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Research

Anthropology majors have engaged in a myriad or research projects on campus and around the world. Students begin learning research skills in their core courses, then hone their skills in upper division courses which prepare you for independent research projects, field schools, and working with faculty researchers.

Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program

Miami's Office of Research for Undergraduates facilitates the Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program (USS). This competitive program funds student research oer the summer term in any area of study anywhere in the world with grants of up to $3,200. Anthropology students routinely receive this prestigious award. 

Past USS Recipients

2023 Recipients

  • Billy Browning and Noah Scruggs recieved funding to conduct research with Dr. Kelsey Ellis at her field site in Tiputini Ecuador. Billy will be studying medicinal plant use in both humans and non-human primates, while Noah will be focusing on the roles individuals play during intergroup encounters in wild woolly monkeys.
  • Kathryn Sullivan recieved funding to conduct ethnographic research with tabletop role playing groups to examine identity performance within these complex, collaborative storytelling experiences. Her project is supervised by Dr. James Bielo.

2022 Recipients

    • Nico Jaworski recieved funding to study vocal communication and group decision making in lowland woolly monkeys with Dr. Ellis in Ecuador. 

2021 Recipients

  • Abbie Martin: "Environmental Justice at Enright Ridge Urban Eco-Villiage"
  • Erin Lindberg: "Ghost Tourism in Mansfield: An Ethnography of Communication"

2019 Recipients

  • Claire Vaughn: "Latinx Protestants and Catholics in Hamilton, OH: Performing Ethno-religious Identities"
  • Faith Walker: "Tell Me a Story: Engaging Communities Through Narrative Archaeological Interpretation"

2018 Recipients

  • Aritea King: "Advancing Scientific LIteracy In an Age of Mistrust: An Ethnography of Publicly Engaged Scientists"
  • Dante Rossi: "Coming Out: A Prideful Ethnography of Homosexuality in the Baltic States"
  • Salem Arvin: "Archaeobotany at Tel Akko"
  • Samantha Foppe: "Zooarchaeology at the Tel Akko Archaeological Field School"
  • Emily Ratvasky: "Methods of Illustration and Documentation for Ceramic Artifacts"
  • Elizabeth Toney: "American Fans of Japanese Rock"

2017 Recipients

  • Madeline Shultz: "Performing 'Aegyo': Language, Gender, and Power Among Young Adults in Korea"
  • Danielle Heil: "Narratives and Performance of Wellness in a Drum and Bugle Corps"
  • Megan Ashbrook: "Archaeological Ceramic Analysis at Tel Akko, Israel"
  • Sarah Kammer: "Archaeological Excavation and Conservation at Tel Akko, Israel"
  • Rachel Brand: "Alaskan Cultural Heritage Knowledge and Protection"

2016 Recipients

  • Rachel Poyfair: "The Aesthetics of Ideology"
  • Lauren Elyousef Salem: "Emerging from the Ashes of Civil War: Syrian Refugees in Jordan"
  • Caitlin McElligott: "Teaching Diverse Classrooms"

2015 Recipients

  • Daniel McClurkin: "Belfast Baha'i: An Ethnography of Religious Conversion and Conflict"
  • Sarah Loomis: "Survey of Online Exhibition of 3D Models in Anthropology and Archaeology"
  • Jordan Martin: "Individual Differences in the Affiliative, Play, and Activity Behaviors of Captive Bonobos"

2014 Recipients

  • Seth Boda: " Investigating the Influence of Buddhism to Sustain Cultural Values and Traditions in Preschool Children in Memuro, Japan"
  • Diarra Diop: "Youth Culture, Poverty, and Opportunity in Contemporary Uganda"
  • Victoria DellaDonna: "Emerging Adults Usage and Perception of the Emergency Room at McCullough Hyde Hospital"
  • Mary Kate Findley: "Hair Plucking and Grooming Behavior in Captive Bonobos"

2013 Recipients

  • Emily Crane: "Studying the Impact of 'Rosemila Project,' a Development Organization in Haiti"
  • Molly Greger: "Gaelic Language Revitilization Through Music"

National Conference Participation

The Department of Anthropology at Miami is proud to be one of the few undergraduate anthropology programs that routinely send their students to present at national conferences. Pictured here are students presenting at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists and the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Undergraduate Research Forum

The Undergraduate Research Forum is an opportunity for students to share their research with their peers and faculty across the university. Anthropology students regularly present their research on a wide range of topics. Here, Kayleigh Reimueller ('23) presents her study into the video game Super Smash Bros at the 2023 Undergraduate Research Forum. 

For more information regarding the event, visit the URF website.