at the Sloan Center on Aging and Work at Boston College. Bateson also serves on multiple advisory boards including the National Center on Atmospheric Research and National Science Center. She is the daughter of social anthropology pioneer Margaret Mead and semiotician and cyberneticist Gregory Bateson.

The talks are sponsored by the Sally and David Jackman Lecture Series in WSU's anthropology department.

WSU archaeologist focuses research on ancient social change

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 15:19:00 CST

After only one year, assistant anthropology professor Lisa Overholtzer is making a name for herself at Wichita State University.

Overholtzer, who joined the WSU faculty in 2012 after holding adjunct instructor positions at Northwestern University and DePaul University, has been in the scientific news recently for her research in central Mexico.

Together with experts from the University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University, Overholtzer is researching whether the Aztecs who conquered the city of Xaltocan in ancient Mexico around the year 1435 changed the genetic makeup of those who lived there.

The study – called the Xaltocan Archaeological Project – was published in the December issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

UT Austin graduate student Jaime Mata-Miguez is first author on the paper. Other collaborators include Deborah Bolnick (director of the DNA lab at UT Austin); Enrique Rodriguez-Alegria (archaeologist at UT Austin); and Brian Kemp (DNA expert at Washington State).

"I was interested in how the lives of ordinary people changed when they were conquered and then incorporated into the Aztec empire," Overholtzer said.

Significant research

Colonial documents recount that when the site was conquered, all of its original Otomi inhabitants fled, leaving the site empty for 40 years until the Aztec king sent taxpayers to repopulate the island.

Overholtzer's archaeological excavations, though, suggest that there was continuity in occupants.

"Houses were built, and burials were interred in the exact same spot in the houses I excavated, and radiocarbon dates showed that there was no 40-year abandonment period," she said.

Overholtzer thought some of the answers might lie at the molecular level in the DNA of the family members buried underneath the house patios.

To further investigate that question, she collaborated with ancient DNA experts at the University of Texas at Austin. So far, they have conducted mitochondrial DNA sequencing, which shows there was indeed some form of demographic shift in at least some households.

The reason for that shift is unclear, Overholtzer said. One theory is that there might have been some demographic change, but not a complete replacement of the population.

Overholtzer points out that her study is preliminary and that ancient DNA analyses are ongoing.

The research is significant, though, because it is the first to examine the genetic impact of Aztec imperialism and is using molecular anthropology techniques to address new questions of social dynamics and demographic shift in the region.

For more information on Overholtzer's research, go to http://loverholtzer.wordpress.com/ or http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2061.

Anthropology professor to speak about China, Tibet

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:16:00 CST

The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology at Wichita State is hosting the talk "My Travels in China and Tibet," by Schuyler Jones, a retired Oxford University anthropology professor.

The event is from 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, in the lower level of Ablah Library on campus. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available.

Jones will talk about his travels to China during the 1980s. He will also read from his new memoir "A Stranger Abroad." The memoir will be available for purchase, and will be available for autographs following his talk.

A native of Wichita, Jones has served as the director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, one of the world's most prestigious anthropology museums. He has lived most his life in Europe and is currently living in East Africa.

This talk is held in conjunction with the exhibition "The Many Faces of China," located on the main floor of Ablah Library. The exhibit includes 40 photographs and 23 cultural items from Tibet, Inner Mongolia and other Chinese ethnic groups.

These objects were collected in the late 1980s by WSU faculty members Jerry Martin and Arthur Rohn during two trips to rural China.

The exhibition is open to the public and will run through Dec. 7. For more information, call (316) 978-7068 or (316) 978-3195.

'Doctors without Borders' talk at WSU April 26

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:15:00 CST

The David and Sally Jackman Scholarly Lecture Series and the Wichita State University Department of Anthropology will present the talk "MSF, Doctors without Borders: Humanitarian Aid in African War Zones" by Rebecca Golden Timsar.

The event is at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in 127 Jabara Hall on the WSU campus.

Read the full story.

Southwest archaeology is topic of upcoming exhibit

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:20:00 CST

The Wichita State University Spring 2012 Museum Exhibition class will hold a reception for the opening of its new exhibition, "Southwest Archaeology, The Ewing Site: An Unusually Rich and Surprising Place."

The exhibition will contain artifacts from the Ewing Site from 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, at the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology, Neff Hall.

The exhibition will display pottery, unique jewelry and photographs describing the Mesa Verde inhabitants of the Ewing Archaeological Site from approximately AD 1050 to 1150.

Read the full story.

Faculty/staff news update: January/February 2012

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:34:00 CST

Academe welcomes news from WSU faculty and staff about research, teaching and service activities. This column recognizes grants, honors, awards, presentations and publications, new appointments, new faculty, sabbaticals, retirements and deaths of our current and former colleagues.

Ed Baker, assistant professor and technical theatre director, School of Performing Arts, received a Certificate of Merit for sound design in "The 39 Steps" at the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Baker also served as regional respondent for Load-In/Load-out for Invited Productions for the festival.

Ed Baker; Danette Baker, adjunct faculty, theater; Bret Jones, director of theater; and Betty Monroe, professor, all of the School of Performing Arts, presented workshops at the Region V Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Monroe also supervised WSU's participation in the KCACTF Costume Parade that featured costumes from "Assassins."

Ed Flentje

Ed Flentje, professor, Hugo Wall School of Public and Urban Affairs, has returned to normalcy in his teaching and service responsibilities in the Hugo Wall School after a six-month assignment as interim president of Emporia State University. He returns to phased retirement and plans to continue in that status at half-time through 2014.

Mark Glaser, professor, Hugo Wall School of Public and Urban Affairs, will serve as a paper discussant for the H. George Frederickson Festschrift and Symposium on April 13 at the University of Kansas.

Suzanne R. Hawley, chair and professor of public health sciences, is the recipient of the 2011 Samuel J. Crumbine Medal, the highest award given by the Kansas Public Health Association. Hawley, new to WSU in fall 2011, was recognized for her dedication to improving the public health of Kansans through workforce and leadership development.

Alicia Huckstadt, professor and director of graduate programs, School of Nursing, has a published chapter on health promotion in I.M. Lubkin & P.D. Larsen (Eds.), Chronic illness impact and intervention (8th ed., pp. 429-455). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Alicia Huckstadt also has a published chapter, "Achieving excellence in teaching," in L. Zhan & L. P. Finch (Eds.) Accelerated education in nursing: Challenges, strategies, and future directions (pp. 61-79). New York: Springer.

Elizabeth King

Elizabeth King, president and CEO, WSU Foundation, and Linda Brantner, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Kansas and member of the WSU Foundation National Advisory Council, were recently named in "50 Kansans You Should Know" in the January 2012 issue of Ingram's, Kansas City's business magazine.

Mark Laycock, Ann Walenta Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship, director of orchestras, School of Music, was a guest professor at Florida's Lake Gibson High School where he worked with the school's orchestra students.

Wilma Moore-Black, assistant director and curriculum coordinator, TRIO Communication Upward Bound, delivered the 12th annual Huck Boyd Lecture in Community Media at Kansas State University, her alma mater. The lecture is sponsored by the Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media.

Elaine Steinke, professor, School of Nursing, was co-chair and co-author of a scientific statement for the American Heart Association on Sexual Activity and Cardiovascular Disease, published in the journal Circulation.

IN MEMORIAM

Willie Johnson Jr., 68, former adjunct professor and director of Upward Bound, died Jan. 29 in Tyler, Minn. Services have been held. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie Sr. and Ardalia (Chadwick) Johnson, and brother, Stanley. He is survived by his wife, Lorraine; son, Brandon Grant Johnson of Plymouth and Minneapolis, Minn; grandson, Maximillian; sister, Sandra Johnson, Tyler; brothers, Lee (Sandra), Oklahoma City; Carl (Brenda), Houston; Lawrence (Letticia), San Antonio; Greg, Fort Worth; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Robert Lawless, professor, anthropology, died Feb. 2 in Wichita. A private family service has been held. He is survived by his wife Anita; daughters Ilona and Sharmini; sons Andy, Kylen and Tavrick; granddaughters Mackenzie and Kerrigan; brothers Jerry of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Lyndon of Alpharetta, Ga. A memorial is being established with details to come.

Edith E. Stamm, 94, retired secretary, died Feb. 10 in Wichita. Services have been held. She was preceded in death by husband, Sanford; stepson, John Stamm; brothers, David Britton, John Frank and Don Steele. Survivors include sons, Mike (Delfina) Brooks and Mark (Carol) Stamm; daughters, Susan Kies and Shelley (Tate) Duncan; 18 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren. A memorial has been established with Youthville, 4505 E. 47th St. S., Wichita, KS 67210.

Cooperative education helped grad realize her dream

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:09:00 CST

When most kids were going to amusement parks or playing video games during the summer, Shanna Hein was developing her attachment for museums.

"As a kid my grandparents would take me on vacation for two weeks," she said. "We could go anywhere in the U.S., but it needed to be educational or meaningful to get something from it."

From the museum visits, Hein grew so interested in cultures and human behaviors that she decided to major in anthropology.

Then while a student at Wichita State University, she took three semesters of internships and volunteered in her field with WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program.

"I wanted to get a sense on where my liberal arts degree in anthropology was taking me, because at the time you really have no idea," she said.

She was employed at the Museum of World Treasures as an intern while earning credit hours through co-op.

"Eventually I cataloged curatorial items and tended to ancient artifacts," said Hein. "I did some exhibit projects and touched on multiple subjects. I enjoyed it."

She said the hands-on experience she gained played out well to benefit her.

"I started going back to Wichita State as a returning adult when my daughter entered kindergarten, that way I could provide for her and my family," she said. "It took me almost six years to complete, but well worth it."

Hein a 2010 WSU graduate is now the director of operations for the Kansas Aviation Museum. It accommodates more than 40 one-of-a-kind aircraft, numerous airplane and jet engines, photos, books and memorabilia. The museum is located inside the building that once operated Wichita's municipal airport terminal during the 1930s and 1940s.

Love of adventure

Even though she sits behind a desk, Hein still enjoys hunting and locating time-worn information.

Why the transition from mummies to aeronautical antiquities?

"They offered a better position and a higher level of income from my last job," she said. "So I made the move to get the training and I haven't regretted it."

"Think of it," she said. "The reaction to finding where Indians lived and roamed, or where Civil War soldiers once camped. Until its right in front of you, it's not real. It's just a story."

She is especially passionate about exhibits.

"Creating, designing, doing the research and finding any object of great value," Hein said, "then putting it all together for a unique learning adventure I just love it."

She also works directly with the same co-op department that once helped her. Hein encourages new students to develop the right stuff for their own occupational or educational objectives.

"I push everybody," she said. "If you acquire the opportunity to do it, do it. You get credit for it and you just can't beat it."

Museums educate and preserve the progress of people throughout the centuries, which Hein continues to cherish.

"When you're in front of those treasures, you get a sense of a connection to the past that you don't get anywhere else," she said. "You can't just read about it- you must experience it."

"It's kind of like a treasure hunt," she said. "I know that my discovery is there I just need to look for it."

Anthropology professor wins state writing award

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:34:00 CST

Donald Blakeslee, professor of anthropology at Wichita State University, has been awarded the Ferguson Prize for the best volume on Kansas history for 2011 by the Kansas Authors Club.
Blakeslee won the award at the Kansas Authors Club's annual convention in Coffeyville, Kan.

Donald Blakeslee

The club, which is the oldest writers club in the United States, annually awards prizes for several categories of books.
Blakeslee's book, "Holy Ground, Healing Water," is based on his archaeological work at Waconda Lake in north central Kansas and on his research on native trails and Plains Indian sacred sites.

Published by Texas A&M University Press, the volume provides a deep history of the cultural meanings of the landscape there, including natural and manmade features.

"(Blakeslee) has produced a volume which is appealing and approachable to both an academic and a general audience," said Eric Anderson of Haskell Indian Nations University, who nominated the book for the prize. "Those intrigued by American Indians, the 'sod and stubble' days of homesteaders, utopian movements in Kansas, and broad patterns of economic, cultural and ethnographic tumult will find much to like here."

American Samoa: As studied by Lowell Holmes

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:24:00 CST

The exhibition "Fa'a Samoa: The Samoan Way, Photographs by Dr. Lowell Holmes" will be on display at Wichita State University's Ablah Library Thursday, Oct. 20, through Friday, Dec. 2.

The exhibition and presentations are free and open to the public.

There will be an opening reception from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 20, with a talk by Ellen Holmes, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on the lower level of Ablah Library.

Refreshments will be served.

Lowell Holmes was the founder of the anthropology department and the anthropology museum at Wichita State. The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology was later named in his honor.

Ellen Holmes is his widow and accompanied him for the fieldwork in American Samoa during the 1970s and '80s.

Samoan life

The exhibition will display photographs illustrating many aspects of life in American Samoa, from Samoan ceremonies to everyday routines, such as meal preparation.

The photographs were taken by the late Lowell Holmes while he was doing field work in American Samoa beginning in 1954. The exhibit will also showcase original artifacts of the Samoan culture, including jewelry, a canoe and more.

The premiere showing of a new film "In Search of Tradition: A Samoan Village in 1954," produced by Lowell Holmes, will be shown from 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, on the lower level of Ablah Library.

Refreshments will also be served following this event.

This exhibition is sponsored by the Holmes Museum of Anthropology, the Department of Anthropology and WSU Libraries.

Anthropology museum opening two photo exhibitions

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 02:27:00 CST

The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology at Wichita State University will hold a reception for the opening of two new photo exhibitions from 4:30-6 p.m. Monday, May 9, on the first floor of Neff Hall.

The new exhibitions are "A Day in the Life of an American Samoan: 1954" and "The Many Faces of China: A Photographic Exhibit of Chinese Nationalities."

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

"A Day in the Life of a Samoan: 1954" displays photos taken by Lowell Holmes while doing field work in American Samoa beginning in 1954. Holmes was the founder of WSU's Department of Anthropology and the Museum of Man, which was later renamed after him in his honor.

His photos illustrate many aspects of Samoa life from their colorful ceremonies to their daily routines.

Holmes' widow, Ellen Rhoads-Holmes, is the guest curator and has worked closely with the students.

"The Many Faces of China" explores seven ethnic groups living in China: the Mongolian, Kazak, Tu, Tibetan, Bai, Dry Dai and the Naxi nationalities. The photos were taken by Holmes Museum director Jerry Martin during research trips to China in 1988 and 1989.

The exhibitions were designed and created by students in the department's Museum Exhibitions course, including Cody Braun, James Johnson, Amber King, James Lancaster, Annie Oster, Kathryn Ritter and Lindsay Zeller.

Memorial event for Lowell D. Holmes set for Oct. 23

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 11:05:00 CST

A memorial event to celebrate the life and contributions of Lowell D. Holmes, founder and former professor of the Department of Anthropology at Wichita State University, is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, on the WSU campus.

The event will start in 100 Lindquist Hall and continue to the Department of Anthropology and the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology facilities, located in Neff Hall. Drinks and snacks will be served.

The event is open to the public, friends, faculty, administration and students of the past and present. People acquainted with Holmes and his activities at WSU or in the local or regional community are encouraged to attend.

Holmes died Aug. 31 following an extended illness. He was 85.

For more information about the event, contact Shannon Lucas at (316) 978-3195 or e-mail anthropology@wichita.edu.

WSU department of anthropology benefits from Jackman estate

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:19:14 CST

It is not the first time the Wichita State University department of anthropology has benefited from the generosity of David Jackman, but now it will be in perpetuity.

Jackman, who died Jan. 27, 2009, bequeathed $4 million to the WSU Foundation for the David and Sally Jackman Endowment for Anthropology.

Elizabeth King

"David was a friend to the university for decades," said Elizabeth King, WSU Foundation president and CEO. "He was an early supporter of the Holmes Museum of Anthropology during its renovation and a favorite with our staff because of his vivacious enthusiasm for life."

The endowment will fund such areas including, but not limited to, graduate student support, fellowships and research assistantships, expenses associated with anthropology field schools, experiments and other training activities; computer, laboratory and field equipment technology upgrades and replacements; WSU Biological Anthropology Research Facility updates and replacements, operation and maintenance; undergraduate student scholarships; visiting speakers and faculty search expenses.

Don Beggs

"We are honored to be able to share David's interest in and love of ancient cultures with students, staff and community members," said Don Beggs, WSU president. "His philanthropy will heighten the awareness and enhance the effectiveness of the department of anthropology and the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology."

The Jackman Endowment Advisory Council will be created and meet annually to approve budgets and advise the department and its faculty on the use of the annual revenue generated by the endowment.

"This gift is reflective of a man who supported things he could see, a man who had an interest in understanding their contextual background and how to advance them," said Peer Moore-Jansen, chair of anthropology. "We have a chance to take advantage of new opportunities provided to us by this gift of unprecedented financial support, enabling us to keep turning out great students with an even greater array of potentials and futures."

In addition to anthropology, Jackman supported the Marcus Welcome Center and Music Associates. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and the WSU Foundation President's Club and Society of 1895. He also was a Fairmount Society Life Member.

Jackman was co-owner and secretary of Oil Producers Inc. of Kansas, located in Wichita, and served as chairman of the board until his death.

WSU anthropology museum to open six new exhibitions

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:19:27 CST

The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology at Wichita State University invites the public to the opening of six new exhibitions from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, May 3. The museum is located on the first floor of Neff Hall, directly east of the Rhatigan Student Center. Admission is free.

Regular museum hours are from 1-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays except holidays. Group tours are available by appointment. Call (316) 978-7068 for more information on the museum or to schedule a tour.

This spring students from the Museum Exhibitions class and museum staff have designed and created six new exhibitions for the public to enjoy.

The museum will display the following exhibitions:

Expressions: Personal Adornment from Around the World
Prehistoric Live in Kansas at Waconda Lake
Intertwined: The Asmat and Their Environment
Zooarchaeology: The Study of Identification of Animal Use and Presence in Archaeology
The Art of New Ireland and New Hanover
The Canoe People: The Use of the Canoe in the Asmat Region

For more information, go to www.holmes.anthropology.museum.

Anthropology museum welcomes new exhibits

Mon, 5 May 2008 16:30:40 CST

The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology at Wichita State University has opened several new exhibits in WSU's Neff Hall.

The exhibits were prepared by the 2008 Museum Exhibition class. They feature:

"The Wagner Collection: Through Missionary Eyes" by Jennifer Scriven and Ingrid Mendoza
"Musical Instruments Around the World" by Angie Rabe and Kristen Bernard
"Pious Property: Function of Prayer Objects" by Lauren Smith, Melissa Thompson and Patrick Kozicki
"Footsteps Across Cultures and Cultural Reflections: A Doll's Story" by Sabrina Klutzke, Teri Tamer and Jessica Allen
"Weapons of the World: The Cultural Use of Weapons" by Matt Harms, Michael Ables and Sarah Loepp

Regular hours for the exhibitions are 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free.