October 2015

Volume 2015, Issue 10

Washburn University

Sociology/Anthropology

CHAIR’S CORNER

Welcome to our department newsletter. It has been a couple of years since the last one, but we are planning to publish newsletters on a regular schedule now.

I am proud to be chair of the SO/AN department. We are a cohesive and supportive department. Our greatest strength is our faculty members. They bring energy, enthusiasm, creative ideas, and commitment to undergraduate education. We pride ourselves on providing students with opportunities for one-on-one interaction and/or collaboration with faculty outside the classroom. From Directed Readings, Directed Research, or Study Abroad courses, faculty mentor students in independent work that often results in academic presentations.

We want students to feel integrated into the department. Faculty members welcome students through an “open-door” policy; it is not uncommon to see students in faculty offices on any given day. We also welcome students to just come hang out in the department; there is usually a fresh pot of coffee and, occasionally, snacks available.

As you will read in the next few pages, this is an exciting time in our department! We hope that students will take advantage of the new learning opportunities, and also get involved in upcoming activities and/or events. The Sociology/Anthropology Club, for example, is gaining new members and becoming more active on campus and in the community. Being a member of the club is a good way for students to get to know each other.

Finally, I want to thank Tammy Schlingmann, our secretary, for taking on the task of gathering all the information and putting the newsletters together. She has also completely redesigned our departmental web site. If anyone has ideas for what they would like to see in the newsletter or feels needs to be included on the web site, please let her know.

Dr. Cheryl Childers

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Page 2-3 B.S. in Anthropology (Forensics Concentra-tion) Page 4-5 Iceland Page 5 New Faculty Page 6 Sociology/Anthropology Club Page 7 Halloween

Bachelor of Science in Anthropology (Forensics Concentration)

The Department of Sociology & Anthropology is proud to offer a B.S. in Anthropology with a Forensics Concentration. This degree is the first Bachelor-level Forensic Anthropology concentration in Kansas. Our majors will take classes, and get hands-on training, in our new lab in the state-of-the-art Kansas Bureau of Investigation Forensic Science Center on Washburn’s campus. They will also collaborate with faculty and students in the other forensic programs such as chemistry, biology, criminal justice, and computer science. Students may even have the opportunity to intern with KBI forensic scientists at the new facility. The Role of Forensic Anthropology Forensic anthropology applies the scientific knowledge of physical anthropology to the collection and analysis of legal evidence. Due to training in anthropology, skeletal biology, and osteology, forensic anthropologists serve a unique role in forensic science:

They determine if the remains are of human origin, from a single or multiple individuals, and the identity (age, sex, stature, ancestry) of the individual(s).

They document pathological conditions and trauma affecting the remains.

They can help determine the circumstances surrounding death.

They analyze soil and vegetation patterns to properly find, excavate, and collect skeletal remains and other physical evidence.

They work in cases resulting from mass disasters, explosions, fires, homicides, and other types of situations resulting in badly decomposed bodies and highly fragmented, burned, or otherwise unidentified human skeletal remains.

They have been prominent in the recovery and identification of remains from the Oklahoma City bombing, the World Trade Center, and mass gravesites in places like Iraq, Guatemala, and the former Yugoslavia.

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Department Strengths: Small classes foster faculty-student interaction in a supportive learning environment. Highly qualified instructors who hold advanced degrees and real-life experience in their

field. Hands-on training in the new lab and excavation site, as well as our field schools and

internships. Career Opportunities Forensic anthropologists work in laboratories, at crime scenes, in offices, and in morgues. They may work for federal, state, and local governments; international organizations; public and private laboratories; medical examiner’s offices; hospitals; universities; police departments; or as independent forensic science consultants. Students earning a B.S. in Anthropology (Forensics Concentration) would be eligible for jobs within criminal justice that sought baccalaureate degrees in forensic science or natural science, such as: Criminalist Forensic Crime Scene Specialist Police Evidence Specialist Crime Scene Investigator Crime Scene Technician Students would also be eligible for jobs outside the criminal justice field, such as: Working at Museums of Natural History Culture Resource Management (surveying, documenting, and/or excavating sites) Working at state historical societies Many forensic anthropology students go on to earn a Masters or Ph.D. in physical anthropology. Students who obtain their Masters-level degrees would have additional job opportunities, such as: Working in Coroner or Chief Medical Examiner’s Office Adjunct faculty at a college or university Board-certified forensic anthropologists have earned a Ph.D. in physical anthropology with an emphasis in skeletal biology. Most are university professors who consult for coroners, medical examiners, and possibly human rights organizations.

For more information: www.washburn.edu/anso

sociology-anthropology@washburn.edu 785.670.1608

or Dr. Mary Sundal, Associate Professor of Anthropology

mary.sundal@washburn.edu

Bachelor of Science in Anthropology (Forensics Concentration) - Continued

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STUDY ABROAD - ICELAND

Dr. John Paul took a group of ten students to Iceland for a ten-day summer study abroad

program. The students spent most of their days at the University of Iceland, in the capital city

of Reykjavik, with university faculty and community activists learning about the political

economy, the criminal justice system, and human and civil rights in Iceland.

Guesthouse Aurora

Icelandic Parliament

Additionally, students also met with

various members of national and local

government, including parliamentary

members, city officials and various

musicians, artists, and other cultural

ambassadors.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

Mýrdalsjökull Glacier

Away from the classroom, students

visited geysers, viewed magnificent

waterfalls and volcanoes and hiked a

glacier .

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STUDY ABROAD - ICELAND (CONTINUED)

Other offbeat actives included whale watching, horseback riding, and swimming in

geothermal pools. Finally, Reykjavik is also renowned as one of Europe’s most lively cities

where the students (and their professor) enjoyed the friendly pub and entertainment scene

along with its 24-hour summer sunlight.

Downtown Reykjavik at noon (left) and at 3:00am (right)

WELCOME NEW FACULTY

The Sociology/Anthropology Department welcomes

sociologist Mr. Chris Conner. Mr. Conner is

wrapping up his doctoral degree from the University

of Nevada, Las Vegas. He will soon be defending his

dissertation in order to complete his Ph.D.

requirements. Mr. Conner’s research focuses on

deviance, subcultures, popular culture, GLBT studies,

and social theory. His teaching includes criminology,

penology, deviance, and juvenile delinquency. Be

sure to welcome Mr. Conner to the department and

to wish him the best of luck in defending his

dissertation.

Mr. Chris Conner, Sociology

UPCOMING SOCIOLOGY/

ANTHROPOLOGY CLUB EVENTS

Voter Registration Drive: October 1, 7, and 8 from 11:00am-1:00pm Memorial Union (close to the Corner Store) WTE (Iceland Study Abroad) Presentations: October but date/time/location is still to be determined. October’s Fun/Social Event: The Renaissance Festival - either October 10th or 11th (actual date TBD). If interested, go to http://doodle.com/poll/8shf8vvatrkqp7sc to let the club know which date works best for you and whether you can drive for the carpool or will need a ride. Sustainability at Washburn University: Early to mid-November but exact date/time/location is still to be determined. November’s Fun/Social Event: Exact event/date/time/location is still to be determined. Grad School Panel: Late November but exact date/time/location is still to be determined.

SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY CLUB

The Sociology/Anthropology Club had its first meeting for the 2015-2016 academic year on September 2, 2015 under the guidance of the club’s new faculty advisor, Dr. John Paul. Troy Russell and Tammy Schlingmann were elected as this year’s Co-Presidents. Other officers elected were: Secretary Ashlynn Sutton, Treasurer Natalie Becker, and Event Coordinator Patricia Carrillo. The club has adopted the theme “Social Injustice/Social Inequality” for this year and has already held events based around the theme. The club kicked off the events with a showing of the movie Pride on August 26th. On September 30th, the club showed a documentary film, Street Fight. Both events were free, open to all Washburn University students, and were followed by discussions. The club, in collaboration with a couple other student organizations, kicked off a Voter Registration Drive on September 22nd, National Voter Registration Day. The goal is to register 1,000 new voters and will continue on campus through October 8th. Have you ordered your Sociology/Anthropology T-shirt yet? It is not too late! The club is wrapping up its first fundraiser for the year, a T-shirt sale. Below is a picture of the front and back of the T-shirts. The shirts are unisex and

are ash gray. They are 100% preshrunk cotton, double-needle stitching throughout with a seamless collar. The sizes available are small thru 5XL. Prices, including tax, are $20 for non-members and $17 for members of the Sociology/Anthropology Club. (To become a member of the club, membership dues are $5.00 per semester and can be paid in the SO/AN Department office, HC218.) Orders will be taken in the SO/AN Department through October 2nd. Orders must be paid at the time of ordering. 6

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