Multicultural societies will be examined with respect to cultural histories as well as modern problems. Special attention will be given to the cultural complexity of the continental United States.

This course focuses on chronic deficiencies of certain key ingredients in the diet, their causal factors, the impacts these deficiencies have, and solutions to these problems in the contemporary world. The course explores the consequences of world hunger with particular attention to food and nutritional security as it influences health status, ability to work, education outcomes, economic security, and social connectedness.

Modern approaches to descriptive, exploratory, and formative anthropological research, with foundational concepts underlying research design as well as core methodologies. Students develop a domestic research project to collect primary data and gain experience in ethnographic methods, including participant observation, mapping, interviewing, survey design, data management and analysis (indexing, coding, transcribing, and related methods).

Experience conducting actual research in human evolutionary biology. Students collect data on living humans, perform laboratory analyses, statistical analyses, and manuscript preparation and presentation. Students gain experience with scientific methodology, hypothesis generation and study design, human subjects committees, biosafety and bioethics, biological sample collection, biomarker assays, survey design, and statistical analyses.

Students learn how granting at the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health works, identify research and publication biases, recognize ethical issues in research, distinguish good science from bad attempts at it, identify potential granting opportunities, develop general writing and oral presentation skills, and develop peer reviewing skills.

This course examines human biological variation, with a focus on human genetic and phenotypic diversity, adaptation, and health disparities in contemporary global populations. The overall framework for understanding human variation is evolutionary and biocultural. It draws from various scientific disciplines, including anthropology, evolutionary biology, genetics, physiology, nutrition, psychology, and global health.

This course covers advanced topics in human genetic and genomic research. We focus on the application of genetic principles to human populations with an emphasis on population history, human evolution, and genes underlying human health and disease. Students are introduced to population genetic statistics, human genomics from an evolutionary standpoint, and standard forms of genome-wide data analysis.

An advanced examination of major evolutionary approaches to the study of human behavior, including human reproduction, parenting, cooperation, and warfare.

The primary goals of this course are fourfold: 1) To introduce the student to concepts and principles regarding relationships between climate and human activities; 2) To identify and critically assess the impacts on humans of climate-related events and vice versa, of humans on climate; 3) To explore the consequences of climate change via a wide range of case studies over time and space; 4) To examine the future in terms of climate change projections, the law of evolutionary potential, and factors that influence human responses to climate change.

Students are taught key concepts in Medical Anthropology to examine how health and wellbeing are socially and culturally constituted in contexts of cultural diversity. We bring key insights from anthropological cross-cultural comparisons to public health and medical practice.

Study of social theory that informs historical transformations in the ethics of global public health, including the history of research and practice in international and population health. Topics include equality and equity, access and competition, homogeneity and diversity, legitimacy and power, responsiveness and exploitation, and moral reasoning and justice, among others.

Principles of modern medical practice and evolutionary biology are used to understand family relationships and how/why they affect child development and health in global context. We begin with a brief overview of major issues in global child health practice. We then examine these issues from the perspective of developmental biology, psychology, and evolutionary medicine.

Critique of existing domestic and international policy goals that include efforts to improve global health. Special attention (via analyses of case-studies) is given to the ethical and legal principles pertaining to global health policies.

One Health represents the concept that the health of humans, wildlife, domestic animals, and ecosystems are all codependent upon one another. The general framework is based on the concept of consilience, or the convergence of evidence, in this case the collaborative efforts of physicians, public health professionals, veterinarians, social scientists, and others. This transdisciplinary science, sometimes referred to as “ecosystem health” (or EcoHealth), implies an inclusive study of the broad determinants and indicators of health across species and biomes, which is particularly relevant in the current Anthropocene epoch in which humans are modifying the global environment in complex and accelerated ways. The application of this approach to the explicit management/maintenance of protected species and habitats, particularly in the face of global environmental change, and with an understanding of the role of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem health, has been referred to as “conservation medicine.” Whatever term people choose to use, it is clear that connections among all species are complex, and understanding the health outcomes of these connections will continue to be hindered by a traditional, compartmentalized approach to health-related research and practices. Understanding infectious disease exchange at the interface of human, wildlife, and livestock populations, and the varying ecological and cultural contexts in which this takes place, represents a major challenge requiring committed collaborations that also transcend international borders. To this end, students will be trained on the fundamental topics and methods within One Health, ultimately to understand the complexities involved in global disease prevention and control.

Advanced work in Anthropology on variable topics. Subject and hours of credit agreed upon by student and instructor prior to registration. May be taken more than once provided the content differs substantially from that of any prior offering of the course that the student has taken.

Supervised research for doctoral students developing a dissertation proposal and studying for the preliminary examination required for advancement to candidacy. A student may repeat this course for credit with a maximum of twelve total hours.

Provides graduate students opportunity for internship work experience in research positions with consent of advisory committee.

Research, data analysis, writing, and defense of an approved doctoral dissertation project. Student must have been admitted to candidacy before registering for dissertation hours.