Webinar Wednesday March 18: Applied Anthropology in the National Parks

As the National Park Service (NPS) approaches its centennial in 2016, the NPS Cultural Anthropology and Archeology Programs continue to engage in research with deep roots in communities across America.By partnering with universities and scholars in the CESU Network (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units), the NPS funds applied research in ethnography and archeology.This session will introduce current, completed, and upcoming NPS-CESU research; how to submit letters of interest for research through the CESU network; and how students may become involved in applied work in parks.

Keywords: parks; applied; heritage; research; government

Links:
NPS Cultural Anthropology Program: www.nps.gov/ethnography

NPS Archeology Program: www.nps.gov/archeology

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Network: www.cesu.org

Joe Watkins is the Supervisory Cultural Anthropologist and Chief of the NPS Tribal Relations and American Cultures. He oversees the Park Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Program, the Tribal Historic Preservation Program, and the Cultural Anthropology Program from the NPS Washington Area Service Office.

Stanley Bond is the Chief Archeologist for the National Park Service and Consulting Archeologist for the Department of the Interior. He has managed a number of CESU projects as a NPS Archeologist, Resource Manager, and Superintendent. Current CESU projects sponsored by the NPS Washington Archeology Program include a Southwest mission travel itinerary, a webinar lecture series, work with Latino high school students, analysis of digital imaging practices, and training for Afghan cultural heritage professionals.

Jennifer Talken-Spaulding is the Regional Cultural Anthropologist for the NPS National Capital Region. She manages multiple applied anthropology projects and a student internship program in support of national park units in three states and the District of Columbia. Research topics include contemporary communities, heritage preservation, and urban subsistence fishing.

Tom Fish is the National Coordinator for the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network. Tom works across government, academia, and the NGO community to facilitate collaborative research, technical assistance, and education/capacity development in support of public trust resource stewardship. Tom’s work covers a wide range of topics relating to land use planning, marine conservation, applied social science and human dimensions, and training for protected area managers in the U.S. and abroad.