Faculty members of the Department of Anthropology have widely differing research interests in the study of the human condition, but all share a common bond in their commitment to teaching, field-based learning, and contributing new knowledge to their field. Their respective areas of scholarship span the major fields of the discipline, including archaeological, cultural, and linguistic anthropology.

Whether in our own neighborhoods or on the other side of the globe, the forces shaping our societies are in constant flux; the department’s approaches to teaching must respond to those complex changes, going beyond the boundaries of traditional scholarship while remaining committed to the comparative and holistic perspectives that make anthropology unique among the social sciences.  Anthropologists in the department have crafted reciprocal collaborations with community partners for the purpose of training students in the many facets of ethnographic research while addressing local challenges.

A rich selection of regular anthropology course offerings are imbued with the research strengths of Connecticut College anthropology faculty, including modern material culture studies, garbology, experimental archaeology, migration, social movements, language revitalization, sustainable food systems, the anthropology of landscapes, and images of race and “otherness” in art. Professors help each student delve deeper into a selected problem or theme by linking to the innovative Connections curriculum. 

In addition to receiving past research grants from agencies such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the H. F. Guggenheim Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, several professors have earned the highest awards from the College in recognition of their excellence in teaching and academic scholarship. The department prides itself in apprenticing undergraduate students in the context of ongoing faculty research projects, and anthropology students regularly present at professional conferences and publish with faculty in peer-reviewed journals.