Duke graduating senior Jennifer Sherman delivered the following talk at Duke's 2014 commencement ceremony May 11 in Wallace Wade Stadium: "I'm going to trust you with the truth today. I'm afraid. There's the small fear I feel standing up in front of you. And then there's the fear of leaving, of not knowing what this next chapter is going to look like. In case anyone else was a little afraid, I just wanted you to know you're not alone." Read more read more about Cultural Anthropology Major Jennifer Sherman Gives Commencement Address »
In the course of our conversation about institutional and technological obstacles to digital multimedia and multilingual publishing, I mentioned that a Duke Department of Cultural Anthropology doctoral student, Dwayne Dixon, had just defended a dissertation primarily using the Scalar platform. Diana (Taylor, University Professor of Performance Studies and Spanish and Director, Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, at New York University) asked to be in touch with him. Read more read more about Writing and Defending Your Digital Dissertation: Join the Conversation! »
Five Duke faculty members - including Cultural Anthropoloy's Rebecca Stein - have been appointed to endowed chairs as part of the Bass Program for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, which recognizes professors who have achieved distinction both in undergraduate teaching and scholarly research. Read more on Duke Today. read more about Rebecca Stein Named to Endowed Chair »
Duke Today reported that the Cultural Anthropology department received an award for "Inclusive Excellence" meant to honor departments that "create an inclusive environment that engages all of its diversity in the intellectual development of students and faculty." The award goes beyond rewarding demographics, but will judge departments on "climate, curriculum, intellectual discourse and recruitment, retention and graduation of individuals underrepresented in the discipline, field or area." Read more read more about Nine Individuals, Two Departments Receive Graduate Dean’s Awards »
Two beautiful and provocative quilts by Duke anthropologist Marcia Rego are now hanging in the department office. Come by and see them, and put your comments in the comment notebook! For more information about the project, visit http://sites.duke.edu/towardsalegibleanthropology/making-of/ read more about Word Quilts on Exhibit in Cultural Anthropology Department »
Starn spoke with the Los Angeles Times for an article about Michael Sam, the University of Missouri football player who will likely this fall become the first openly gay player in the National Football League. read more about Professor Orin Starn on Gay Rights and the NFL »