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Program Overview | Ph.D.
Program | Internship InternshipsApplied Biological AnthropologySome of the issues studied by graduate students in applied biological anthropology include include biological approaches to human disease, human-plant co-evolution, bio-cultural aspects to human nutrition, and genomic modeling. Many of the career opportunities in biological anthropology require additional preparation at the doctoral level. Scroll down for a complete list of past internships (listed in alphabetical order by graduate student) or select a link below for examples of past internships with specific organizations.
List of Past MAA Internships in Applied Biological Anthropology ALLISON DAVIS (1998) did her internship at Howard University on the New York African Burial Project (NYABG). She conducted research for development of an ethical protocol for dealing with African American anthropological sites like NYABG. Additionally, she assisted in synthesizing the project data for wider public consumption. ANN HUNTER (2001) conducted her internship in the Great Ape House of the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo. The psychological well being of captive non-human primates is of great concern today with the destruction of habitats and the bush-meat problem plaguing these great creatures that are so like us. We are losing our primates, especially the great apes, in alarming numbers. Ann's internship focused on enriching the lives of captive apes. She worked to make their habitats more species appropriate and their daily lives filled with activities to eliminate the boredom of being captive. Working at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Ape House for the last year has made Ann even more aware of what intelligent and human like creatures these are. I only hope that other facilities are engaging in such enriching activities. LISA PFEIFER (2001) carried out her internship in the Behavioral Endocrinology Laboratory in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Lisa used an animal model (the prairie vole) to study the influence of the hormone oxytocin on social behaviors in mammals. With the help of her internship supervisors, she designed and performed a series of experiments that examined how neonatal manipulations of oxytocin affect adult behaviors. This research question is important because synthetic forms of oxytocin and oxytocin antagonists are routinely used in developed countries to hasten or delay the onset of labor. This situation is a prime example of the interaction of biological and cultural factors. Lisa will continue to study oxytocin and several related hormones in humans and nonhuman primates for her doctoral thesis in biology. LORI duTRIEUILLE (1995) was already working with AfriCare in Washington, DC. As part of an AfriCare team, Lori went to Bangul, Central Republic of Africa, to do her internship. She conducted interviews with service providers in rural villages, with the goal of finding ways to incorporate existing services into a larger public health initiative. After completing her MAA, Lori continued working for Africare. She is currently working in West Africa as the Program Manager for Central Africa. SUSAN SHERIDAN (1986) worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a Physical Science Technician at the Air Resources Laboratory. Her primary duties included database maintenance, work on a project that combined surface maps and forecasts, and assistance in scientific report preparation. In 1994, Susan received a PhD in biological anthropology from the University of Colorado; she now teaches in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame. CHRYSTAL SMITH (1998) did her internship at the Center for Minority Health Research, University of Maryland at Baltimore. She conducted a pilot study that investigated how African American children develop friendships and how this influences their social interaction with each other and adults. RACHEL WATKINS (1996) worked with CuSAG at the Liberty Medical Center in Baltimore, MD for her internship. She helped conduct a Community Needs Assessment of the hospital's service area, and constructed a matrix of community profiles. She is attending the University of North Carolina in pursuit of a PhD, with an emphasis on biocultural and medical Anthropology. SONIA WAUTERS (1994) For her internship, Sonia conducted a Biocultural Assessment of Streams and Household Water in Cameroon, Africa. The project was looking at contamination of E. coli and coliform in Wombong (a Northwest Province in the highland savannah). She surveyed streams and household water containers and evaluated their degree of contamination. She used qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic and survey methods to begin to seek solutions that could be incorporated into existing cultural traditions. Currently, Sonia is a Youth Care Worker for the Boys Town program in Washington, DC. Program Overview | Ph.D.
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