In Memoriam

The UConn Department of Anthropology mourns the recent passing of Dr. Pertti “Bert” Pelto. Professor Pelto joined the University of Connecticut in 1969, the year that an independent Department of Anthropology was founded, and retired in 1992, although he remained active well afterwards while living in the Storrs area. He was well-known for his interests in technology and society, rigorous approaches to qualitative research, and his essential role in the development of applied anthropology and medical anthropology. Among his many published works, particularly notable are his books Anthropological Research: The Structure of Inquiry (1970), The Snowmobile Revolution: Technology and Social Change in the Arctic (1972), and Applied Ethnography: Guidelines for Field Research (2013). The Society for Applied Anthropology named their International Travel Award in his honor, and also provide a wonderful biography detailing his remarkable academic career.