Recent published articles by groups comprised of UC Santa Cruz archaeology faculty, graduate and undergraduate alums, as well as current students, highlight the benefits of teamwork in the Department of Anthropology.
Sarah Peelo, a 2009 Ph.D. recipient from the department who has also served as an instructor, is leading archaeological work at Santa Clara Mission de Asís with a team comprised of several undergraduate alums from the program. Persistence in the Indian Ranchería at Mission Santa Clara de Asís, a first article of several more to come, has been published in the Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology by Peelo and her team, which includes John Ellison (B.A., 2008) and Stella D'Oro (B.A., 2005), among other contributors. The article appeared in a special volume of the journal, based on Native American persistence.
Appearing in the same special issue is an article by Assistant Professor Tsim Schneider and his group, which likewise was a team of affiliates at various stages in their careers. Working with Prof. Schneider on the paper Indigenous Persistence and Foodways at the Toms Point Trading Post (CA-MRN-202), Tomales Bay, California, were Anneke Janzen (Ph.D., 2015); Georgie DeAntoni, a current graduate student; and Amanda M. Hill (B.A., 2016) and Alec Apodaca (B.A., 2018), both undergraduate alums.
"My research benefits from new insights that students bring to research and the classroom."
-Prof. Tsim Schneider
Throughout the three subdisciplines of anthropology, the department and labs create opportunities for hands-on scientific research and professionalization experiences for students of all levels, including undergraduates. Indeed, a good part of these alumni contributions were done in the field, when they were still undergraduates.
Benefits of student-instructor collaboration do not belong to students alone. Students do gain valuable experience by working with instructors, who can also help them pursue research ideas and prepare for grad school. But Schneider, who says he welcomes undergraduates to work with him, explains that the benefits are mutual. "My research," he says, "benefits from new insights that students bring to research and the classroom."
