Anthropology Department News

2013

NIU Anthropology was well represented at the meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Honolulu, April 3-8, 2013. We gathered outside the exhibit hall for a photo (L-R): Karla Davis-Salazar and her two daughters. Karla is a tenured professor at the University of South Florida; Dr. Jonathan Haas, adjunct professor and Field Museum curator; Jessica Blanco, receives her M.A. in May 2013 and presented a poster on her research; Bill Balco, recently completed his Ph.D. at UW Milwaukee; Dr. Winifred Creamer, and Dr. Michael Kolb. Also present at the meeting was Ileana Diaz, Ph.D. student at University of Victoria, BC, Canada, and Connie Moeller, compliance officer at Argonne National Labs. An NIU master's degree can take you far! click for photo

Dr. Mitchell Irwin gave a talk at the Duke Conservation Society 2013 Symposium [click here for website]

Dr. Winifred Creamer was featured in a NIU today article entitled; "Corn was Crop that Powered Rise of Peruvian Civilization 5,000 Years Ago, New Study Finds" [click here for article]

Dr. Dan Gebo has been awarded the Board of Trustees Professorship award for the 2nd time. This is the highest honor NIU awards its faculty.

More Department News from 2002 to present. Click here.

NIU Today featured an article on student Sarah Stebing and Dr. Leila Porter, entitled, "USOAR grants funds serious monkey business" [click here for article]

NIU Today featured an article on Dr. Michael Kolb, entitled, "Provost appoints committee to examine, revise General Education Program across NIU Campus." [click here for article]

NIU Today featured an article on Dr. Leila Porter, entitled "A Monkey's Uncle? Study Focuses on Kinship, Child-rearing practices in unique set of primates. [click here for article]

Anthropology Graduate Student Anthony Tumpag helped create an exhibit of objects he collected and put together by Hao Phan, curator of the Southeast Asia collection at Founders Library, is on display in one of the glass cases this week in front of the Blackhawk cafeteria in the Holmes Student Center. [click here for article]

The New York Times features an article about Corn Mazes with quotes by Dr. Kendall Thu, Chair of the Anthropology Department. The title of the article is "Farmers Find Path Out of Hardship in Corn Mazes"

2012

The exhibit Water for... Life was featured in an article by the Northern Star. [click here]

NIU Today features and article on Rarely Seen Southeast Asia, which opens on 10-11-12 [click here]

Jennifer Kirker Priest and The Anthropology Museum were featured in an article by the DeKalb County Historical Genealogical Society/ Cornsilk. [Click here]

To see photos of the move [click here]

NIU Today features an article on the opening of the new Exhibit in The Anthropology Museum "Rarely Seen Southeast Asia", which starts 10-11-12. [click here]

Graduate Student Ryan Keller has accepted a full scholarship to the Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He will be doing a research project and Ph.D. studies addressing food security through an anthropological study of the Goroka fresh food market. The goal of the research is to understand the Goroka market.

Jennifer Kirker Priest and The Anthropology Museum were featured in an article by the DeKalb County Historical Genealogical Society/ Cornsilk. Click here.

Anthropology student Eric Sterling takes the lead in bringing safe and accessible bike paths to the NIU Campus!! Attached are letters from President Peters and Austin Quick.

Masters students Emily Dow and Robert Bulunda visit a Phillippines entertainment show.. They are practicing their Tagalong on this show. Martin Andanar, a Filipino prime-time news anchor set the interview up. He visited NIU in 2009. click here.

Dr. Kristen Borre was interviewed for an article regarding Evan Wittke, an NIU undergrad who named Dr. Borre his favorite teacher. click here

Dr. Michael Kolb and students were featured in an article while on location for the 2012 Summer Field School in Sicily. (The article is in Italian)

Dr. Kendall Thu was featured in an article along with Dr. Melissa Lenczewski in an article on the NIU Today page entitled, Testing the Waters

NIU Undergraduate and graduate students were on hand at the 40th annual Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory (MCAAE) held at the Field Museum, Saturday and Sunday, February 25th and 26th. For Photos and more details, click here.

The Anthropology Museum officially opened on Feb 14th, 2012. Listed below are some articles from the Official Grand Opening on Feb 12th, 2012.

• Daily Chronicle
• Northern Star
• The Beacon News
• NIU Today

2011

Dr. Giovanni Bennardo attended a conference entitled The Cultural Constitution of Casual Cognition Setting the State for a Cross-Disciplinary Endeavour. Here is the link.

Congratulations to Dr. Susan Russell and Dr. Kendall Thu on becoming the first recipients of the Presidential Engagement Professor Honors.

Dr. Giovanni Bennardo attended a conference entitled The Cultural Constitution of Casual Cognition Setting the State for a Cross-Disciplinary Endeavour. Here is the link.

Dr. Winifred Creamer was featured on an article on the November 13th issue of the daily chronicle. Here is the link

Dr. Andrea Molnar will host a seminar and roundtable titled "Peacebuilding in Conflict Regions in Southeast Asia" on Dec 1, 2011 in Graham Hall Room 334 from 8:30 - 12:00. Flyer Attached

Dr. Dan Gebo gave a talk for the Board of Trustees Professor Seminar on Thursday September 27, 2011. The lecture will be on The Theory of Evolution in a Modern World.

Dr. Giovanni Bennardo earns NSF grant to lead a conference/workshop at NIU: Cultural Models of Nature and the Environment: Space, Self, and Causality. This workshop is sponsered by the NIU Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy.

Dr. Susan Russell was featured in an article in NIU Today on Feb. 9th, 2011 titled Filipinos honor NIU's Susan Russell. Full story here.

2010

The Anthropology Museum was featured in an article in Spring/Summer 2010 issue of The Mandala. Click here for the article.

Dr. Kendall Thu speaks about NIU's new academic program! "Going green: new academic program, center to focus on environment." View Video

NIU Alumni Association publication, Northern Now, featured Archaeologist, Dr. Michael Kolb and his students at a dig site in Sicily. Take a look at 'Sicily Rediscovered'

Anthropologist travels to Kenya on Fulbright Scholar grant. Read Article

2009

Anthropologist Susan Russell wins national award for contributions to international education. Read Article

2008

Kendall Thu named editor of national journal in anthropology. Read Article

Dan Gebo, Christine Worobec, Narayan Hosmanenamed 2008 Board of Trustees Professors. Read Article

2007

NIU anthropologist finds cultural emphasis on group over individual might hinder democracy. Read Article

NIU Anthropology Museum debuts new exhibiton post-Khmer Rouge life in Cambodia. Read Article

Kolb-NIU archaeologist, students uncover possible medieval mosque in Sicily. Read Article

Creamer, Ebrahimi, Fehrenbach named 2007 Presidential Research Professors. Read Article

2006

New book by NIU anthropologist sheds light on mystery monkey. Read Article

Roots of civilization in Hawaii to 13th century. Read Article

Anthropology Museum exhibit examines Islam in Southeast Asia. Read Article

Early human ancestors had a wobble in their walk. Read Article

2005

Anthropology museum documents Cambodia's 'killing fields.' Read Article

Field trip is golden for student archaeologists. Read Article

2004

Archaeologists shed new light on Americas' earliest known civilization. Read Article

Professor wins prestigious Fulbright scholarship. Read Article

Anthropologist examines cultural models in democratic movements. Read Article

In Search of the Lost City of Alica. Read Article

Congo Exhibit Highlights Anthropology Museum. Read Article

2003

Archaeologists studying site where ancient spear point was discovered. Read Article

Archaeologists harvest past from Yorkville cornfield. Read Article

Anthropologist sinks teeth into study of how primates grow up. Read Article

Icon discovery pushes back Andean religion by a millennium. Read Article

2002

Keeping the Game Close. Read Article

The Smallest Primates. Read Article

Anthropology Professor wins prestigious Fulbright scholarship. Read Article

2001

Americas' oldest pyramids, cities. Read Article

Flesh and Bone. Read Article

2000

Researchers discover fossils of tiny, thumb-length primates. Read Article

Newly discovered fossils from China shed light on common ancestry of monkeys, apes and humans. Read Article

NIU Professor Winifred Creamer named YWCA Outstanding Woman Leader in DuPage.