2012 Anthropological Anatomy Research Winners!

At last year's AAPA meeting in conjunction with the anatomy career workshop sponsored by the American Association of Anatomists and hosted by me and my colleague Alison Doubleday, a student prize competition was held to recognize student poster and podium presentations that best implemented anatomical methodologies in innovative anthropological research. Seventeen graduate students from programs across the United States applied for the “American Association of Anatomists Anthropological Anatomy Award”. Presentations were judged on novelty of research question and design, use of anatomical methodologies, and presentation style. Two $500 prizes were awarded, one for best podium presentation and one for best poster presentation. Two $250 prizes were awarded, one for honorary podium presentation and one for honorary poster presentation.  Each award winner also received the most current issue of The Anatomical Record.  Over 100 individuals attended the student awards ceremony, during which these award winners were announced.

Awardees include:

• -  Best podium presentation: Gabrielle Russo (University of Texas at Austin) for her presentation, Internal bone structure of the last sacral vertebral body and its relationship to tail length
• -  Best poster presentation: Adam Foster (University of Arizona) for his presentation, Ontogenetic development of postcranial adaptations to bipedalism in the rat
• -  Honorable Mention podium presentation: Neil Roach (Harvard University) for his presentation, Derived anatomy of the shoulder and wrist enable throwing ability in Homo
• -  Honorable Mention poster presentation: Justin Gladman (City University of New York) for his presentation, Detailed measurements of primate calcanei from 3D models allow for reliable body mass estimation

We had very generous one-off funding last year via a grant from AAA and no plans to be able to offer the award for a second year. However, AAPA is collaborating with AAA so that we can offer a single award this year!