Order your 2012 ASP calendar now!

ASP is pleased to announce that the 2012 Primate Portraits calendars are ready for sale for $15 each. All proceeds from the sale go to the ASP Legacy fund, which supports new initiatives of the society to strengthen primatology and the ASP.

Order online using our secure website or print off an order form and mail it in. If you use the order form, please email or fax it to our treasurer, Kim Phillips, whose contact info is on the form; or if you are paying by check, mail the form and check to her. Calendars will be shipped to you via the USPS.

The calendar has 13 beautiful photos of nonhuman primates (one per month, plus the cover), in 8.5 x 11 size, perfect for hanging on the wall. Eleven of the 13 photos were taken by members of ASP; the other two were donated by friends of ASP. You won’t find a more beautiful calendar with primates anywhere. Take a look at the proof copy at the link above. These make lovely gifts for those naturalists on your gift list. One should grace the office of every primatologist!

Order yours today!

Biological Anthropology sessions at AAA

There are some wonderful biological & evolutionary anthropology sessions on the schedule of the upcoming AAA meetings. It's not too late to join us in Montreal!

Thursday, November 17, 2011:


· 08:00-09:45: ATTACHMENTS, ALLIANCES, AND REPUTATIONS: TRACING COOPERATION THROUGH TIME, SPACE, AND THE LIFESPAN. Organizers: Adam H Boyette (Washington State University, Vancouver) and Shane J Macfarlan (Oregon State University)

· 08:00-11:45: BODY PARTS AND PARTS OF BODIES: THE TRACES OF VIOLENCE IN CULTURES IN CONFLICT. Organizers: Ryan P Harrod (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and Debra L Martin (UNLV)

· 10:15-12:00: CALCULATING LEGACIES: INFORMED BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE 21ST CENTURY. Organizers: Robin G Nelson (University of California, Riverside)

· 10:15-12:00: SCIENCE IN ANTHROPOLOGY: AN OPEN DISCUSSION Organizer: Peter Peregrine (Lawrence University)

· 13:45-17:30: RE-ENVISIONING CULTURE: CHALLENGING LEGACIES AND SHIFTING TIDEMARKS IN THE STUDY OF HUMAN DIVERSITY. Organizers: Amber Wutich (Arizona State University) and Daniel Hruschka (Arizona State University)


Friday, November 18, 2011:

· 08:00-11:45: THE SCARS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION. Organizers: Karen Rosenberg (University of Delaware) and Rachel Caspari (Central Michigan University)
· 16:00-17:45: NEW DIRECTIONS IN BIOARCHAEOLOGY

· 18:15-19:30: BAS BUSINESS MEETING

· 19:30-21:30: BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY SECTION DISTINGUISHED LECTURE; RECEPTION FOLLOWS


Saturday, November 19, 2011:

· 08:00-11:45: TRANSFORMING BIOCULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN ANTHROPOLOGY: THE LEGACIES OF R BROOKE THOMAS. Organizers: Thomas L Leatherman (University of Massachusetts) and Lisa B Markowitz (University of Louisville)

· 10:15-12:00: DOWN TO EARTH: EXHUMATIONS IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD: Organizers: Francisco Ferrandiz (SPANISH NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL) and Victoria D Sanford (Lehman College/CUNY)

· 16:00-17:45: NEW DIRECTIONS IN EVOLUTION, VARIATION AND GENETICS

· 16:00-17:45: TRACING CHILDHOOD: BIOARCHAEOLOGICALINVESTIGATIONS OF EARLY LIVES IN ANTIQUITY. Organizers: John J Crandall (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

· 18:15-20:15: Section Summit on the Changing Job Market and Student Training: Linking Anthropology Departments and Practice. Organizers: Keri Vacanti Brondo, Wendy Bartlo, and Mary Odell Butler


Sunday, November 20, 2011:

· 08:00-11:45:  TRACES OF VIOLENCE AND LEGACIES OF CONFLICT: COMBINING MATERIAL EVIDENCE AND NARRATIVE EXCHANGE FOR AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS. Organizers: Rahul C Oka (University of Notre Dame) and Nerina Weiss (Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims).

AAA prizes for bioanthropology students!

Are you (or do you have) an undergraduate or graduate student in biological anthropology who will be presenting at the AAA meeting in Montreal? You are eligible to compete for the Biological Anthro Section (BAS) Student Prize! Please submit the your name, paper title, and session title to Dr. Katherine MacKinnon by November 15 (note: you may nominate your students yourself).

Student participation in the AAA is so important to maintain and grow the presence (and influence!) of biological anthropologists within the larger discipline of anthropology, so please enter and be recognized for your outstanding work!

Primate Anatomy Research Technician Wanted!

The Department of Anatomy at Midwestern University (Downers Grove Campus, 20 miles west of downtown Chicago) seeks a full-time technician to assist in state-of-the-art primate morphology research. This is a particularly good opportunity for recent bachelor's/master's graduate in biological anthropology, anatomy, or zoology who wishes to gain further experience and training before continuing his/her education. Contact Dr. Michelle Singleton or Dr. David Green for more information.

Study Hyena Behavior in Kenya!

Dr. Kay Holekamp of Michigan State University announces a wonderful field school opportunity studying the behavior of Kenyan hyenas! Even for students with a primary interest in primates, hyenas are fascinating animals and the field school draws on similar behavioral observation techniques as does primate research. Dr. Holekamp is looking for undergraduates between their junior and senior year. Please print out the flyer and announce to your students! (Application info can be found on the flyer.)

There are 2 projects that will be available for participation during summer, 2012:


1. Spotted hyenas and ecosystem health. The spotted hyena is the most abundant and wide-ranging large carnivore in Africa. In addition to their plasticity in regard to habitat choice, hyenas are extremely adaptable carnivores that can survive by scavenging or hunting large and medium-sized herbivores. Where many other mammalian species occupying African ecosystems cannot readily adapt to changing environmental conditions, the spotted hyena is able to thrive. Using the spotted hyena as an indicator for changing African ecosystems, we may be able to predict changes and modify conservation practices before it is too late.
*** Work this summer will involve running transects to document space use patterns of sympatric mammal, monitoring of hyena space-use via radio telemetry, and daily monitoring of hyena behavior and demography.


2. Maternal strategies and offspring development. The spotted hyena displays a protracted period of development characterized by extensive maternal care and marked by distinct developmental milestones. This project explores first, how maternal behavior and physiology vary with social rank and degree of human disturbance and second, what the consequences of anthropogenic disturbance may be for the development of spotted hyena cubs. Previous research indicates that adult females in areas of high disturbance show higher stress levels and lower attendance at communal dens where cubs are reared.
*** Work this summer will include collection of focal and all-occurrence behavioral data, organization and analysis of demographic and hormonal data, and development of field experiments to measure temperament/personality.

Travel costs (airline tickets, room, board, Kenyan visa, etc.) will be covered by NSF funds, and students will also receive a stipend of $2500.

Postdoctoral Scholar at University of Georgia

Applications are invited for a 1-year postdoctoral scholar position at the University of Georgia to undertake research at the intersections of Science, Technology and Society (STS), participatory community research and strategic communication. The work will be relevant to the NSF-funded Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research (CWT LTER) project. Renewal for a second year may be possible contingent on satisfactory performance. Coweeta LTER researchers have initiated the Coweeta Listening Project (CLP) to address the long-standing difficulties of ecological scientific knowledge production being carried out in undemocratic ways in the hopes of accelerating the evolution from Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) to Long-Term Socioecological Research (LTSER). In order to contribute to this project, candidates should be qualified to carry out research related to the public understanding of science and linkages between scientific expertise and public participation in scientific knowledge production.Candidates should be comfortable working within community-based participatory methodologies. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in an appropriate field, including science and technology studies, geography, anthropology, sociology, political science, or other related fields.

Interested candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter with a statement of research interests, a writing sample or representative publication, and three references electronically to Dr.Nik Heynen (cwtlistn@uga.edu), Director, Coweeta Listening Project (CLP), University of Georgia, Department of Geography, GG Building, 210 Field St., Room 204, Athens, GA 30602  by November 15th , 2011 or full consideration.

Anthropological Genomics Workshop

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT: APPLICATION OF GENOMICS TO ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH

The Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas - January 9th - January 10th, 2012
(Registration Deadline- November 30th, 2011)

Organized in conjunction with the American Association of Anthropological Genetics (AAAG) Education Committee in collaboration with the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, the Application of Genomics to Anthropological Research (AGAR) Workshop aims to provide students and scholars interested in evolutionary anthropology with a thorough introduction into the theory and application of state-of-the-art genomic research. The workshop will be led by experts from across the field of human genomics, who will instruct and interact with participants in both semi-formal and casual settings. Specifically, the workshop will comprise (1) keynote lectures from leaders in anthropological genomics, (2) formal presentations describing general as well as anthropology-specific applications of genomic tools, (3) Q&A sessions that address the practical issues of genomic research, (4) informal chalk-talk sessions in which the participants can discuss their own projects, and (5) social events to foster contacts and future collaborations. The goal of this event is to provide anthropologists previously unfamiliar with the field of genomics sufficient knowledge to apply (and at a minimum to understand the application of) genomic tools to their future research.

Registration is open to all interested parties, though it will be limited to 40 participants. Registration fees are $200 for students and $500 for postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and other professionals. Fees will cover lunches, dinner, and a mixer. Fees do not include travel to and from San Antonio or accommodation, though reservation blocks will be held at local hotels. The deadline for registration is November 30th, 2011. To register please go to http://www.anthgen.org/AGAR_registration.html. A limited number of student awards are available to cover the registration fee.
For more information, please contact Omer Gokcumen (gokcumen@gmail.com) to subscribe to the workshop email list. Updated information on the program and speakers is posted at here.

Assistant Professorship at Northeastern Illinois University

Northeastern Illinois University Department of Anthropology invites applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor in Biological Anthropology.  We seek a biological anthropologist with expertise in any area of modern human biological variation or paleoanthropology, except bioarchaeology. The successful candidate will be expected to teach existing relevant biological anthropology courses as well as develop advanced courses in his or her area(s) of expertise. The individual will also participate in NEIU’s interdisciplinary programs as appropriate. We are especially interested in a colleague who will enthusiastically contribute to our active department and who has a demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence, providing fieldwork and collaborative research opportunities for students, and educating a diverse student body. An active research agenda is expected.  Appointment, pending budgetary approval, is to begin August 2012.  An earned doctorate at the time of appointment is required.

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a comprehensive state university serving approximately 12,000 commuter students located on a 67-acre campus on the northwest side of Chicago. Along with quality academic programming consistent with the University’s mission of excellence and access, the University is known for global education opportunities for students and a strong track record in external grant funding. Northeastern is nationally recognized as having the most ethnically diverse student body in the Midwest. NEIU is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and we value diversity and encourage applications from women and underrepresented minority group members. 

Electronic applications are preferred.  Please send application materials listed below to Lesa Davis, Ph.D., lcdavis@neiu.edu  (Search Committee Chair, Department of Anthropology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625-4699):  letter of application, curriculum vitae with email address and names of three references, statement of teaching philosophy and research plan, sample syllabi you have developed, and samples of publications or other examples of scholarly writing.  Application materials received by November 1, 2011 will receive fullest consideration. Review of applications will continue until position is filled.

Dr. Claudia Valeggia receives prestigious PECASE award!

Congratulations to biological anthropologist Dr. Claudia Valeggia, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, who was just honored with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. You can read about Dr. Valeggia's work as a PhD student at UC Davis here.

The award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Awardees are selected for their pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education or community outreach. Dr. Valeggia will receive her award from President Obama on October 14.

This is an enormous honor for Dr. Valeggia, but I also see it as hugely encouraging to our discipline as a whole. Especially in the wake of John Hawk's "call to arms" for anthropologists to work toward a more significant and visible impact in the scholarly and public spheres, Dr. Valeggia's success on the national stage indicates how vital anthropology is and how successfully it can compete and cooporate in the marketplace of ideas. Dr. Valeggia is not the first biological anthropologist to be granted this prestigious award; in 2002, Dr. Thom McDade of Northwestern University was a PECASE recipient as well. (Note: this is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Contact me if you can add some names.)

As anthropologists, we have a track record of producing and being recognized for paradigm-shifting work. It's easy to lose track of that in the quagmire of a bleak job market and internal debates about identity and future, but let's remember - and remind our students! - of the important and unique role our discipline should play in discussions of  "our origins, history, and diversity" (Yes, John Hawks, I hear you!).

Assistant Professorship in Primate Ecology, Northern Illinois U

Northern Illinois University Department of Anthropology anticipates hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in primate ecology starting August, 2012. Candidates in all areas of primate ecology are encouraged to apply. However, special consideration will be given to those candidates whose active research can be applied to primate conservation. Candidates will have the opportunity to work with the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy and Environmental Studies program and the Center for NGO Leadership and Development Program. The candidate is expected to be engaged in active field work, to maintain a strong externally funded research program, and to supervise undergraduate and graduate student research in the field. The successful candidate will be responsible for supervising graduate students, and teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses including introductory courses in physical anthropology and primatology, as well as upper level courses in their area of expertise. Teaching responsibilities normally include four courses per academic year. The Anthropology Department is a four field department, with an MA graduate degree program. The successful candidate must complete the requirements for a PhD in physical anthropology by August, 2012. Candidates should submit a letter describing their scholarship, record of external funding, plans for future research, and teaching qualifications and interests, plus a full vita and the names and addresses of three references to: Dr. Kendall Thu, Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, 60178; Phone: 815-753-0246. Initial review will begin December 1, 2011 and will continue until the position is filled. Pre-employment criminal background investigation required. NIU is an AA/AEEO institution.