UConn Anthropology Professor Nicholas Blentoni is featured in a discussion of the 19th-century New England vampire panic on the Stuff You Should Know podcast. Stuff You Should Know is an award-winning educational podcast and one of the most popular podcasts in the world.
UCONN anthropology alumnae, Sarah Sportman and Mandy Ranslow, are recipients of two separate awards for their outstanding service to the archaeology and historical preservation of Connecticut. Sarah Sportman, Senior Archaeologist and faunal analyst at the Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc., is the recipient of the Lyent Russell award for service to the Archaeological Society of Connecticut. Lyent Russell was one of the most dedicated members of ASC and served as its president in the 1940s. The winner each year is chosen by the previous three winners and is presented in recognition of “outstanding contributions to the Archaeological Society of Connecticut.” Sarah will also be taking over as editor of ASC’s Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut, starting in 2019.
Mandy Ranslow is the recipient of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation’s inaugural Mimi Findlay Award for Young Preservationists for her “decades-long and far-reaching work in historic preservation.” The Mimi Findlay Award will recognize individuals or groups of people 35-and-younger involved in preservation of historic buildings, districts, landscapes or sites in Connecticut. Mandy is currently an archaeologists and transportation planner in the Office of Environmental Review of the state Department of Transportation.
Congratulations to our very own soon-to-be-doctor William Farley, who has accepted the offer of a tenure-track position at Southern Connecticut State University! Bill is an archaeologist specializing in archaeobotany. His research focuses on subsistence among ancient Native American populations of Connecticut. Bill will begin his new position in Fall 2017.
Anthropology Department faculty member Dr. Kevin McBride is an archaeologist specializing in the Native American history of Connecticut. He is also the director of research at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. His work on the Pequot War of 1637 and his views on archaeologists’ use of metal detectors, a device commonly used by looters in illegal excavations, are featured in a recent New York Times article entitled “Archaeologists and Metal Detectorists Find Common Ground”.
Dr. Merrill Singer, professor of anthropology at UCONN, has partnered with Family Life Education to study the impact of climate change on low-income residents of Hartford and their awareness and understanding of climate change. The study, which was recently published in the journal Medical Anthropology, has been featured on UCONN Today.
UCONN is proud to host the 2016 Connecticut Archaeology Fair. The Fair focuses on sharing the current state of knowledge about the history and prehistory of Connecticut with the public. Celebrate Archaeology Month and learn about the many UCONN archaeological investigations going on around the state and internationally. Local archaeological societies, historical societies, and universities will have displays highlighting past and current excavations and research with opportunities to see and touch real artifacts. The Fair will feature various talks by archaeologists working in the State, kids-friendly activities, and a tour of archaeological laboratories and research facilities at the Department of Anthropology. This event is free and open to the public.
