Contact Us
Department of Anthropology
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States
The department is among the major centers for training and research in public anthropology, supplemented by the contributions of an array of anthropologists across campus. The discipline of anthropology is distinctly broad and uses a variety of approaches from the humanities, and social, biological, and evolutionary sciences to study all aspects of human existence, past and present. The AU Department of Anthropology is distinct in our commitment to civic engagement, social justice, and public scholarship in all aspects of our teaching and scholarship. We strive to equip students to address complex human issues in diverse contexts through the practical application of anthropological knowledge alongside rigorous theoretical study.
Our faculty work at the intersection of law, policy, and ethics, addressing issues such as human effects on the environment and how communities past and present approached sustainability and development, or designing community-focused strategies for combating health inequities.
The Anthropology Department offers a minor, BA, BA/MA, MA in Public Anthropology, and PhD. We also offer certificate programs in public anthropology, global health, health inequities, and social science and policy.
Fall 2024 special topics courses:
- ANTH-210 Race and Racism
- ANTH-235 The Buried History of the US
- ANTH-642 Public Anthropology
- NTH-654 Topics in Environ Anthropology
News and Events
- PhD candidate Francesca Emanuele wrote an article published in Foreign Policy about the discrepancies between the leadership of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the majority of its member countries regarding the military operations of Israel in Gaza.
- Zoltán Glück's article on abolishing the Kenyan Police was featured on The Conversation's "essential reads" for understanding the political crisis in Kenya in June 2024.
- Zoltán Glück published a major article in anthropology’s flagship journal, American Anthropologist, titled “Anthropology and the Security Encounter: Toward an Abolitionist Anthropology in the age of Permanent War.” Glück also edited a special issue of the journal titled “Forever War: Anthropology and the Global War on Terror."
- Thurka Sangaramoorthy spoke with the Post and Courier about the dangerous working and living conditions of migrant workers.
- Francesa Emanuele published an article on Peru’s president in Jacobin.
- Public Anthropology MA students Elise Ferrer and Madison Shomaker and recent alum Nada Baghat published a four-part series titled "We Are Not Alternative: A Communal Take on Theorization and Canon in Anthropology Theory Courses" in American Anthropologist:
More News
Thurka Sangaramoorthy spoke with Associated Press about the growing Haitian community in the Eastern Shore.
Daniel Sayers spoke with PBS about his research into Maroon communities.
Orisanmi Burton received a favorable review in The Progressive Magazine on his new book, Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt (University of California Press, 2023)
Thurka Sangaramoorthy received supplemental funding of $49,941 from University of Maryland (for a new total of $88,079) for “Research Employing Environmental Systems and Occupational Health Policy Analyses to Interrupt the Impact of Structural Racism on Agricultural Workers and Their Respiratory Health (RESPIRAR).” She also spoke with KCBS Radio and The Daily Yonder about her new book Landscapes of Care.
Manissa Maharawal spoke with NPR about the history of tech companies interfering with intracity transportation.
See PhD candidate Heba Ghannam the Middle East Institute's 2022 Arab Barometer Report: Attitudes and Trends toward Gender.
David Vine published a commentary on “build back better” in The Progressive Magazine.
Prof. Thurka Sangaramoorthy Published Underpaid and Overlooked, Migrant Labor Provides Backbone of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Local Economy.
Hear prof. Dan Sayers in the Ideas podcast: The Marrow Nature: A Case for the Wetlands.
PhD candidate Maya S. Kearney is the recipient of the 2022 AAA Dissertation Fellowship for Historically Underrepresented Persons in Anthropology
Spotlight
Justin SiskMA, Public Anthropology
More about Justin
"American University has furthered my academic training as a scholar of anthropology and religion,” says Public Anthropology MA candidate Justin Sisk. “It allowed me to work closely with religious communities and to showcase those findings in an academic fashion.”
Justin focuses his master’s research on Norse Paganism — a religion that emphasizes community building through the worship of the Norse pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, ritual, and a close tie to nature.
During his studies at AU, Justin completed an internship with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where he explored the economic, cultural, environmental, and social implications that surround ginseng digging in Appalachian communities. The experience gave him an opportunity to hone his skills as an interview transcriber and immerse himself in the rigorous Smithsonian research process.
Justin plans to pursue a PhD and ultimately teach at a university, research institute, or museum and continue his work on religious beliefs, ritualistic behavior, identity, and counter-cultural narratives. “AU is helping me accomplish this goal by providing me with a wonderful learning environment that will not only help me receive my master's degree, but also help further my knowledge-building as a scholar,” he says.
