Anthropology

Valene. L Smith stands in front of the Museum bearing her name.

Fond Farewell: Anthropology Professor Emerita and Museum Benefactor Valene L. Smith

Valene L. Smith was a world traveler, internationally renowned tourism expert, beloved professor, and esteemed benefactor and champion for the campus anthropology museum that today bears her name.

Colleen Milligan and other members of the Human ID lab stand grimly planning in the lab as they prepare to go out and search for human remains during the Camp Fire.

2023–24 California State Budget Includes Funding for New Human Identification Laboratory at Chico State

The 2023–24 state budget calls for a $3 million allocation to secure bonds that will fund a new facility.

Cecilia Lore sits on a desk with her hands on her left knee, while sitting in a college classroom

Age and Obstacles Don’t Deter Anthropology Major from Pursuing Her Degree

After overcoming obstacles throughout her life, anthropology major Cecelia Lore is utilizing the CSU's fee waiver to pursue her degree.

Three searchers crouch through the warped frame of a mobile home.

Alumni of Human Identification Lab Attest to Its Influence

Alumni of the Human Identification Laboratory have added their voices to the refrain asking legislators to ensure a line item for a new facility makes its way to the final budget.

Wildcats Do and Dare

What might the world look like if, rather than wondering about some distant future, we took daily action toward the tomorrow of our dreams? Meet Wildcats who are doing exactly that.

Kendall Hall is framed by trees as a student walks up its entry path.

Fulbright Program Names Chico State to Prestigious List of National Higher-Education HSI Leaders

Chico State has been named a Fulbright HSI Leader in the designation’s inaugural year, and is one of just 35 higher education institutions nationwide to receive the honor.

Kendall Hall is framed in the light of a sunset.

CSU, Chico Recognizes 2020–21 Outstanding Faculty

These awards—among the highest at CSU, Chico—celebrate the excellence of eight phenomenal faculty.

Jesse Dizard stands on an open ridge in the foothills in front of a wooden pole with clothes and hats hanging from it.

Anthropology Professor Selected for Prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award

Jesse Dizard is interested in how natural resource management—or lack thereof—impacts individuals, subcultures and bureaucracies. In Jordan, he'll be studying impacts of its water scarcity crisis.

Daisy Linsangan holds pieces of skull models in her hands in the anthropology lab.

Anthropology Major Casts Spotlight on Cultural Differences

Daisy Linsangan's passion for studying cultural differences has led her to forensic anthropology with a focus on social justice. By uncovering inequities, she hopes to be a voice for change.

Brian Brazeal wears a helmet with a headlamp in a dark mine shaft.

Anthropology Professor Chosen for Prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award

Anthropology professor Brian Brazeal is Chico State's own Indiana Jones— and was recently awarded a Fulbright award.

portrait of Ginger Farrer in her campus office.

Fond Farewell: Anthropology Professor Emerita Ginger Farrer

Ginger Farrer was internationally renowned in the study of celestial phenomena and its relation to cultural rituals, and shared her enthusiasm with anthropology with thousands of students.

Pengcheng sits on the floor of a classroom surrounded by small children in uniform.

Study Abroad Experience Ignites Self-Discovery

English education major Pengcheng Xiong returned to his parents' homeland and experienced a true connection with his Hmong identity.

An early-winter sunset cloaks the campus in an aerial shot.

Worth Sharing: Speech and Debate Team Shines

A listing of professional achievements by Chico State faculty, staff, and students.

President Gayle Hutchinson laughs with graduate students Valerie Sgheiza and Mallory Peters as they stand on a dock on the Sacramento River.

An interdisciplinary team of Chico State faculty and graduate students conduct research on the Sacramento River to establish predictable patterns in drowning cases and create an app to aid law enforcement in decreasing recovery time.

Photo of "Pacific Crest Trail north to Canada" sign tacked onto a tree.

Trail Angels Bring Magic to Pacific Crest Trail

Each summer, anthropology professor P. Willey hosts the blissful "PCT toast," where dedicated Pacific Crest Trail hikers stop at Humboldt Summit to cheers summer sundries while swapping trail stories.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Monica So looks at a display of faculty publications during Inspired '17, the University's inaugural celebration of publication achievements of faculty, staff, and personnel.

Chico State’s Teacher-Scholar Rock Stars Receive Professional Achievement Honors

Meet six exceptional CSU, Chico professors who were recently honored for excelling as teachers and as scholars during the past three years.

Recognizing Faculty Excellence

This year, six Chico State faculty members were awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award.

Bones Abroad

Forensic anthropology graduate students spent their summers abroad digging for research opportunities: Sarah Hall excavated human remains in a 19th-century cemetary in Bogota, Columbia, while Valerie Sgheiza traveled to the beaches of Antigua in the West Indies to examine the remains of 17th-century British soldiers.

Traditional garments worn by Hmong women on display at the Valene L. Smith Anthropology Museum at CSU, Chico.

History, Hardship, Culture: ‘Hmong Reflections’

The student-developed exhibit showcasing Hmong history and culture is now open at the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology.

#WhyITeach, Chico State Style

Fifty-one new faculty members joined the Chico State family in August. Each were asked to describe their motivation to teach. Here’s a sampling of what they said.

student works with the state-of-the-art Red camera

Capturing Student Potential

A new program turns donor dollars into real-world opportunities for students. The University’s Advanced Laboratory for Visual Anthropology (ALVA) was one of 19 programs to receive more than $250,000 in support.

Emmy Award-Winning Alum Talks Filmmaking, Bending Rules

By Zachary Phillips, Editorial Assistant—Public Affairs and Publications Photo courtesy: Dan Bruns Matt Ritenour started working with California State University, Chico’s Advanced Laboratory for Visual Anthropology (ALVA) as a student in 2012. Since graduating in 2013, he has continued working with the lab, filming and editing documentaries that cover a wide array of topics. His most […]

I <3 Chico, Even If It's Not My Hometown

By Maija Glasier-Lawson, Anthropology Graduate Student “My name is Maija Glasier-Lawson, and I am an anthropology graduate student at CSU, Chico.” I have written or spoken a variation of that sentence literally hundreds of times during my time here at Chico. At first I did so out of a need to identify myself, now I […]

Writing with Light

Santy Gray, Senior, Anthropology Anthropology, the study of people and their impact on earth, is by nature a fascinating subject. Every human being is connected by the simple fact that we are human. To understand the ways that we are all connected is to tell a story. The experiences we have and our reactions to […]