Washburn University
Sociology/Anthropology
October 2015
Volume 2015, Issue 10
CHAIR’S CORNER
Welcome to our department newsletter. It has been a
couple of years since the last one, but we are planning to
publish newsletters on a regular schedule now.
I am proud to be chair of the SO/AN department. We are a
cohesive and supportive department. Our greatest strength
is our faculty members. They bring energy, enthusiasm,
creative ideas, and commitment to undergraduate
education. We pride ourselves on providing students with
opportunities for one-on-one interaction and/or
collaboration with faculty outside the classroom. From
Directed Readings, Directed Research, or Study Abroad
courses, faculty mentor students in independent work that
often results in academic presentations.
We want students to feel integrated into the department.
Faculty members welcome students through an “opendoor” policy; it is not uncommon to see students in faculty
offices on any given day. We also welcome students to just
come hang out in the department; there is usually a fresh
pot of coffee and, occasionally, snacks available.
As you will read in the next few pages, this is an exciting
time in our department! We hope that students will take
advantage of the new learning opportunities, and also get
involved in upcoming activities and/or events. The
Sociology/Anthropology Club, for example, is gaining new
members and becoming more active on campus and in the
community. Being a member of the club is a good way for
students to get to know each other.
Finally, I want to thank Tammy Schlingmann, our
secretary, for taking on the task of gathering all the
information and putting the newsletters together. She has
also completely redesigned our departmental web site. If
anyone has ideas for what they would like to see in the
newsletter or feels needs to be included on the web site,
please let her know.
Dr. Cheryl Childers
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Page 2-3
B.S. in Anthropology
(Forensics Concentration)
Page 4-5
Iceland
Page 5
New Faculty
Page 6
Sociology/Anthropology
Club
Page 7
Halloween
Bachelor of Science in Anthropology
(Forensics Concentration)
The Department of Sociology & Anthropology is proud to offer a B.S. in Anthropology with a
Forensics Concentration. This degree is the first Bachelor-level Forensic Anthropology
concentration in Kansas. Our majors will take classes, and get hands-on training, in our new
lab in the state-of-the-art Kansas Bureau of Investigation Forensic Science Center on
Washburn’s campus. They will also collaborate with faculty and students in the other
forensic programs such as chemistry, biology, criminal justice, and computer science.
Students may even have the opportunity to intern with KBI forensic scientists at the new
facility.
The Role of Forensic Anthropology
Forensic anthropology applies the scientific knowledge of physical anthropology to the
collection and analysis of legal evidence.
Due to training in anthropology, skeletal biology, and osteology, forensic anthropologists
serve a unique role in forensic science:
 They determine if the remains are of human origin, from a single or multiple individuals,
and the identity (age, sex, stature, ancestry) of the individual(s).
 They document pathological conditions and trauma affecting the remains.
 They can help determine the circumstances surrounding death.
 They analyze soil and vegetation patterns to properly find, excavate, and collect skeletal
remains and other physical evidence.
 They work in cases resulting from mass disasters, explosions, fires, homicides, and other
types of situations resulting in badly decomposed bodies and highly fragmented, burned,
or otherwise unidentified human skeletal remains.
 They have been prominent in the recovery and identification of remains from the
Oklahoma City bombing, the World Trade Center, and mass gravesites in places like Iraq,
Guatemala, and the former Yugoslavia.
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Bachelor of Science in Anthropology (Forensics
Concentration) - Continued
Department Strengths:
 Small classes foster faculty-student interaction in a supportive learning environment.
 Highly qualified instructors who hold advanced degrees and real-life experience in their
field.
 Hands-on training in the new lab and excavation site, as well as our field schools and
internships.
Career Opportunities
Forensic anthropologists work in laboratories, at crime scenes, in offices, and in morgues.
They may work for federal, state, and local governments; international organizations; public
and private laboratories; medical examiner’s offices; hospitals; universities; police
departments; or as independent forensic science consultants.
Students earning a B.S. in Anthropology (Forensics Concentration) would be eligible for jobs
within criminal justice that sought baccalaureate degrees in forensic science or natural
science, such as:
 Criminalist
 Forensic Crime Scene Specialist
 Police Evidence Specialist
 Crime Scene Investigator
 Crime Scene Technician
Students would also be eligible for jobs outside the criminal justice field, such as:
 Working at Museums of Natural History
 Culture Resource Management (surveying, documenting, and/or excavating sites)
 Working at state historical societies
Many forensic anthropology students go on to earn a Masters or Ph.D. in physical
anthropology. Students who obtain their Masters-level degrees would have additional job
opportunities, such as:
 Working in Coroner or Chief Medical Examiner’s Office
 Adjunct faculty at a college or university
Board-certified forensic anthropologists have earned a Ph.D. in physical anthropology with
an emphasis in skeletal biology. Most are university professors who consult for coroners,
medical examiners, and possibly human rights organizations.
For more information:
www.washburn.edu/anso
[email protected]
785.670.1608
or
Dr. Mary Sundal, Associate Professor of Anthropology
[email protected]
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STUDY ABROAD - ICELAND
Dr. John Paul took a group of ten students to Iceland for a ten-day summer study abroad
program. The students spent most of their days at the University of Iceland, in the capital city
of Reykjavik, with university faculty and community activists learning about the political
economy, the criminal justice system, and human and civil rights in Iceland.
Additionally, students also met with
various members of national and local
government, including parliamentary
members, city officials and various
musicians, artists, and other cultural
ambassadors.
Guesthouse Aurora
Icelandic Parliament
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Away from the classroom, students
visited geysers, viewed magnificent
waterfalls and volcanoes and hiked a
glacier .
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Mýrdalsjökull Glacier
STUDY ABROAD - ICELAND (CONTINUED)
Other offbeat actives included whale watching, horseback riding, and swimming in
geothermal pools. Finally, Reykjavik is also renowned as one of Europe’s most lively cities
where the students (and their professor) enjoyed the friendly pub and entertainment scene
along with its 24-hour summer sunlight.
Downtown Reykjavik at noon (left) and at 3:00am (right)
WELCOME NEW FACULTY
The Sociology/Anthropology Department welcomes
sociologist Mr. Chris Conner. Mr. Conner is
wrapping up his doctoral degree from the University
of Nevada, Las Vegas. He will soon be defending his
dissertation in order to complete his Ph.D.
requirements. Mr. Conner’s research focuses on
deviance, subcultures, popular culture, GLBT studies,
and social theory. His teaching includes criminology,
penology, deviance, and juvenile delinquency. Be
sure to welcome Mr. Conner to the department and
to wish him the best of luck in defending his
dissertation.
Mr. Chris Conner, Sociology
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UPCOMING
SOCIOLOGY/
ANTHROPOLOGY
CLUB EVENTS
Voter Registration
Drive: October 1, 7, and
8 from 11:00am-1:00pm
Memorial Union (close to
the Corner Store)
WTE (Iceland Study
Abroad)
Presentations: October
but date/time/location is
still to be determined.
October’s Fun/Social
Event: The Renaissance
Festival - either October
10th or 11th (actual date
TBD). If interested, go to
http://doodle.com/
poll/8shf8vvatrkqp7sc
to let the club know
which date works best for
you and whether you can
drive for the carpool or
will need a ride.
Sustainability at
Washburn University:
Early to mid-November
but exact date/time/
location is still to be
determined.
SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY CLUB
The Sociology/Anthropology Club had its first meeting for
the 2015-2016 academic year on September 2, 2015 under
the guidance of the club’s new faculty advisor, Dr. John
Paul. Troy Russell and Tammy Schlingmann were elected
as this year’s Co-Presidents. Other officers elected were:
Secretary Ashlynn Sutton, Treasurer Natalie Becker, and
Event Coordinator Patricia Carrillo.
The club has adopted the theme “Social Injustice/Social
Inequality” for this year and has already held events based
around the theme. The club kicked off the events with a
showing of the movie Pride on August 26th. On September
30th, the club showed a documentary film, Street Fight.
Both events were free, open to all Washburn University
students, and were followed by discussions.
The club, in collaboration with a couple other student
organizations, kicked off a Voter Registration Drive on
September 22nd, National Voter Registration Day. The
goal is to register 1,000 new voters and will continue on
campus through October 8th.
Have you ordered your Sociology/Anthropology T-shirt
yet? It is not too late! The club is wrapping up its first
fundraiser for the year, a T-shirt sale. Below is a picture of
the front and back of the T-shirts. The shirts are unisex and
November’s Fun/
Social Event: Exact
event/date/time/location
is still to be determined.
Grad School Panel:
Late November but exact
date/time/location is still
to be determined.
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are ash gray. They are 100% preshrunk cotton, doubleneedle stitching throughout with a seamless collar. The
sizes available are small thru 5XL. Prices, including tax, are
$20 for non-members and $17 for members of the
Sociology/Anthropology Club. (To become a member of
the club, membership dues are $5.00 per semester and can
be paid in the SO/AN Department office, HC218.) Orders
will be taken in the SO/AN Department through October
2nd. Orders must be paid at the time of ordering.
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