Anthropology

Alexandria (Ali) Louise Hahn ’16
Major: Anthropology and French
Hometown: Northport, New York

Eckerd College class of 2016, graduated with honors with a degree in both Anthropology and French. During her time at Eckerd, Ali participated in various international activities including:

1. A Winter Term trip in collaboration with a U.S. Peace Corps mission of sustainable agriculture and education activities in Cameroon (Safe drinking water, and HIV/AIDS prevention)
2. Studying French language and culture at l’Université de Nantes
3. A bioarcheological field school in Thailand with professors from Eckerd College, North Carolina University, and Silpakorn University to gain firsthand excavation experience using standard archaeological field techniques.

In addition to receiving the Tylor Award for academic achievement and success in Anthropology, she is a member of Eckerd’s chapter of Lambda Alpha, the national collegiate honor society in Anthropology. Ali remains dedicated to the field of social anthropology as she is currently finishing her MSc in Medical Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh. Her graduate dissertation research focuses on the interplay between maternal responsibility and women’s reproductive health in an attempt to redefine traditional understandings of social determinants of health by U.S. public health officials and policy makers.

Ellie Finkenaur ’15
Major: Anthropology & Spanish
Minor: Latin American Studies
Hometown: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

The 2015 Tylor Award recipient as well as the 2015 recipient of the Ken Keeton Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement. Her senior thesis explores life history narratives of Maya-speaking women in Yucatan, Mexico. As a Ford Apprentice Scholar, she conducted ethnographic field research among Maya-speaking women in rural Yucatan, Mexico, during summer 2014. She presented her research findings at the 2015 annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Ellie also studied Spanish language in Spain during a winter term, and she undertook bioarchaeology field research in Thailand during summer 2013. As a senior, Ellie garnered Phi Beta Kappa honors. Ellie is currently working for the Ministry of Education in Spain as a Language and Culture Assistant in the province of Galicia.

Elise Barnes, the 2014 Tylor Award winner, graduated with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Biology. She is a charter member of Eckerd’s chapter of Lambda Alpha, the national collegiate honor society in anthropology. Elise was awarded the Waldbaum Scholarship for Fieldwork, a nationally competitive grant sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America, to undertake bioarchaeological excavation at an Iron-Age site in central Thailand. Afterwards, she undertook research on the morphology of wrist bones at Chiang Mai University Medical School in Thailand for her senior thesis.

Orion Pape, the 2013 Tylor Award recipient, graduated with a major in Anthropology and a minor in International Business. He studied anthropology and Spanish in Peru during spring 2012, and he participated in archaeological field research in The Bahamas during winter term 2013. He is a charter member of Eckerd’s chapter of Lambda Alpha, the national collegiate honor society in anthropology. Orion plans to pursue graduate study in the fields of archaeology and cultural heritage management.

Nicole Welling, the 2012 Tylor Award Winner, graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors as a double major in anthropology and Modern Languages (French and Spanish). She studied in Turkey during Winter Term 2011 and then in France during summer 2011.

Rachel Chamberlain, the 2011 Tylor Award Winner, was awarded a graduate fellowship in anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh, where she has enrolled in the doctoral program. Rachel was named a Ford Apprentice Scholar and a Phi Beta Kappa honor society member while at Eckerd. She completed a summer research project on medical anthropology in Brazil, and she plans to pursue the medical anthropology specialization while in graduate school.

Lia Berman, the 2010 Tylor Award Winner, is a graduate student in the London School of Economics international development program, where she is pursuing a masters degree. She studied language and culture in Turkey for a full academic year as a college junior, and she lived in Turkey for a year after graduation.

Allison Harvey, the 2009 Tylor Award Winner, participated in archaeological research projects in Mexico and Belize, and she interned locally at the Weedon Island Preserve and the Sarasota County History Center. She co-authored a research article that was published in the Journal of Field Archaeology. She is currently in the anthropology graduate program at New Mexico State University, pursuing a career in archaeology.

Audrey Copeland, the 2007 Tylor Award Winner, was featured in the St. Petersburg Times for developing a reusable container (see inset image on right) to replace common styrofoam ones often used by dining facilities for take out orders. She is in the process of applying for a patent for the product.

Sadie Funk, the 2006 Tylor Award Winner, served in the lowland rainforest of Ecuador as a member of the U.S. Peace Corps. Afterwards, she completed an international MBA program in her home state of Texas. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for Amazon Partnerships Foundation, a nonprofit organization working in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Miranda Watrous, the 2014 Ken Keeton Award winner, majored in Anthropology and French. Miranda was named a 2012 Bevan Scholar for campus leadership at Eckerd. She spent a semester at the London Study Centre in Fall 2011, and as a Ford Scholar, she conducted ethnographic field research on Cat Island, Bahamas, during summer 2013. Miranda later organized a service-learning program in The Bahamas for the benefit of other students.

Andrea Willingham, the 2012 Ken Keeton Award winner, majored in anthropology and environmental studies. Andrea was named a 2011 Udall Scholar and traveled to Tucson, Arizona, to meet policymakers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care, and governance. Andrea spent a semester at the London Study Center in 2010, and she participated in a service-learning program in Puerto Rico. Andrea is currently undertaking a nine-month internship with the National Park Service in Nome, Alaska. Working in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Andrea is helping to interview local Inupiat reindeer herders about their social organization and economic activities.

Ruby Bielik, the 2011 Ken Keeton Award Winner, majored in anthropology and international business. She graduated with high honors as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. While at Eckerd, she studied in China and London. She is a law student at Santa Clara University in the San Francisco Bay area. Her law interests include international trade and development.