At Kenyon, students best understand anthropology by doing anthropology. The Anthropology Department strongly encourages students to conduct meaningful research, both at Kenyon and beyond.

Student Research at Kenyon

Opportunities for students range from digital exploration in the classroom to experimenting with Neanderthal technology at the Brown Family Environmental Center.

As a part of ANTH 353: Engaged Archaeology, Andres Tuccillo '23, Karolina Edlund '22 and William Hudgins '22 created a digital story map of the Adena-Hopewell Culture. Interact with Knox County's ancient history.
ANTH 491: Archaeological Methods offers a unique opportunity for Kenyon students to uncover the history of the college through participation in an active archaeological excavation. Read about the discoveries in the student's own words.
Students and faculty collaborate inside and outside the classroom, partnering in independent studies, senior honors, and funded research projects.
Zoe DeLay '25 and Olivia Westley-Sherman '25 harvest basswood bast to investigate Neanderthal cordage practices during the summer of 2023. Click here to explore summer research opportunities.

Research Off Campus

Encountering anthropology outside of Kenyon can take many forms. Explore field schools, internships, graduate school programs, and other exciting research opportunities available to anthropology students.

  • Explore Global Research

    The Institute for Field Research compiles a diverse array of field schools and research opportunities around the world. LEARN MORE

  • Methods in Primate Behavior

    This two-week course hosted in Costa Rica by DANTA is designed to provide students with field experience in primate behavior, ecology and conservation. LEARN MORE

  • Language Workshops

    Explore a world of language with intensive, in-person, online and overseas programs hosted by Indiana University. LEARN MORE

  • MSc Options in Archaeology

    The University of Aberdeen offers a variety of master's programs including archaeology, biomolecular archaeology and osteoarchaeology. LEARN MORE

Student Research Spotlight

As an REU intern at the American Museum of Natural History, Maya Schwingel ‘24 used 3D modeling techniques to visualize Middle Jurassic stem-salamander fossils to characterize the species and its evolutionary relationships.

"Anthropology prepared me for working with and communicating about the fossil record, especially where gaps between scientific and general knowledge might be the largest."

Maya Schwingel
Anthropology major

Documenting Transnational Migration

As a part of a research collaboration with Denison University funded by the ASIANetwork Student-Faculty Fellows Program, Mia Tsuchida '25 and Professor of Anthropology Sam Pack explored the current prospects and aspirations of asylum seekers, refugees, labor migrants and immigrants in Japan through oral history and documentary filmmaking.

Explore undergraduate research at Kenyon.

Getting Started in Anthropological Research

Students interested in research should speak with their professors. Field schools, summer programs, and internships are great starting points for students looking to apply what they learn in the classroom.