Anthropology Spring 2023 Newsletter
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Anthropology Friends,
As I reflect on the 2022-2023 year, I am struck by some of the challenges we collectively navigated (from strikes to holiday floods) and the incredible generosity of our extended Anthropology family (including substantial donations from Victor Kolschuk and Anne Keenleyside). This newsletter highlights some of the successes of students, faculty, and staff. Department members continue to build substantial relationships with local and international communities, produce successful grants and publications, and sometimes win exciting new positions outside the department. I am sure many of us have mixed emotions as we say goodbye to some friends and colleagues. After years of juggling the academic “two-body” problem (in fact a “three-body” if we count her little one), Dr. Shanti Morell-Hart is leaving us for a position at Brown University in the United States. She leaves behind an impressive legacy, including a lively lab, several successful graduate students, and the Latin America Network at McMaster University, which she was a founding member.
We are also saying goodbye to instructional assistant (and key player in these newsletters) Christine Cluney
, who is moving to the Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS) after 13 years of bringing her positive energy to the archaeology labs. Finally, Undergraduate Administrative Assistant Marcia Furtado will bring her substantial skill set and kindness to the Faculty of Social Science Dean’s Office. We also, however, grew the Anthropology family, with a a wonderful cohort of new graduate students, and welcomed Katie Miller to the front office as new Undergraduate Administrative Assistant, and new Biological Anthropologist Amanda Wissler. I encourage you to visit Katie, Amanda, and the rest of us either in person on the fifth floor of Chester New Hall, or on-line. While our new department Anthropology website (https://anthropology.socsci.mcmaster.ca) is going through some growing pains, it is still the best place to follow the wide range of ongoing student and faculty activities. As we look forward to the 2023-2024 year, we are beginning to consider our 50th (!) anniversary: stay tuned for news on a range of upcoming events. If you would like to contribute any news for our upcoming newsletter, or if you would like to be removed from the newsletter mailing list, please contact Dr. Basit Iqbal at iqbalb3@mcmaster.ca.
Andy Roddick, Associate Professor and Chair
MESSAGE FROM THE STAFF
As we see the return of in-person classes and meetings, the main office has resumed its regular office hours of Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Please feel free to stop by and say hello! It is great to see the campus alive with people again!
In the Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 administrative staff in Anthropology (John Silva, Marcia Furtado and Delia Hutchinson) completed a project together for their Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. Their project created a “lean” graduate application review and processing system that saved hours of time for both faculty and staff. The new system also made it possible to send offers out earlier to our potential fall 2023 graduate cohort. Way to go team Anthro!
This spring, the department also brought some administrative staff changes: Marcia Furtado accepted an amazing career-growth position in the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences; and Katie Miller joined us. Katie is a MAC grad (Communication Studies, Cultural Studies & Critical Theory) and is a nice addition to our office! Welcome Katie!
Please follow this link to the Anthropology Spring 2023 Newsletter