Department News
Stay updated on the latest news and developments from the Department of Anthropology.
From Students to Stewards: A Historic Gift of Gratitude
With deep gratitude, the Department of Anthropology extends its heartfelt thanks to alumni John D’Amato and Kristina Inn for their extraordinary generosity. Their establishment of a $1 million endowment—the largest single donation in …
Remixing Identity: Deirdre Clyde’s Anthropological Journey Through Anime Fandom
Exploring Gender, Culture, and Community in Japanese Pop Culture As Deirdre Alison Clyde prepares to graduate with her PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Spring 2025, her …
Jan Brunson Awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for Research in Nepal
Professor Jan Brunson received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for research in Nepal for the 2024-25 academic year. Her research addresses an aspect of respectful maternity care, the cesarean section, which is …
Honoring the Work of Kamakana C. Ferreira: A Leader in Repatriation and Cultural Preservation
The Department of Anthropology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is proud to celebrate the achievements of alumnus Kamakana C. Ferreira, whose work in repatriation and cultural resource protection is making a …
Message from the Chair
We are excited to share some vibrant updates from the Department of Anthropology! Our program continues to flourish, with the number of anthropology majors steadily increasing. This year, we welcomed fourteen new graduate …
Congratulations to Our Recent MA and PhD Graduates
The following students received their Masters degree in Anthropology in 2023-2024: The following students received their PhD degree in Anthropology in 2023-2024. Their dissertation titles follow their names:
Chris Bae Publishes Book on Asian Paleoanthropology
Professor Chris Bae’s new book, The Paleoanthropology of East Asia, was recently published by the University of Hawai’i Press. Research in human evolution in Asia has long been thought to lag far behind similar …
Seth Quintus Wins Teaching Award
Professor Seth Quintus is the recipient of the 2024 UH Mānoa College of Social Sciences Award for Excellence in Teaching. Prof. Quintus noted that part of the evaluation process for this award was …
Yi-Yu Lai Wins Prestigious Award
Anthropology PhD candidate Yi-Yu Lai won the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Paper Prize from the Society for East Asian Anthropology (SEAA). “Combining rich historical research with transnational ethnographic fieldwork, the paper offers rare insight …
Doctoral Research on Contemporary Kava Practices in Hawaiʻi
My name is ʻUlise Funaki and I was born and raised on the island of Hawaiʻi. My mother is Hawaiian Ilokano from Nakalei Camp in Paʻauilo and my father is Tongan from Fuaʻamotu. …