It's time for our final Summer Fieldwork Spotlight of 2025! This summer, researchers from the WSU Environmental Archaeology Research Lab (EARL), Nez Perce Tribe, and Kansas Geological Survey excavated the Kelly Forks Work Center Site in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests of Idaho

Congrats to PhD candidate Addisalem Sugamo on his new Lithic Technology publication, coauthored with Andrew Duff and Rachel Horowitz. The paper highlights stone tools from Ethiopia’s megalithic Gedeo sites, an area with little prior research. Images: Soditi blades & scrapers; map of the Gedeo zone.

🦃 Dr. Erin Thornton recently spoke with Dr. Susan Hayhurst for an upcoming episode of the Biologica Podcast. They discuss her research on the history of turkey domestication across the Americas. The episode will drop soon! Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Meet our graduate students! Jennifer Cuthbertson is a PhD student in archaeology working with John Blong. Her research interests include the study of paleoenvironments, traditional land use, and how the changes in climate and available resources impact these uses over time.

🦃 Continuing her earlier work, Dr. Erin Thornton was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to study the history of turkey domestication at Paquimé in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. This research expands upon her previous work on turkey domestication. Learn more: www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/...

🦃 Fresh off the press for Turkey Week! Dr. Erin Thornton co-edited a volume on turkey domestication. It highlights research on human–turkey relationships across the Americas, including two chapters by Professor Emeritus Bill Lipe. Read here: sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/defaul...

Dr. William “Bill” Lipe, Professor Emeritus, was a foundational scholar in Southwestern archaeology. His legacy lives on through the students he mentored and the research he inspired. Read: anthro.wsu.edu/william-bill... Support future archaeologists: foundation.wsu.edu/give/?fund=b...

Writing Wednesday! Dr. Sarah Richardson has coauthored a new publication titled “Life-Making Under Humanitarian Law” in the Annual Review of Law and Social Science. This important work explores how legal regimes shape, limit, and order everyday life in contexts of conflict and displacement.

Anthropology & Human Biology majors: The College of Arts and Sciences is accepting applications for the Student Ambassador Program. Ambassadors connect with prospective students while gaining experience that looks great on a resume.

The WSU Anthropology Club is holding a meeting TODAY (11/13) at 3:30 pm in the College Hall lounge. Current and new members are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Last week 4th graders from the Colton School District visited the Museum of Anthropology to share their LEGO robotics projects. This year’s theme is archaeology! The students met with anthropology graduate students to ask questions about real-world archaeological challenges.

This summer MA student Sam Neunzig and Dr. John Blong surveyed high-elevation snow and ice patches in Kenai Fjords & Lake Clark National Parks in Alaska. Their work explores ancient high-elevation hunting practices preserved in melting ice and how climate change is transforming cultural sites.

The first Anthropology Club meeting of the year is TODAY at 3:30pm in College Hall 159 (the lounge). Come hang out, have a snack and drink, meet other students, vote on officers and share ideas for future meetings. Hope to see you there!

🔦 Summer Fieldwork Spotlight: This summer Dr. Nanda Grow conducted primate surveys in central Sulawesi, Indonesia with students and colleagues. This research explores how tarsiers use human-shaped habitats and interact with people in agricultural villages. 🐒🌿 #Primatology #Fieldwork #Tarsiers

The Anthropology Graduate Organization (AGO) held their third annual Bake Sale yesterday on the Glenn Terrell Mall! Proceeds from the sale will be used for the club's mutual aid fund. #GoCougs

The Anthropology Graduate Organization is holding its 3rd Annual Bake Sale this Thursday (Oct. 23) from 10 AM to 1 PM outside College Hall on the Terrell Mall. Swing by for some homemade baked goods and support the Mutual Aid Fund for anthropology graduate students. Cash and Venmo accepted.

The Ancestral Crafts Club & Anthropology Grad Organization hosted a beadworking workshop open to all students. Want to try making stone tools or other ancestral crafts? Join us for Open Lab Hours Thursday Nov 6 and Dec 4 from 4–5:30pm in Room 43 (College Hall basement).

Please welcome Dr. Sarah Richardson to the WSU Department of Anthropology! Her research explores state violence, human rights, memory, and political ecology in Latin America. Meet her at today’s meet & greet (with snacks and Italian sodas): College Hall lounge, 2:30–4:30! 🐾

Attention Anthropology & Human Biology majors! You are invited to join us this Friday 10/17 in the College Hall lounge for snacks, Italian sodas, and a chance to chat with Drs. Sarah Richardson and Kris Smith, our two newest faculty members. The first 20 students will receive a baby spider plant.

This summer Jordan Thompson, a PhD candidate in archaeology, excavated high-elevation sites in the Bitterroot Mountains. Read the full story here: news.wsu.edu/news/2025/09...

Our graduate students collaborate with premier institutions all over the world! This summer PhD student Eleonora Zanetti attended the Santa Fe Institute for training in complex systems modeling, funded through a full scholarship from SFI.

Step into the past and explore Armenia with WSU this summer! Join Dr. Tekla Schmaus and Dr. Rachel Horowitz in May and June of 2026 to study archaeology, heritage, and identity in the Caucasus. Applications due February 1, 2026. Learn more: mystudyabroad.wsu.edu or email [email protected].

🔦 Summer Fieldwork Spotlight: Cultural Anthropology PhD student Sumanta Roy has been conducting research in India on the health and livelihoods of electronic waste workers. Sumanta was also recently awarded the WSU Liberal Arts Scholarship Fund for 2025–26.👏

Student volunteers are hard at work cataloguing objects from the Museum of Anthropology’s learning collections, including lithics and pottery. These collections will be put to use in upcoming classes, giving students hands-on opportunities to learn from real archaeological materials.

WSU Anthropology is growing! We seek a tenure-track Assistant Professor in cultural anthropology specializing in health, well-being, and/or human-environment interactions, to start next fall in Pullman. Apply by Nov 2, 2025: wsu.edu/jobs (search R-14034).

PhD candidate Beatrice Caffé was invited to speak at the National Academies of Sciences’ Reimagining STEMM Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Career Development Summit. Her panel explored challenges in graduate education. 🔗 Learn more: www.nationalacademies.org/event/44967_...

Every fall, the Department of Anthropology kicks off the school year with our Welcome Dinner! It’s always a great time to reconnect with faculty, grad students, friends, and even a few furry guests. 🐾. Here’s Ph.D. candidate Jordan Thompson with her pup, Data, an honorary member of the department!

This summer Dr. Rachel Horowitz conducted NSF-funded archaeological research in Belize with colleagues, exploring what stone tool production reveals about past economies. The team also hosted a stone tool production workshop and an Archaeology Day in the community! Link: news.wsu.edu/news/2025/09...

Graduate student Evan Leacox co-created and hosts an annual canoe journey on the Columbia River for WSU Rivers, Watersheds, and Communities (RWC) students. This August participants joined the second Hanford Reach Canoe Journey, a paddling trip designed to build relationships with place and people.

👀 The floors at the WSU Museum of Anthropology have gotten a shiny new facelift! Check out the museum on the east side of the first floor of College Hall. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free! #anthropologymuseum

📝 Writing Wednesday! PhD student RC Timilsina authored an article published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. This research shows that traditional knowledge on natural disasters is predictive specific to location and type of disaster. Article: doi.org/10.1016/j.ij...

Who doesn't like playing in dirt?? At Future Cougs Day, the Department of Anthropology and the Museum of Anthropology featured dig boxes. Pictured here are: archaeology faculty member Dr. Rachel Horowitz, museum curator Madison Pullis, and graduate student Abby Antinossi. #FutureCougs #archaeology

Funding Friday! We're proud to announce that doctoral student RC Timilsina has received a WSU Liberal Arts Scholarship for the 2025–2026 academic year. Congratulations, RC!

From September 5th to 20th, WSU Pullman and UW are teaming up to tackle hunger. This friendly competition aims to raise awareness and crucial funding for the university food pantries. Let’s beat hunger and support our students’ success! Donate here: tinyurl.com/foodpantrych...

📝 Writing Wednesday! Ph.D. Candidate Michael Gaffney first-authored an article on on how children communicate their needs through crying. This research was recently published in Human Nature, and his photo taken in Utila, Honduras made the cover image! Article: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

🔆 Summer fieldwork spotlight: PhD student Eleonora Zanetti studied cultural adaptations to climate change among the Rendille pastoralists of Kenya. She's presenting at the American Political Science Association (APSA) conference this week! Preprint here: preprints.apsanet.org/engage/apsa/...

New semester, new faculty! Today we're introducing Dr. Kristopher Smith, an evolutionary anthropologist who conducts research in East Africa. He might be a familiar face, as he's completed postdoctoral work and also taught at WSU. Welcome, Dr. Smith! Read more: anthro.wsu.edu/kristopher-s...

A special issue of PNAS on the origins of wealth inequality challenges the idea that economic growth began only with the Industrial Revolution, organized by Professor Emeritus Tim Kohler! Blog: www.pnas.org/post/update/... Issue: www.pnas.org/topic/567 Kohler’s article: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

The chair of the Department of Anthropology, Dr. Andrew Duff, was awarded the 2025 WSU College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Peer Mentoring Award. The department is fortunate to benefit from his tireless work, and we are thrilled that he has received college-level recognition. 👏 #GoCougs

Dr. Nicole Hess was awarded the 2025 WSU College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Career Achievement for Career Track Faculty for excelling at research, teaching, academic advising, and service to her community in almost two decades at WSU Vancouver. 👏 #CoCougs

👀 Current and former students spotted at the Society for American Archaeology conference in Denver, CO last month! Current Ph.D. student Jennifer Cuthbertson and Ph.D graduate Dr. Valda Black presented posters on their research. #conference #postersession #SAA2025

👀 Current & former students spotted at the Society for American Archaeology conference in Denver last month! Current Ph.D. student Jennifer Cuthbertson and Ph.D graduate Dr. Valda Black presented posters. Conferences let academics present their emerging research to a specialized audience. #SAA2025

Dr. Marsha Quinlan was awarded the 2025 WSU College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Graduate Advising and Mentoring Award. For the past 18 years, Dr. Quinlan has chaired and co-chaired 24 graduate degree committees (14 MA and 10 Ph.D. graduates) and served on 45 graduate committees! 👏 #GoCougs

At the Society for American Archaeology meeting, Dr. Tim Kohler, Emeritus Faculty, was honored by colleagues and students for his tremendous influence over the years. Pictured are speakers in the session, Dr. Kyle Bocinsky (PhD '14) interviewing Dr. Kohler, and students he has advised. #SAA2025

Graduate students Madison Hönig and Beatrice Caffe recently were honored with WSU leadership awards. Madison received a GPSA Excellence Award for Community Engagement, while Beatrice was awarded a Distinguished Leader Chancellor Award. Congratulations, Beatrice and Madison!! #GoCougs #awards

The Rivers, Watersheds, and Communities (RWC) Program is sponsoring a Walking Rivers Event on May 17 at 9:30am in Pullman as part of a worldwide movement. Anthropology graduate students and faculty members are involved in the RWC program. Registration: forms.gle/eFKjuoaKzqxs...

At this year's Society for American Anthropology conference in Denver, several of our archaeology faculty presented on their research. Pictured are Drs. Samantha Fladd, John Blong, and Rachel Horowitz. #archaeology #conference #SAA2025

At this year's Society for American Archaeology conference, graduate students Jordan Thompson and Madeline Jennings were presented the geoarchaeology fellowship and the Indigenous graduate student scholarship. Congratulations! Award links: tinyurl.com/nhck2d2t & tinyurl.com/4as2276b #SAA2025

Department members were recently honored with CAS awards: Andrew Duff, Faculty Peer Mentoring; Nicole Hess, Outstanding Career Achievement; Marsha Quinlan, Excellence in Graduate Advising; Ollie Shannon, Excellence in Teaching. We''ll feature the awardees' accomplishments in upcoming weeks!

📢 Are you looking for hands-on experience working as an archaeologist in the field of cultural resource management (CRM)? Consider applying for the Summer 2025 Anthropological Internship! Application link with more information: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...