Graduate students Yuti Gao, Kelsey Hoppes, Patrick McKenzie, and Nicholas Puente听 and receive Beverly Sears Graduate Student Grant Program Awards.They will use the funding to continue their ongoing doctoral dissertation research and writing (see below for their topics).
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Yuti Gao (Biological Anthropology, PhD in progress) -听听Yuti's research is on the nonhuman primate oral microbiome.听 The funding will help her听finalize lab work for her dissertation's pilot study.
Kelsey Hoppes (Archaeology, PhD Candidate) -听Kelsey's research is on identifying听processes of coalescing of diverse groups and ethnogenesis of past GreatPlains and Midwest communities in North America.
Patrick McKenzie (Cultural Anthropology, PhD Candidate) -听Patrick鈥檚 research听focuses on how nested forms of marginalization manifest in two Bulgarian听state institutions ostensibly dedicated to care: the public hospital and the听refugee camp.
Nicholas Puente听(Archaeology, PhD Candidate)-听 Nicholas鈥檚 research听explores how ancient Maya peoples engaged with subterranean caves during a听period of frequent droughts. Caves are doorways to the underworld realm of听ancestors and deities who can be petitioned for rain during times of stress.听The funds will support fieldwork at the archaeological site of Punta Laguna,听where two caves will be mapped and surface artifacts.