News http://www.physanth.org daily 1 2009-06-10T10:42:29Z AAPA Professional Development Grant leads to NSF award for Professor Sharon DeWitte http://www.physanth.org/news/aapa-professional-development-grant-leads-to-nsf-award-for-professor-sharon-dewitte The Black Death was one of the most destructive epidemics in history. Assistant Professor Sharon DeWitte at the University of South Carolina has been examining temporal changes in plague mortality patterns and the effects of the Black Death on the demographic and health conditions of surviving populations as a model for understanding the human response to emerging diseases. Funded by a 2012 AAPA Professional Development Grant, DeWitte collected paleodemographic data from several medieval London cemeteries. Among a number of interesting findings, DeWitte reports greater longevity combined with an increased frequency of periosteal lesions in the post-Black Death sample. DeWitte suggests that enhanced survival but relatively poor skeletal health at later adult ages might account for the post-Black Death pattern, a trend observed in living populations where improvements in mortality and longevity are often associated with declines in health status later in life. DeWitte is continuing her work on the health and demographic effects of the Black Death, having successfully turned her AAPA Professional Development Grant into a National Science Foundation award funded jointly by Biological Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology. Congratulations Professor DeWitte!

For more on how to apply for an AAPA Professional Development Grant, please click here.  Or contact Dr. Andrea B. Taylor, Chair, AAPA Professional Development Grants Committee, at andrea.taylor@duke.edu.

 

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-05-13T16:22:53Z News Item W. W. Norton Booth Party at AAPA http://www.physanth.org/news/w.-w.-norton-booth-party-at-aapa When: Today, Fri Apr 12, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. Where: Norton Booth, Knoxville Convention Center. What: Local Craft Beer, Finely Crafted Books, Pretzels  

Please stop by and have a beer with Norton authors and the Norton Anthropology team.  All are invited!

John Kresse

Norton Anthropology

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-04-12T12:22:31Z News Item The Rohlf Medal 2013 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS http://www.physanth.org/news/the-rohlf-medal-2013-call-for-nominations The Rohlf Medal was established in 2006 by his family and friends to mark the 70th birthday of F. James Rohlf, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolution and longtime Stony Brook University faculty member. Recipients of the Rohlf Medal will be recognized for excellence in their body of work on the development of new morphometric methods or for their applications in the biomedical sciences, including evolutionary biology, population biology, physical anthropology, and medicine. The term “morphometrics” is intended to include high-dimensional pattern analyses of biological shape, especially those that analyze shape in a comprehensive way, or of covariation of shape patterns with other variables. The award can recognize advances in the mathematical or statistical theory underlying morphometric methods, new software that implements or visualizes new methods, or specific new biological findings that rely crucially on contemporary morphometric methods and represent major advances.
Candidates for the Rohlf Medal may be self-nominated or nominated by others. They must have attained the postdoctoral level or its equivalent. Nomination packages should include (1) a description of the body of work (not to exceed two pages) on which the candidacy is based, (2) reprints of no more than three relevant papers and/or software products, (3) a curriculum vitae, and (4) the names and addresses of three referees. Nominating packages should be uploaded to the Rohlf Medal website (http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/ee/rohlf_medal/apply.html) and received by 15 August 2013 to be assured of full consideration.

The successful candidate will receive the Rohlf Medal and a cash prize at Stony Brook University in mid-Fall 2013 (final date to be determined). She or he will deliver a lecture that is appropriate for an educated general audience concerning the morphometric research for which the Rohlf Medal was awarded.

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-04-10T11:33:23Z News Item Forensic Science and Anthropology Field School http://www.physanth.org/news/forensic-science-and-anthropology-field-school The Forensic Science and Anthropology Field School is an intensive, three-week course. Students participate in, from the perspective of multiple disciplines, the resolution of a mock medicolegal death investigation from crime scene discovery to courtroom testimony.  

More information:

http://pastfoundation.org/programs/bridge-programs/forensic-science-and-anthropology/

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-15T17:10:00Z News Item Meetings registration extended and other meetings updates http://www.physanth.org/news/meetings-registration-extended-and-other-meetings-updates Dear AAPA Members: Our Knoxville meetings are fast approaching! We are pleased extend the online registration deadline (and lower registration rates) to March 20th this year. You can find the registration info at: 

http://www.physanth.org/annual-meeting/82nd-annual-meeting-2013

There are still a few lunch spots open for Dr. Bill Bass' AAPA Luncheon presentation on "The Autopsy of the "Big Bopper." My Role in Investigating the Death of an Early Rock & Roll Icon"
These will be filled on a first come, first served basis - so order soon!  If we overrun the room limit, your money will be refunded in the order in which your requests were received.

Also on the webpage are links to the browsable program, the full AAPA program pdf, and the Committee on Diversity Undergraduate Research Symposium program.  

Note a few key events and differences from years past....


WEDNESDAY night there are many pre-reception festivities including the Committee on Diversity Undergraduate Research Symposium (6:30-8:30 pm) and the Committee on Diversity Mixer (5-6:30).
THURSDAY night their are Plenary Poster and Plenary Cast sessions along with many other festivities including the Live and Silent Auctions, which start earlier this year (see below for donating)
FRIDAY the Business Meeting and Awards Event starts at 5:45 just after sessions end.  ALL members are welcome.
SATURDAY the Student Awards Reception will be better than ever.

If you have an item for the AUCTION Thursday night. Please contact me at susan.anton@nyu.edu.  We have lots of great things including a full standing reconstruction of the Australopithecus sedibaskeleton. A luxury resort vacation in next year's venue, Calgary.  Special raffles for Student Members.  And much much more.

See y'all in Knoxville!

Susan

-- 
Susan C. Antón

Vice President, American Association of Physical Anthropologists

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-11T17:53:29Z News Item Tenth Annual Forensic Anthropology Field School in Albania, Greece, and Romania http://www.physanth.org/news/tenth-annual-forensic-anthropology-field-school-in-albania-greece-and-romania May 21-June 14, 2013. Albania’s magnificent archaeological site at Butrint National Park is the primary location for Utica College’s tenth annual Forensic Anthropology Field School course, which also includes visits to the Acropolis in Athens as well as Dracula’s Castle and his birthplace in Transylvania. The field school is open to non-credit participants; no previous experience is required. Undergraduates and graduate students may enroll for six credits at either level.
The course emphasizes practical techniques of forensic analyses and paleopathological diagnosis using human remains from numerous locations spanning over 3,000 years.  More than 115 students from 47 different schools have participated in the course since 2004, including 10 who have made their first professional presentations at the AAFS and AAPA conferences based on their field school research projects.

Co-taught by a forensic anthropologist (Thomas A. Crist, Ph.D.) and a medical anthropologist (John H. Johnsen, Ph.D.), course topics also include cross-cultural health and healing; Balkan history and society; mortuary archaeology; cultural resources management; and heritage tourism.

For more information, please visit our webpage at www.utica.edu/butrint or contact Thomas A. Crist, Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology, at Tcrist@utica.edu/315-792-3390.

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-11T00:46:19Z News Item Teaching Workshop on "Genomics and Anthropology in the Classroom" at the 2013 AAPA Meeting http://www.physanth.org/news/teaching-workshop-on-genomics-and-anthropology-in-the-classroom-at-the-2013-aapa-meeting Wednesday, April 10 2-5pm in 300B (**not 1:00 PM as in AAPA Program). The American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG) will offer a workshop on “Genomics and Anthropology in the Classroom” at the AAPA meeting in Knoxville. This workshop will provide participants with strategies for teaching next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, concepts, and studies in anthropological classes. The workshop will target a non-technical audience, and will feature speakers consisting of investigators directly involved in genomic research and educators who have integrated such research into their teaching regimens. This session has the potential to benefit anyone teaching in biological anthropology.
The workshop will consist of three (3) one-hour sessions.  The first session will provide an overview of NGS technologies. The second session will feature an exploration of the intersection between genomics and anthropological questions using specific case studies drawn from exciting lines of current research in paleogenomics, human population demography, and selection/adaptation in humans and primates. The third  session will feature a discussion session addressing the practical issues of implementing genomics into an anthropology classroom.


This session is open to all interested parties who are registered for the AAPA, Paleopathology, or HBA meetings.  For more information, please contact Paul Babb at (pbabb@mail.med.upenn.edu).

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-11T00:44:53Z News Item AAAG Panel on Postdoctoral Training at the 2013 AAPA Meeting http://www.physanth.org/news/aaag-panel-on-postdoctoral-training-at-the-2013-aapa-meeting Saturday, April 13 2pm-4pm in 301B. The American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG) will hold a panel on Postdoctoral Training in Anthropological Genetics at the AAPA meeting in Knoxville. This panel aims to provide doctoral students interested in evolutionary anthropology and population genetics with a general introduction to postdoctoral training. Experts from across the field of anthropological genetics with different postdoctoral experiences will discuss several topics, including choosing and planning the postdoctoral training, maintaining the “right” work-life balance, and transitioning into a faculty position.
We hope that the panel provides a casual discussion platform regarding postdoctoral opportunities in anthropological genetics. Discussants and more information can be downloaded here: http://www.anthgen.org/Downloads/postdocevent.pdf

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-11T00:43:55Z News Item Outstanding Student Presentation in Anthropological Genetics Prizes: Call for Nominees http://www.physanth.org/news/outstanding-student-presentation-in-anthropological-genetics-prizes-call-for-nominees The American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG) is pleased to announce the 2013 Outstanding Student Presentation Award competition. Up to two Outstanding Student Presentation in Anthropological Genetics (OSPAG) prizes will be given for the best poster or podium presentations at the AAPA or HBA annual meetings. Each awardee will receive a $200 cash prize and a one-year subscription to the journal Human Biology.
Student presenters who meet the following two requirements are eligible for consideration:


1)     You are the lead author on your presentation and you are the one presenting (either podium or poster).
2)     You are a AAAG member by the April 3rd submission deadline (see http://www.anthgen.org/aaag_membership.html). If you are unsure of your current membership status, please email Ellen Quillen (equillen@txbiomedgenetics.org).

Email Deborah Bolnick (deborah.bolnick@austin.utexas.edu) by April 3, 2013 to be considered, and include your presentation title, abstract, and the time and date of your presentation in your email.

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-11T00:42:26Z News Item National Geographic Call for Expeditions http://www.physanth.org/news/national-geographic-call-for-expeditions Calling all Adventurers and Explorers! National Geographic is searching for the most incredible expeditions of 2013 to film and feature in a dynamic new blue chip series. If you’re planning to break records, conquer the impossible and redefine the limits of human potential, we want to hear from you. Email us at NGExpedition@gmail.com. Tell us about you, your upcoming mission and how far along you are in the planning stage. Make sure to include your name, contact information and a photos and/or videolinks. (Submissions without photos and/or video WILL NOT be considered.) Expeditions that combine adventure and science especially wanted. Be prepared to inspire a new generation.  

More information is on Nat Geo's site:


http://tvblogs.nationalgeographic.com/2013/03/06/calling-all-explorers-now-casting-for-new-adventure-series/

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-07T23:59:50Z News Item Announcing the AAPA Professional Development Grants 2013 http://www.physanth.org/news/announcing-the-aapa-professional-development-grants-2013 The AAPA professional development grant recipients have been chosen. Last Name First Name Institution Title Grant title Almécija Sergio Dept. Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University Research Instructor The 3D shape and function of Miocene ape and early hominin hands and feet Bigham Abigail Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor  Asst. Prof. Functional consequences of EGLN1 genetic variation in high-altitude Andeans and Tibetans Chalk Janine Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University Visiting Asst. Prof. Age-related differences in nutrient intake and energy balance in wild Brown capuchins Cooke Siobhan Department of Anthropology, Northeastern Illinois University Asst. Prof. Primate paleontology in the Dominican Republic Copes Lynn School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University Asst. Prof. Skeletal robusticity in sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys):  interactions among bone shape, density and mechanical performance Gilbert Chris Department of Anthropology Hunter College, CUNY Asst. Prof. Skeletal analysis of the Lesula Gregoricka Lesley Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, University of South Alabama Asst. Prof. Negotiating identity in prehistoric semi-nomadic societies:  a biogeochemical assessment of residential mobility in Bronze Age Oman Lewton Kristi Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Postdoc Morphological integration and the evolvability of the mammalian pelvis:  implications for primate evolution ]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-03-01T13:30:00Z News Item Pollitzer Travel Awards 2013 http://www.physanth.org/news/pollitzer-travel-awards-2013 The 2013 Pollitzer Awards have been announced.

Awards were based on answers to this question:

On a visit to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, you happen to find yourself standing in an elevator next to the president and congressional leaders taking a tour of the facility. As secret service agents check the elevator for security risks, the president comments on your sporty tote bag from the last AAPA meetings. With that opening, lay out your best four minute 'elevator speech' as to why the next federal budget should include additional funding for physical anthropology.

Awardees:

Last Name First Name
Allen Kari
Bailey Jeannie
Barr W Andrew
Beaudrot Lydia
Campbell Ryan
Campbell Meadow
Critcher Lori
Daly Elizabeth
Dunham Noah
Edmonds Hallie
Ellis Kelsey
Gomez Guevara Elaine
Grow Nanda
Hammond Ashley
Hartel Jessica
Hernandez Mauricio
Holowka Nicholas
Huard Aimee
Hubbell Zachariah
Joganic Jessica
Johnston Rob'yn
Kissel Marc
Kwiatt Anne
Lacy Sarah
Merritt Catherine
Miszkiewicz Justyna
Nalley Thierra
Nesbitt Allison
Nicholas Christina
O'Shea Natalie
Pan Tiffany
Prall Sean
Prang Thomas Cody
Sadvari Joshua
Scott Jill
Stock Michala
Swartz Sarah
Throckmorton Zack
Trask Willa
Walker Jessica
Wang Raining
Webb Shasta
Yuzwa Taylor
]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-02-21T15:35:41Z News Item AAPA electronic voting http://www.physanth.org/news/aapa-electronic-voting Electronic voting is open until March 1st. If you are a REGULAR FULL MEMBER in good standing you should have received at least one email blast from Allen Press/survey monkey with a link to the online election materials. If you have not received such an email and want to vote, please CHECK YOUR SPAM first... ...and then if necessary email Linda Hardwick at Allen Press at lhardwick@allenpress.com and cc Brenda Baker at BrendaJ.Baker@asu.edu.  Only REGULAR FULL MEMBERS may vote in AAPA elections.  Voting is open until March 1st, please email Linda Hardwick with a cc to Brenda Baker by February 25th.

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-02-18T16:48:45Z News Item Field school - Madagascar, Past and Present: Biodiversity, Extinction & Conservation http://www.physanth.org/news/field-school-madagascar-past-and-present-biodiversity-extinction-conservation The Anthropology Departments at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Northern Illinois University, along with SADABE, will offer a Field School that focuses on primate biodiversity, extinction, forest fragmentation and conservation in Madagascar to take place in the summer of 2013. Students enrolled in this field school will earn 6 credits and will gain experience in primatology while working in Madagascar. The field school will run from June 1-30, 2013.
Madagascar has often been referred to as the “naturalist’s paradise.” Lemurs are the island’s flagship species.  Approximately 98% of the land mammals found on this island are found nowhere else in the world, but these species must compete for space and resources with people who are themselves struggling to survive and to feed their families (80% of Malagasy people today live below the poverty line). Lemurs are forest-dependent, but few of Madagascar’s lemurs live more than a kilometer from the edge of a forest.  The vast majority lives in forest fragments not far from villages or agricultural land.

Students will have a unique opportunity to learn practical skills for studying nonhuman primates in field environments – specifically to observe lemurs in continuous rainforests as well as fragmented or “disturbed” forests near villages or clear-cut agricultural fields.  They will also have the opportunity to observe and handle the remains of recently extinct lemurs, and to learn how paleontologists glean from them an understanding of past environments and extinction processes.  The emphasis of the course will be on the lemurs of Madagascar (past and present), how to better understand changes in biodiversity over time, and how to build conservation plans and prevent future extinctions through involvement at the local level. Locations for students’ research include Antananarivo, Parc Ivoloina, and Tsinjoarivo.

More information can be found at:
www.sadabe.org/studyabroad2013.html

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-02-13T16:50:59Z News Item St Mary's University Forensic Archaeology Field School http://www.physanth.org/news/st-marys-university-forensic-archaeology-field-school August 18 – 24, 2013. This course will teach you field recovery techniques of buried remains as well as the protocol associated with crime scene processing.

For more information contact:


Dr. Paul Erickson erickson@ns.sympatico.ca 

]]> No publisher Ed Hagen 2013-02-12T12:04:47Z News Item