Spring 2024 InnoAnth Members

Professor of Anthropology

Interests: Linguistics\ Phonetics,- C-V Coarticulation, Socio-Cultural Studies, Peoples & Cultures of Africa

Lab Project: PhD Dissertation

Medical Anthropology, Public Health, Women's Health, Women's Reproductive Health and Infant Health, Menstruation, Health Policy

I intend to study Women's reproductive health in my dissertation. Having lived in multiple countries, my research interest arose from my personal experience and interest. The socio-cultural aspects I have seen in my country, where women's lives are considered private, and women's health is always less prioritized than men's health, as well as having recently experienced severe postpartum depression without any treatment or support from health care providers, piqued my future interest in advancing my research career in a women's reproductive health.

I think I will learn the anthropology research methods by using the lab. In a co-working space, the lab has many potentials to offer fellow students proper methods and ideas for doing actual research, which will help me a lot. Additionally, there is a lot of equipment available in the lab, which will help me to create my class projects like podcasts or Zine. Also, as a lab staff, I will be helping other students by mentoring and guidance.

Lab Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology Project

Archeology and cultural anthropology
 

Lab Project: Relics, Ruins and Rascals Podcast

Anthropology, archaeology, community heritage, public archaeology, community archaeology, cultural heritage.

I am part of a foursome that does a podcast. The podcast focuses on archaeology from the perspective of four different individuals, all bringing their knowledge and expertise to the table, and discussing it in ways all people can understand. This podcast helps us reach a wider audience who may have the interest in archaeology but do not want to listen to something they cannot understand.

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Interests: Medical anthropology, applied anthropology, qualitative methods, social network analysis, vaccination, health equity, crisis and risk communication, health policy

Lab Project: TXST Anthropology Internship Program

Vulnerability, social support/social network, gender, disaster, law

As internship director, I'm envisioning building connections and relationships with community organizations and exploring partnerships with the Innovative Anthropology Lab. In the future, I'd also like to explore the possibility of a podcast to encourage applied experiences in our program.

Lab Project: Pop Culture Podcast

Human Rights; Social Justice

I will not only be working on a podcast with a friend but also possibly a research paper that I wish to present or use for future uses. The podcast that I will be working on will be a commentary/analysis of how pop culture has impacted society in manny ways. The research paper will be on sexual discrimination in the academic fields, from why it happens to how we can help change that for the better. 

Lab Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology Project

Medical Anthropology, Latinx Studies, Women's Disparities in Healthcare

I am taking the Community Research Project course. We will investigate the perceptions of applied graduate programs in our community and in academia. We hope our research helps our school better market our program to reach interested students. I hope to learn skills I can apply to my own future research and to practice some anthropological methods to see if it is something I am interested in.

Lab Project: Independent Research

Latinx Studies and Anthropology

I will be researching and learning this semester in the lab for mostly class projects and making podcasts as class assignments for my Latinx studies classes. All of my classes require completions of projects and half also require making a podcasts about readings for the week.

Lab Project: Independent Research

Feminism, Latinx Studies, medical anthropology

Lab Project: PhD Dissertation

Diversity and Inclusion, STS, Culture Training and Education, Medical Anthropology, Anthropological Engagement with Government and Military Institutions, Applied Practice, Higher Education

In recent decades, shifting demographic and social trends have led to increased conversation around the topic of diversity in the workplace.  Different fields all talk about this topic differently, however, and often cannot agree on the importance or reason behind building diverse spaces, let alone how best to manage diverse populations. This research seeks to explore the factors that impact individual's perceptions of diversity initiatives and working with perceived personal difference in team environments, and more specifically, to understand how individuals labeled as "diverse" experience and think about diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. 
 

Lab Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology Project

Biological/forensic anthropology, lab research, cultural anthropology

I am apart of the community research project course and will be using the facilities to conduct research for the course.

Project: MA Thesis

Latinx Studies, Historical Cultures, Indigenous Studies

My research has to do with Colonial era documents from the Spanish Colonization of what is now Mexico.

Lab Project: Pop Culture Podcast

Bioarchaeology, feminism, queer culture/history, forensic anthropology, fashion culture/history, and popular culture

This semester I am really wanted to put into motion a plan that Alex Cano and I have had for a podcast covering many facets of pop culture through an anthropological lens. It is an area of study that we are both really interested in, especially because we have both been apart of this culture our entre lives. I really want to dive into the rise of escapism in our society and what that looks like now versus in the past and why these changes have happened.

Research Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology Project

Archaeology, Linguistic Anthropology, CRT, GIS, LIDAR, Cultural Anthropology

I am currently taking a practicum course that will be doing research on student and faculty perceptions of applied anthropology.

Lab Project: PhD Dissertation

Latino studies, medical anthropology, feminist

The purpose of my dissertation is to understand how ethnicity and gender impact Latina veterans' experiences in the military and by utilizing an intersectionality lens, what unique challenges they face while serving. The primary research questions are: (1) How do Latinas navigate their identity as women of color in and after the military? (2) What unique challenges did Latina women face while serving? (3) What factors played into their decision to leave the military? (4) What are Latinas' experiences and relationships with family and community during and after their service? The answer to these questions will be obtained through qualitative methods, which will include semi-structured interviews, surveys, and focus groups.
 

Lab Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology Project

raciolinguistics, mental health, media studies, pop culture, linguistic anthropology, African-American studies

I plan to research continuing education for college students for a class research project. As well as conducting possible ethnographic research for another class for a paper for that I will need audio equipment. I want to do research about how language effects how we perceive things around the world so I will want to do something where I interview people.

Lab Projects: MA Thesis

Indigeneity, Urban anthropology, Systemic hegemonies, Public Space, Everyday life, Marginalized communities, Sustainability, Environment, Decolonialism, Native Americans, Mexico

I'm pursuing my Master's in cultural anthropology. I'm primarily interested in how people interact with organized systems. I examined it through infrastructure when I studied how cyclists interact with the state through roads and cycling infrastructure in the summer of 2023. If you're interested in linking up connect with me through Linkedin.

Lab Project: Independent Research

Anthropology, Latinx Studies, Feminism, Latinx history and statistics, etc.

This semester I am enrolled in a Mexican American culture course, so I will be using this lab to further my research on Mexican American history, as well as Mexican American statistics (regarding housing, education, migration, etc.). I have multiple class projects for both my Mexican American culture course and my Latinx identities, communities, and social changes course that I plan on working on in the lab. 

Lab Project: Independent Research

Anthropology

Currently enrolled in Borderlands Ethnography (ANTH 7310F). Project synopsis from Dr. Villarreal:

In the spirit of our ancestors and feminist knowledge production, the final project in this course will be a collective border manifesto in which each student contributes an autoethnographic vignette to tell a multivocal story about migration and/or navigating borderlands. The goal is to tell a collective story drawing on our individual family histories and personal experiences in of migration and making a home in the U.S.-Mexico border through a creative medium that is accessible to a wide audience. We will be working on our seminar project in phases throughout the semester.

Lab Project: Relics, Ruins and Rascals Podcast

Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Iconography, Religion

My current research focuses on Olmec iconography, Mesoamerican archaeology, and indigenous belief systems. My research explores the concept of the World Tree throughout the chronology of Mesoamerica. The ideological concept of the World Tree can be found in ancient and living cultures throughout the world. Many cultures located in Mexico and Mesoamerica have incorporated this tradition in their ancient indigenous art, ceremonies, and recorded oral histories. The ideology of a culture may evolve or transform due to internal and external factors over time, however sacred principles can be hidden in plain sight or be kept secret by those who protect these ancient practices.

About Relics, Ruins and Rascals: In this podcast we attempt to demystify, debunk, and delve into the various facets of Archaeology and Anthropology through rambunctious discussions and distinguish guests.

Lab Project: PhD Dissertation

Disaster/recovery, disability, mental health, medical anthropology

Bureaucracies and social support networks play vital roles in disaster planning, mitigation, and recovery processes. Specifically, bureaucracies (i.e., government agencies, educational institutions, or aid agencies) engage in practices of knowledge production and resource allocation that can hinder or help recovery efforts on an individual or community level. Social capital, in the form of social support networks, similarly impact the quality of recovery based on the strength of said networks and their ability to be effectively mobilized. These two hindering/helping factors will be examined in two contexts: hurricane recovery in K-12 schools following Hurricane Matthew and Harvey, and how higher-education institution(s) response to the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the health and education of first-generation college students.

Spring 2023 Pilot Study:  This semester I'll be taking part in a pilot-study, in which we recruit two library (belonging to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission) and implement COPEWELL self-assessments to aid in bolstering community resilience in advance of disaster events. 

Lab Project: MA Thesis

medical anthropology, structural violence, healthcare inequality

I am going to research structural violence embedded in healthcare and how health disparities complicate medical care for disadvantaged populations.

Lab Project: Relics, Ruins and Rascals Podcast

Maya, Mesoamerica, Epigraphy, Iconography, Archaeology, Queer studies, Latin American studies, Sexuality, Latinx studies, Gender Studies, Anthropology

My research attempts to identify elements of regional or local artistic styles within the ceramic assemblages located in various sites within the Dolores region of Peten, Guatemala. From this, I wish to also identify variations within these groups as they may indicate external influences and pressures placed on artistic and stylistic traditions. Doing so will clarify economic and political relationships between polities.

About Relics, Ruins and Rascals: In this podcast we attempt to demystify, debunk, and delve into the various facets of Archaeology and Anthropology through rambunctious discussions and distinguish guests.

Professor of Anthropology

Interests: Maya, anthropology of religion, culture, theory, and field research methods

Project: Borderlands Manifesto

LGBTQ+ and Queer Research, Neurodiversity, Environmental Work

I am going to use this lab towards the creative project I am undertaking for Borderlands Ethnography. The course project is a manifesto exploring each student's own personal relationship to borders in a variety of ways. The goal of the project's eventual outcome is to tell a multivocal story about navigating borderlands.

Lab Project: The Soulful Session Podcast

Spirituality, Health, Wellness, Integrative Modalities, Complementary Medicine, Holistic Well Being, Alternative Approaches

I am creating a podcast series, The Soulful Sessions, on the intersectionality of spirituality and health/wellness, along with incorporating the science that bridges the two together. The Soulful Sessions will be comprised of four 'mini' episodes on different topics that fall within the main theme. The podcast will provide some tools and materials for those individuals who may decide to dive deeper into one or the other, or the two combined.

Lab Project: MA Thesis

digital anthropology, science and technology studies, AI, social media, internet culture

I will begin working on my master's thesis where I will explore the relationship between AI and the way people utilize them. While the specifics of this project have not yet been determined, I will be researching the various applications of large language models and other similar AI software.

Lab Project: PhD Dissertation

Applied Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Global Health, Human-centred design.

My interest is in utilizing the tools to help my learning in my class work and dissertation, such as use of visual anthropology techniques, making podcasts, posters. I'm also curious about what other team members are working on and the strategies they are using.

Lab Project: Relics, Ruins and Rascals Podcast

Rock Art, Iconography, Public Outreach, Archaeology, Cultural Heritage

This semester, I will be co-producing and hosting a podcast, where I, along with a group of fellow graduate students, will explore a wide array of topics within the field of archaeology. Our discussions will range from the latest news, to debates on cultural heritage and repatriation. To enrich our dialogues, we'll be inviting guest experts specializing in specific subfields to share their insights and latest research findings. This podcast serves as an extension of our academic pursuits, aimed at making scholarly discussions more accessible to a broader audience.

About Relics, Ruins and Rascals: In this podcast we attempt to demystify, debunk, and delve into the various facets of Archaeology and Anthropology through rambunctious discussions and distinguish guests.

Lab Project: PhD Dissertation

Maya Anthropology, International Student Exchange, Ceramics

Mayanist Studies, dealing with reconnecting the Lacandon Maya and their ancient past in the classic times through the use of oral history, hieroglyphic interpretation and thirty years of personal interaction with the people of Naha and Lacanja , Chiapas Mexico

Lab Project: Independent Research

Linguistics, Art, Religious Studies, ethnography, anthropology, folklore, shamanism, philosophy, rock art, hunter gatherer, animal husbandry, agriculture, fermentation, ceramics, sacred, profane, indigenous rights, medicine, science

I will show the importance of procession as it is displayed in the art of the Olmec. Art will be seen as anything that was altered or created by the culture. This includes bas-reliefs, paintings, architecture, sculpture, ceramics, writing, mathematics, and city planning. I will use comparative analysis using surrounding Mesoamerican religious rituals to understand and explain the intent of the practitioners and artists of both sites. I intend to show that the act of procession was so vital that it can be seen in the ritual designing and construction of La Venta and in the ideological story told in tableau along the mountain side at Chalcatzinco. I plan on evaluating the religious activities of the inhabitants of La Venta and Chalcatzinco. 

Lab Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology Project

STS, Semiotics, Linguistics, Culturally Informed Care and Education, Depressive Behavior in Emergent Adulthood, Forensic Anthropology

Conducting and framing research as outlined in the course description and objectives for ANTH 3336. More specifically, developing experience with project management, deliverables, and expanding our toolset as prospective professionals. As well as potentially contributing to the project in ways that will reflect in our portfolios following graduation. 

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Interests: Language, gender, and identity; teasing and gossip practices; childhood obesity and body image; adolescent and emerging adult health; youth and social media; ethnographic and applied research methods; contemporary U.S. and educational research settings

Director of the Innovative Anthropologies Lab
Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Interests: science and technology studies (STS); feminist STS; business anthropology, design anthropology, applied anthropology; innovation; entrepreneurship; technologies; design; futures and foresight; expertise; ignorance and agnotology; and infrastructure

Lab Projects: PhD Dissertation

Cultural Anthropology, Marriage, Gender, Kinship, Design Anthropology, STS, Screen, Interface, Virtual Ethnography

An Anthropological study of Screen and Interface in the context of Indian matrimony: Studying matrimonial (marriage) websites can reveal how design gets integrated into social norms of kinship, gender, religion, caste, and so on. I'd be looking at how technology gets socially appropriated, how it mediates intimate relations, and how 'technology in use’ is different from ‘technology in design'.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology

sanctuary movements, place justice and restorative practices, queer/trans studies

Monuments and place names as they relate to ethnic conflict, social justice, and truth and reconciliation processes in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am also making a documentary and writing ethnography about Chicanx drag king culture as spiritual activism with a group in San Antonio called Los MENtirosos.  
 

Professor of Anthropology

Interests: West African economies, merchants, veterans of colonial armies, Islam in West African society, history of theory in anthropology, pedagogic methods.

Lab Project: MA Thesis

Cultural Anthropology, RV Parks, Archaeology

My thesis is an ethnography of RV parks.

Project: Redefining Applied Anthropology

Environmental Anthropology, Conservation, Sociocultural Anthropology

This semester we'll be looking at how anthropology students, staff, and faculty perceive applied anthropology and applied anthropology graduate programs. We'll also be looking at how these perceptions can influence advising and mentorship for graduate programs. It's also supposed to help us better understand the decisions students make concerning further education and their future careers.