Meet Our Recent Graduates!

Ana Martinez, Class of 2023

Anthropology and Global Asian Studies Majors, Latin American and Latino Studies Minor

I majored in Anthropology because I realized that Anthropology intersects with many different fields. I think it is important for people interested in the humanities to invest themselves into the theory and study of culture. Anthropology dives into the human mind and behavior more than people expect it to.

My majors in Anthropology and GLAS and my minor in LALS intersect in terms of cultural awareness. The practice of theory and fieldwork helped me to figure out that I was best suited in community engagement work. I ended up graduating with a position at the Vietnamese Association of Illinois. At this organization, my specialization in interdisciplinary work has allowed for VAI to expand its services to black and brown community members in Uptown.

My favorite course was ANTH 309. The course taught me the complexities of what it takes to write from an Anthropologist’s perspective. Anthropology is a writing-heavy field, and ANTH 309 taught me how to write with diligence and maneuver around jargon.

Laura Pfeiffer, Class of 2022

Anthropology Major, Sociology Minor

I was first drawn to anthropology during my time in community college. When I returned to school after my 30th birthday I went with less of a plan and just wanted to take some classes that interested me. I stumbled upon an intro to cultural anthropology class and the rest is history!

My interests are heavily sociocultural, but I find that the knowledge I gained in subjects like human evolution and archaeology give me more context as to why humans do what they do and why societies have evolved as they have. For instance, my sociology minor taught me that US divisions of labour are unequal in heterosexual, 2-parent homes, but my anthropology major helped to explain why and provided me context.

My favourite course was reproductive human ecology with Dr. Katie Starkweather. I am interested in studying mothers and domestic divisions of labour and her course and guidance with my project were truly wonderful experiences!

Lukas Kerbyson, Class of 2023

Anthropology Major, Museum & Exhibition Studies Minor

I majored in anthropology because it was always an interest of mine and it related well to my previous career experiences. In my minor, I focused on archaeology courses from an art-historical lens – having some background in archaeology from my major definitely helped with that!

My favorite course experience in the anthropology program was my last semester of undergrad, when I took zooarchaeology, bioarchaeology, and an independent study in dental anthropology. Having my last semester be almost entirely composed of my favorite subjects was a great way to round out my degree!

I am currently in the MA program in anthropology here at UIC studying bioanthropology and bioarchaeology. My goal is to work in collections or repatriation at a museum or university. Completing my BA in anthropology at UIC allowed me to build a strong personal and professional network with faculty, fellow students, and working professionals at other institutions, which has already helped me with opportunities to further study my discipline.