Students Conduct Field Research in Fiji p. 12

The
GLOBE
C AL P O LY SO CI AL SCI E N CE S D E PA R TM E NT
Students Conduct
Field Research
in Fiji p. 12
fall 2014
Inside
»» News and notes
»» Alumni updates
»» Study abroad activities
»» Working with the U.N.
on disaster issues
»» Faculty activities
CHAIR’S MESSAGE \
Despite these widespread changes, certain
core principles remain central to our
programs — specifically Cal Poly’s Learn
by Doing educational philosophy, reflected
in our increased emphasis on student
internships, study abroad opportunities and
career planning.
Inside this issue:
2
Message from
the chair
4
News and notes
6
Alumni updates
8
Study abroad
10
Working with the
U.N. on disas ter
issues
14
Students conduc t
field research in
Fiji
16
Faculty ac tivities
18
Donor honor roll
Apurva Dandekar with Chair Terry Jones at spring commencement
in June.
MESSAGE FROM
THE CHAIR
Welcome to the new version of the Social Sciences
Department newsletter!
Cautious optimism is arising in the department as we continue to
evolve in light of the new financial realities that surround higher
education. In addition, with numerous retirements and personnel
changes, we are a profoundly different department than we were a
decade ago.
This past spring we graduated the first cohort of the anthropology
and geography majors and sociology majors who entered Cal Poly
as freshmen in 2010. We also hired three full-time sociologists and
one cultural anthropologist, and we anticipate hiring three more
sociologists in the next two years.
T H E G LO B E
Fal l 2 0 14
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
805-756-2260
cla.calpoly.edu/socs.html
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
/Cal Poly SLO Social Sciences
Department Chair
Te r r y J o n e s
Wr i t e r
Te r r y J o n e s
Editor
K a t i e Va nM e te r
D e b r a Val e n c ia - L ave r
J o A n n L l oyd
Designer
K a t i e Va nM e te r
Given the challenging job environment
that our graduates are facing, we are proud
that both of our programs now feature
requirements that encourage students to start
planning for their post-graduation futures
before their senior year. One-unit professional
preparation classes in which students learn
about the options open to them after
Cal Poly are offered in both majors. Among
other things, these classes teach resume
writing, interview skills, and how to apply
to graduate schools.
Internships are also a growing part of our
programs, and a number of students are
taking advantage of them. A testament to
the value of these experiences, included in
this issue is a note from Emily Neavitt (pg.
5), an anthropology and geography student
who obtained an internship at the Clinton
Foundation in New York City last winter.
Students are also benefiting from our annual
spring career fair. This year’s fair was
coordinated by Professor Stacey Rucas with
strong support from our department advisory
board (pg. 4).
In light of the many changes, I wanted to
take the opportunity to place our current
department in historic context.
To the right you can see the Social Sciences
Department faculty as of fall 2014 and the
faculty circa 1978. Dr. Harold Kerbo, who
will complete his last year of teaching at
Cal Poly in 2013-14, is the only faculty
member to appear in both photos!
We look forward to another successful year.
As always, thank you for your continued
support. Keep us updated on your current
activities and please stay connected through
the department’s LinkedIn page.
Best,
Terry Jones, Ph.D.
Chair
(Top) Social Sciences faculty 2014: Back Row (left to right) :
Dawn Neill (Anthropology), Margaret Bodemer (Anthropology),
James Keese (Geography), Jennifer Lewis (Anthropology), Coleen
Carrigan (Anthropology), Robert Shaeffer (Sociology), Harold Kerbo
(Sociology), Ryan Alaniz (Sociology), Greg Bohr (Geography), Terry
Jones (Anthropology), Stacey Rucas (Anthropology), Dana Rasch
(Sociology), Liz Johnson (Sociology), Christina Casillas (Office Staff),
Carolyn Dentler (Office Staff), Ben Timms (Geography)
(Above) Social Sciences faculty 1978: Back Row (left to right): Michael
Howard (Anthropology), Leo Pinard (Sociology), Harold Kerbo
(Sociology), James Coleman (Sociology), Don Floyd (Geography),
George Suchand (Geography), Patrick McKim (Anthropology),
Barbara Cook (Anthropology), John McKinstry (Sociology), Irving
Babow (Sociology) , Robert Hoover (Anthropology), Calvin Wilvert
(Geography), Richard Shaffer (Sociology). Front Row (left to right):
Unknown, Ann Fowler (Sociology), Warren Delay (Sociology),
Dianne Goldman (Office staff), Patricia Tupac-Yupanqi (Office Staff),
Mahmud Hariri (Sociology)
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NEWS & NOTES \
AWARDS &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
GOT THE
INTERNSHIP!
Lewis Recognized as Outstanding Teacher
Editor’s Note: Last February, Terry Jones received the following
message from alumna Emily Neavitt (B.S., Anthropology and
Geography, 2014), who was selected for an internship with the
Clinton Foundation in New York City.
In June, Jennifer Lewis received the Outstanding Career Achievement in Teaching by a
Lecturer award from the College of Liberal Arts.
A graduate of the Cal Poly Social Sciences Department (B.S., Social Sciences, 1993), Lewis
earned her doctorate in anthropology from the New School University in New York City
and began teaching at Cal Poly in 2004. Lewis’ award nomination highlighted her rigorous
approach to education, exceptionally high teaching evaluation scores, and strong commitment
to students. Her nomination was supported by letters from seven students, all of whom
considered Lewis one of the best instructors they had at Cal Poly.
Shortly after graduating in December, I accepted a communications
internship with the Clinton Foundation in New York City. While
the thought of moving across the country seemed daunting at the
time, my experience has been incredibly rewarding, and working
for a nonprofit has opened my eyes to a range of new opportunities.
My work centers primarily around the Clinton Global Initiative,
which is a branch of the foundation that works to convene global
leaders to create innovative solutions and commitments all around
the world. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot. I’m working with some
truly amazing people, and I have been able to apply so many of the
skills I gained from my time at Cal Poly, particularly those from my
anthropology and geography courses.
Social Sciences Student Wins Award at Statewide
Geography Conference
Anthropology and geography major Troy Lawson placed first in the Professional Digitally
Displayed Cartographic Award competition at the California Geographical Society’s annual
meeting in Los Angeles in April. Lawson also won a Student Travel Award.
Lawson received the first-place award for his project “Historical Mapping for the City of
San Luis Obispo.” Lawson’s project tracked building trends and identified cultural and
historical buildings not currently in the city’s list of Historic and Culturally Contributing
Buildings. The digitization of the community environment is an effort to use geography
and anthropology to enhance community understanding of San Luis Obispo’s overlooked
treasures.
This year’s conference attracted about 300 attendees from a variety of community colleges,
the University of California and California State University campuses, and several out-ofstate universities.
Eighth Annual Career Fair
Organized by seven students under the supervision of Professor
Stacey Rucas, the Eighth Annual Social Sciences Career Exploration
Day was held on May 1.
I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed day-to-day life in New York. I can’t help
but smile on my walk to work at Rockefeller Center. I’ve found that if
you open yourself up to the city, new opportunities quickly present
themselves.
Anthropology and geography graduate
Emily Neavitt chatting with Jane Goodall
in New York City, January 2014.
Most recently, I had one of these life-changing moments when I met
none other than British primatologist Jane Goodall. Interestingly,
I’ve managed to bump into quite a few celebrities here, from the
Kardashians to Barbara Walters, but I can honestly say that meeting
Dr. Goodall trumps them all. While we only spoke briefly, she told me
something very simple and yet so true that I’ll never forget it, “What
you do makes a difference.”
As a recent graduate, it’s easy to forget the meaning of these words
in the whirlwind of events that follow college, but I hope wherever
my path leads, I will be able to take that Mustang spirit with me and
make a positive difference!
Cheers from NYC!
The event included an informational fair, resume writing workshop,
graduate school advisory panel, and a young professionals panel. In
addition, several recent alumni were interviewed about their career
paths via Skype. The interviews are part of a new initiative to create a
consultative library for students on opportunities after graduation.
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C A L P O LY S O C I A L S C I E N C E S D E PA R T M E N T
ALUMNI \
ALUMNI UPDATES
From 2010-12, Lauren May (B.S., Anthropology and Geology, 2011) worked as
Marty Tweed (B.S., Social Sciences, 1981)
museum collections care management, laboratory analysis, and database
complete a master’s in social work at Sacramento
a research assistant at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, where she learned
Keep us updated on all of your post- Cal Poly endeavors!
» w w w.alumni.calpoly.edu/info or [email protected]
management. She also assisted museum archaeologists on research projects,
including archaeological survey and excavation in the Society Islands during
the summer of 2012. In 2013, May worked for the University of Hawaii Manoa
as a teaching assistant for the Kauai Archaeological Field School, helping to
teach archaeological field and laboratory methods to undergraduate students.
Roshanne Bakhtiary (B.S., Anthropology and Geography, 2013) has been
manager for TCI Marketing Services — a technology
environmental consulting firm in San Luis Obispo. Working extensively in
working with smart, motivated people, and seeing
working as a full-time archaeologist at Albion Environmental Inc., an
the field and lab, she has gained experience and insight into the professional
world of cultural resources management. This fall, she is attending UC
Davis, enrolled in the evolutionary anthropology doctoral program to study
archaeology and human behavioral ecology.
Since completing an archaeological field school with Terry Jones, Chris
Folsom (B.S., Social Sciences, 1987) went on to work as an archaeologist,
cultural resource specialist, and wilderness instructor for at-risk youth, and
is working as an artist, creating monumental sculptures. He is currently
working on a commissioned sculpture in Bakersfield, Calif., his third in that
area. Most of his other sculptures are in Oregon, where he resides the majority
of the time.
After Cal Poly, Daniel Galván (B.A., Sociology, 2012) went on to New York
University to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and student
marketing startup. Her favorite part of the job is
the results of her work in real time as the company
grows. Hill is also happy she was able to apply her
Field Office in El Dorado Hills, Calif. He is married with two children,
ages 17 and 14, and plans to travel to Peru this fall.
Mike Hibbard (B.S., Social Sciences, 1968) is professor emeritus in the
Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management at the University of
Oregon. Among other things, he is currently conducting a national study of
rural planning issues and practices, and he continues his long-time economic
development planning work with the Tlingit village of Kake in southeast
Alaska. He recently co-edited the fifth volume of “Dialogues in Urban
and Regional Planning,” a selection of the best scholarship in urban and
regional planning from around the world. Hibbard also co-authored a book
chapter, “Culture and Economy: The Cruel Choice Revisited,” in “Reclaiming
Indigenous Planning,” and an article, “The New Natural Resource Economy:
Environment and Economy in Transitional Rural Communities,” in the
journal Society and Natural Resources.
Since graduating, Emily Hill (B.S., Social Sciences, 2010) has turned her
anthropology focus into a marketing career. She lives and works in the
Bay Area, enjoying an exciting new gig as marketing programs operations
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welfare for 10 years before transitioning to
teaching. She worked with bachelor’s and
master’s programs in social work at San Jose State
University from 1994 to 2000. Currently Tweed
resources management companies based on Oahu, where she assisted in
is employed at CSU Monterey Bay in the Health,
archaeological survey and excavation, edited field reports and monitored
Human Services & Public Policy Department,
various sites in the Hawaiian Islands.
where she teaches social work courses and
Megan Nellis (B.S., Social Sciences, 2009) started her career with Intrax, a
coordinates the undergraduate field education
“real world,” she knew she was ready for a new adventure — one that would
Clayton Whitt (B.S., Social Sciences, 2004) is
decision two-and-a-half years ago, Nellis has joined the management team
sociocultural anthropology at the University of
working for the Columbia River Mental Health
agency. She works mostly in the field, assisting
high-needs clients, the majority of whom are
schizophrenic, with daily living skills to help them
stay out of the hospital and jail. Previously Hutchins
worked for 14 years as a social worker for the State
of Washington in the welfare office and as a mental
conflict resolution, and customer service. After spending a few years in the
take her to the rural community of Kamhlushwa, South Africa. Since that
of a grassroots, nonprofit educational organization called Imagine Scholar
South Africa. Imagine Scholar is a highly intensive mentorship and leadership
development program for youth across the disadvantaged Nkomazi region of
South Africa.
health assistant at a private psychiatric hospital.
Andrew Ovenden (B.S., Social Sciences, 1990) settled in Durham, N.C.,
Following graduation Cathy Jain (B.S., Social
the Department of Veterans Affairs to the University of North Carolina,
primarily working for then-supervisor David
enforcement ranger for the Bureau of Land Management at the Mother Lode
Department of Social Services in public child
Davida Hutchins (B.S., Social Sciences, 1981) is
started a doctoral program in urban education policy at the University of
Kevin Harrison (B.S., Social Sciences, 1992) works as a supervisory staff law
in 1986. She worked for the Monterey County
cultural exchange company, where she learned about project management,
Sciences, 1992) served a one-year internship at the
Southern California this fall.
State University in 1984 and a clinical license
interest in learning about people to marketing.
affairs. While pursuing his master’s, he also worked at Stevens Institute of
Technology in student affairs. Galván completed his degree in May 2014 and
From 2012 until recently, she was employed as a field assistant in cultural
graduated from Cal Poly and then went on to
San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors,
Blakely. Eventually she decided to follow her passion
and enrolled in the graduate program at San Diego
State University, where she earned a Master of
Arts in geography in 2000. After graduate school,
program.
a doctoral candidate and Vanier Scholar in
British Columbia, studying with Professor Gaston
Gordillo. Since October 2013, Whitt has been
pursuing his dissertation field research on how
climate change is affecting people in the western
highlands of Bolivia. When he’s not working
in Bolivia, he lives in Vancouver, B.C., with his
where he is transitioning from a position as a health science researcher for
partner, Liz, and two dogs
Chapel Hill, to pursue a master’s degree in public health with a global health
Since graduating in 2013, Marisa Wishart (B.S.,
to his 4-year old daughter. Ovenden earned a doctorate in sociology from the
living as a regional community outreach worker
concentration. He also enjoys being a part-time EMT and stay-at-home dad
University of Hawaii in 2002 and has focused his research on substance abuse,
disaster management, terminal illness, and public health. He is married to
Social Sciences, 2013) has been working and
with the nonprofit Sacramento Covered. Wishart
is responsible for connecting individuals and
families in Sacramento and the surrounding
Paula, a therapist and eating disorder specialist at Duke University.
regions to health insurance and other social
Jain was hired as a tenure-track faculty member at
Since graduating in June 2013, Hanna Panno (B.S., Anthropology and
teaching physical geography, meteorology and field
2013, she began an internship with the National Geographic Society, at its
Following graduation, Paige Wopschall (B.S.,
Earth, Space & Aviation Sciences Department.
with the production team, mainly on Geo-Tourism Map Guides and the 10th
Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo as an
Since graduating from Cal Poly, Danielle Krause
GIS intern for Cal Fire. In July, she accepted an offer as a GIS technician with
Palomar College and has been at Palomar ever since,
Geography, 2013) has already moved to the East Coast and back. In September
courses. Jain was recently appointed chair of the
headquarters in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the maps division
(B.S., Anthropology and Geography, 2011) went to
work for AmeriCorps for two years in the Napa
Edition Atlas. She returned to San Luis Obispo in December 2013 to work as a
Dudek, an engineering and environmental consulting firm in Encinitas, Calif.
County Office of Education, where she helped
Vanessa Pollitt (B.A., Sociology, 2013) has been working full time at
During her time with AmeriCorps, Krause decided
Pollitt began a master’s program at the University of Oregon. She plans to
master’s certificate program in public health. Krause
business.
develop a volunteer program for county preschools.
Albertsons and coaching the San Luis Obispo Swim Club. In September,
to continue her schooling and enrolled in an online
graduate in June 2016 with a master’s in business, concentrating in sports
is now working for the Sonoma County Department
of Health Services on obesity prevention. She plans
to go on to a master’s degree in public health in the
near future.
support programs.
Social Sciences, 2011) served at the Women’s
AmeriCorps VIP Fellow. From 2012-13 she
created and coordinated a pro-bono legal clinic
for victims of domestic violence. Wopschall was
awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Bulgaria for
the 2013-14 academic year. While in Bulgaria, she
taught English as a foreign language, provided
academic counseling, created an English
Drama Club, volunteered with the Red Cross,
and practiced Bulgarian folk dance. Currently
Since graduating, Lillian Sorheim (B.S., Social Sciences, 2002) has been with
the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department as a supervising deputy
probation officer assigned to Juvenile Hall. Her daughter, Vanessa Castellanos,
Wopschall is the administrative support
coordinator for the Women’s & Gender Studies
Department at Cal Poly.
is currently a senior at Cal Poly, also studying social sciences.
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STUDY ABROAD \
Professor Stacey Rucas in Thailand, summer 2014.
Cal Poly students building improved stoves in Peru as part of their study abroad experience.
FACULT Y AC TIVE IN S TUDY
ABROAD PROGR AMS
S TUDENTS WORK TO GIVE
BACK WHILE S TUDYING ABROAD
To foster the department’s emphasis on
cross-cultural study in its majors, Social
Sciences Department faculty members
have been active with Cal Poly’s
International Programs. This summer,
three faculty traveled to different
corners of the globe: Ryan Alaniz
taught students in Peru, Ben Timms
was co-director of the study abroad
program in Spain, and Stacey Rucas
was the residential director of the study
abroad program in Thailand.
Professor Ben Timms at the
Roman Aqueduct in Spain,
summer 2014.
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Although he took the summer off,
James Keese has also been heavily
involved with study abroad over the
last decade, taking students to Peru,
Spain and Mexico, and was one of the
original co-organizers for the program
in Peru. The Peru program features a
significant service component, where
students work to give back to local
indigenous communities.
For the past eight years, Cal Poly students
have been installing clean burning stoves in
indigenous communities in Peru, through
the service component of the study abroad
program.
All of the study abroad programs
offer Cal Poly students excellent
opportunities in international Learn
by Doing (or Learn by Going).
A goal of the department is to
develop scholarships to make these
opportunities available to more
students. If you are interested in
providing social sciences students
study abroad opportunities, give
online today ­—
http://bit.ly/givebacksocs!
Traditional Peruvian cooking methods use
open fires inside homes. The smoke has
serious health effects, especially for women
and children. The new stoves use chimneys
to improve indoor air quality and burn wood
more efficiently, reducing pressure on scarce
forest resources.
Professor James Keese has been awarded a
sabbatical during winter and spring 2015
to conduct a follow-up study on the stove
project. Working with the program’s partner
organization, ProWorld Service Corps, Keese
will conduct a household survey to determine
if there is sustained use of the stoves and
factors that contribute to their success or
failure.
Anthropology and geography major
Alejandra Camacho will accompany Keese
as a research assistant. She studied in Peru
last summer and will return in March to help
administer the surveys. Camacho plans to
write her senior project on the stove initiative
and will present the results of the study at a
professional conference.
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FEATURE \
WORK ING WITH U.N. ON
DISA S TER ISSUE AWARENESS
Sociology Professor Ryan Alaniz
— who joined the department
in 2012 — is involved with the
academic arm of the United
Nations, creating ideas that go
beyond theory to save lives in
disaster situations.
Important to this effort is a better
understanding of how other cultures cope
with disaster, including whether other
cultures share Western perceptions of what
constitutes a disaster.
Alaniz is working to understand these issues
and to instill a stronger sense of urgency in
the public. Alaniz was recently selected as
a World Social Science Fellow, along with
“Our job was to look at and develop an even
representatives from various countries, to
deeper framework of risk interpretation and
work with the United Nations University,
action to understand how people do or do not
to discuss disaster relief-related issues and
react when disasters happen,” said Alaniz.
possible protocols. Their goal was to develop “There were 21 participants, from all over
ideas that the U.N. and national governments the world, each with completely different
could use as a foundation for policy decisions. perspectives.”
i f w e c a n b e t t e r u n d e r s ta n d h o w p e o p l e
interpre t and ac t ba sed on risk, then we
c a n b e t t e r c r e at e s t r at e g i e s t o e d u c at e
p e o p l e d i f f e r e n t ly o r e n c o u r a g e p e o p l e
d i f f e r e n t ly w h e n t h e y fa c e r i s k .
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Alaniz recently attended seminars and
conferences in New Zealand and Bangladesh.
As he develops expertise, he plans to expand
his scholarship into more complex aspects of
disaster relief and risk, bringing what he has
learned back to the community level. Alaniz
believes there is much more at stake than
many realize.
“We know that disasters are increasing in both
number and intensity. We know that human
beings are more vulnerable because they
Ryan Alaniz (bottom right) and the rest of the World Social Science Fellows outside a Marae (traditional Maori
meeting hall) in Wellington, New Zealand, 2013.
are living in closer proximity to one another,
often with high levels of poverty. We are
going to see more disasters and more people
suffering, and a lack of national aid to deal
with disasters.
“If we can better understand how people
interpret and act based on risk, then we can
better create strategies to educate people
differently or encourage people differently
when they face risk,” Alaniz continued.
“It’s all tied together. Our impact on the
climate is affecting the number, type and
intensity of natural disasters. This is going to
change how people migrate and immigrate
throughout the world.”
Though research is his main focus, Alaniz
also works to bridge the divide between
broad issues of world disasters and action
in his local community. The first step is
introducing the importance of world issues
and perspectives in the classroom.
“I am trying to educate community members
and students about the realities of those who
are providing for them,” Alaniz said. “That’s
the kind of reality check I’m trying to bring to
the students.”
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FEATURE \
S TUDENTS CONTINUE
FIELD RESEARCH IN FIJI
Four anthropology and geography students
accompanied Professor Dawn Neill to Fiji
to conduct an undergraduate research project
this summer.
The students — Melissa
Anderson, Camilla Greenbach,
Kathleen Palmer and Mikaela
Vournas — conducted
ethnographic fieldwork exploring
the transition from a traditional
agricultural diet of root crops
and fish to a more urbanized diet.
In addition to researching food
choice, the students accompanied
villagers to farms and on foraging
and fishing excursions to map
food production locations using
GIS technology. In doing so, the
students combined the skills
they acquired in anthropology
and geography to create accurate,
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meaningful and informative
spatial descriptions of food
production in highland Fiji.
The summer pilot data will be
used by three of the students
for their senior projects and will
serve as the foundation for a
National Science Foundation
grant proposal to explore diet
transition in Fiji over the next
three years.
The pilot research was funded
by grants from the College of
Liberal Arts Circle of Giving
and the Cal Poly Extramural
Funding Initiative.
Top: Kathleen Palmer (front) with Fijian
research assistant, Asena, during a fishing
excursion on the Wainibuka River with a
bilibili, a bamboo raft.
Above: Camilla Greenbach (left) beside Fijian
research guide, Sailosi, during crop harvesting.
Greenbach is uprooting a cassava plant, a
Fijian staple tuber, similar to a potato.
Left: Camilla Greenbach and Kathleen Palmer learn how to make traditional Fijian food. Middle: Mikaela Vournas with Adi
and Oliva, sisters from one of the families participating in the research project. Right: Camilla Greenbach, Melissa Anderson,
Mikaela Vournas, Professor Dawn Neill and Kathleen Palmer enjoy a traditional Fijian feast during a birthday celebration.
FACULT Y \
FACULT Y AC TIVITIES
Ryan Alaniz
Ryan Alaniz had a busy year. He published two book chapters
and co-published two journal articles based on his work in
disaster-related issues with the United Nations University and
the International Social Science Council. Alaniz also delivered
a presentation in the United States, in New York, as well as in
Bangladesh, Germany and New Zealand.
He continues to serve as faculty advisor for the Cal Poly branch of
Engineers Without Borders, Nicaragua. Alaniz sits on the board of
directors of Restorative Partners, an organization that received the
Cal Poly President’s Community Service Award in 2013. He was also
named the California Faculty Association’s Distinguished Educator
Award the same year. Additionally, the San Luis Obispo Tribune
selected Alaniz as one of the Top 20 Under 40 professionals in
San Luis Obispo County for 2014.
Greg Bohr
Greg Bohr continues to enjoy teaching courses in physical geography,
climatology and geographic information systems (GIS), and his
ongoing research on climate phenomena affecting California. His
recent projects have focused on snowpack variability and weather
processes related to wine grapes.
In the past year, Bohr’s research activities have expanded to include
GIS-based analyses of food access in urban environments. Bohr
also represents the department and college on the Curriculum
Committee of the Academic Senate. Outside of academia, he and his
wife enjoy traveling, most recently to Turkey.
Harold Kerbo
Harold Kerbo continues his prolific scholarship. He published
articles in the Journal of Deviant Behavior and the Sociological
Spectrum and a chapter in “Overcoming Global Inequalities,” a
book edited by Immunal Wallerstein and Christopher Chase-Dunn.
Kerbo delivered presentations on economic development at the
University of Virginia and at an American Sociological Association
meeting on political economy of the world system at UC Riverside.
Additionally, Harold was a plenary speaker at the International
Sociological Association/World Congress of Sociology in
Yokohama, Japan.
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Terry Jones
Terry Jones led a study abroad program to Peru in summer 2012. In
fall 2013, he co-authored, with alumnus Brian Codding (B.S., Social
Sciences, 2005), a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Science titled “Environmental Productivity Predicts Colonization,
Migration and Demographic Patterns in Prehistoric California.”
In the spring, Jones co-authored a paper in the Journal of
Anthropological Archaeology, titled “Violence Among Foragers: The
Bioarchaeological Record from Central California.” This summer his
chapter,“The Pacific Coast of North America,” was published in the
book “The Cambridge World Prehistory.”
James Keese
James Keese continues to be actively engaged with Cal Poly’s Latin
American Studies (LAS) Program as co-director. He taught the Peru
study abroad program during summer 2013. Over the past two years,
the LAS Program has provided travel grants for students to volunteer
abroad in Argentina, Belize, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Peru.
Keese remains active in the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers.
Last year he attended the conference held at Lake Tahoe. This year
he will present a paper in Tucson, Ariz., on his current research on
improved stoves in Peru.
This summer, Keese and his daughter Maya traveled to Japan, where
they climbed Mt. Fuji. He also took a five-day rafting trip down the
Colorado River, hiking into the Grand Canyon from the south rim
and exiting the river at Lake Mead.
Dawn Neill
This summer, Dawn Neill began a new phase of international
research in Fiji, incorporating GIS and ethnographic methods to
explore nutrition transition in a traditional, subsistence-farming
village in the highlands of Fiji.
In 2013, she published a co-authored research paper in Evolution and
Human Behavior titled “The Effects of Residential Ecology on Patterns
of Child Work and Mother’s Reproductive Success Among IndoFijians.” During 2012 and 2013, she gave four invited talks on her
prior work in Fiji. Additionally, Neill received a promotion to associate
professor with tenure.
/ FACULT Y
IN MEMORIUM \
William Preston
Last spring, William Preston presented the paper “Management of
Grizzly Bears by Native Californians” at the annual meeting of the
Society of Ethnobiology in Cherokee, N.C. He also attended the 9th
International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in Vancouver,
British Columbia, and the annual meeting of the Society
for Ethnic Biology in Denton, Texas. Over the summer, Preston
traveled to London.
Stacey Rucas
This spring Stacey Rucas hosted the eighth annual California Workshop
on Evolutionary Social Sciences for students and faculty from seven
California campuses. In February, she presented a talk on women and
cooperation at the Society for Applied Anthropology in Albuquerque,
N.M. Rucas also continues work on sleep research, with three peerreviewed journal publications investigating the behavioral outcomes
resulting from sleep deprivation among firefighters.
Also this spring, Rucas served as an advisor to a group of graduating
seniors who organized and executed this year’s successful Social Sciences
Career Exploration Day, an event that seeks to educate students on jobs
and internships in the diverse fields within social sciences (pg. 4).
In the summer of 2013, Rucas escorted 28 students to Thailand and
Cambodia as part of a study abroad program (pg. 8). She also served as
resident director for Cal Poly’s International Education program in 2014.
Benjamin Timms
Over the past year, Benjamin Timms has engaged in a variety of
teaching, scholarly and professional activities. He continued to teach the
Professional Development for Anthropologists and Geographers course,
which contributed to multiple internships, graduate school acceptances,
and post-graduate employment for our students.
Additionally, he proposed a new course, Geography of the Caribbean. The
new course relates to his research in the region, including the 2013 article
“From Deforestation to Reforestation: Applying the Forest Transition to the
Cockpit Country of Jamaica” — co-authored with Melissa McCracken (B.S.,
General Engineering, 2010) — that appeared in the journal Area.
IN REMEMBR ANCE
BARBAR A LY NNE ROWL AND MORI
(194 6 -2 012)
Professor of Sociology and Former Chair
Professor Barbara Mori passed away Feb. 12,
2012, at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nev., following
a courageous battle with leukemia and having
lived 23 years with a transplanted kidney.
Mori was born in 1946 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the
daughter of William and Bertha Rowland. She
attended Hofstra University and majored in
history with a concentration in Chinese studies.
She graduated at age 20 and volunteered for the
Peace Corps in Korea.
On a post-graduation trip to Korea, she met
Japanese businessman Y. Mori. They moved
to Japan and married. When the marriage ended after five years, Mori
moved to Kyoto and studied tea ceremony with the Grand Tea Master of
Japan. She then pursued graduate studies at the University of Hawaii,
where she earned her master’s degree in Asian studies and her master’s
and doctorate in sociology.
Appointed assistant professor of sociology at Cal Poly in 1986, Mori
retired as a full professor in 2010. While at Cal Poly, she taught Sociology
of Gender, Race and Ethnic Relations; Sociology of Japan; and Women
of East Asia. She also taught courses in Chinese and Japanese culture
in the Humanities Program. Mori was active in the development of the
women’s and gender studies minor and also chaired the Social Sciences
Department from 2006-07.
Mori is survived by her brother, William F. Rowland of Nevada; sister,
Kathy O’Connell of Florida; and son, Christopher Y. Mori of California.
Over winter break, Timms researched sustainable tourism development
in the Corn Islands of Nicaragua, resulting in presentations at the
Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers in Panama City, Panama,
and the California Geographical Society Conference (CGSC). Four
students accompanied Timms to Los Angeles for the CGSC and presented
their research.
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THE GLOBE
Finally, Timms was the co-resident director of the Cal Poly in Spain
study abroad program in Valladolid, Spain. He accompanied 34 students
to Spain for five weeks to study and explore the cultural and physical
geography of the country.
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C A L P O LY S O C I A L S C I E N C E S D E PA R T M E N T
HONOR ROLL \
DONOR HONOR ROLL
THANK YOU TO OUR CONTINUED & FUTURE SUPPORTERS
Sandra J. and Howard G. Amborn
Janet C. and Mark C. Anderson
Mary B. and Kenneth L. Ayers
Kathleen S. Bigler
Brad Bissell
George E. and Susan N. Boero
Brett A. and Judy N. Borah
Claudia A. and Richard D. Bouslough
Angeli N. Calinog
Dan L. and Sharon L. Callahan
Jean L. and Vernon E. Carico
James Carroll
Joy Chambers
James R. Chance and Judith Keeble Chance
Richard L. and Susan M. Christie
Thank You
i r e c e n t ly g o t b a c k f r o m a l e a r n b y d o i n g
trip to fi ji for m y senior projec t w ith
dr. daw n neil l . w e w ere a bl e to l i v e in a
hi ghl a n d v il l age in fi ji f o r a m o n t h, s t u dy in g
how their nutrition has tr ansitioned through
t h e c o u n t r y ’ s u r b a n i z at i o n . w i t h o u t f u n d i n g
fr o m c l a a n d ot h er s, i wo u l d n ot h av e b een
a b l e t o h a v e t h e m o s t h a n d s - o n , e d u c at i o n a l
a n d i n s p i r at i o n a l t r i p o f m y l i f e .
—
melissa anderson
Jennifer L. and Thomas A. Christo
Marsha K. Cohn
Phyllis A. Coring
Karen P. and Paul E. Cornwell
Elizabeth M. and Narciso DeLeon
Scott A. and Lesley S. Dierks
Ellen V. Dihel
Christina K. Dugan
Bruce Eastlake
Phelicia M. Gomes Thompson
David and Judith M. Gorcey
Rich L. and Lark P. Granger
Linda M. Grealish
Johanna H. Reid
Cynthia C. and Richard M. Jones
Gail L. Roberts
Cory D. Kent
Theresa F. Robles
Gail R. and Mark W. Kniffen
Ellen Rosenberg
Judith A. Koerner
Lynn A. and William F. Rothwein
Judith L. Lewis
Brian D. and Laura Sakamoto
Prudence E. and Roy Lovtang
Diane K. and Ernest D. Shervem
Jerome E. and Cynthia A. Mason
Jane A. Shoemaker
Patrick N. McBride
Ruie Simmers Tomlin
Michael R. Meadows
Alane M. Simmons
Delfina Medina-Maloney
Patricia J. Soenke
Kelly J. Morrison-Reller
Carl K. and Janice L. Stack
Judith K. Nesbit
Fred Strasser
Patricia M. Ochs
John H. and Carlie L. Svinth
Anita K. Ochsner
Beverly A. Taylor
James P. Olmsted Jr.
Thomas M. Tobin III
Stefani F. Ortman
Calvin L. Truesdale
Dale F. and Carol L. Ouimette
Katherine L. and William R. Tuculet
John W. and Sherril A. Paul
Cathleen D. Vaughan
Rebecca I. Pazdernik
Richard Peter P. Villegas
Susanne M. Penner
Aurora R. and Angel G. Villon
Kimberly S. Petersen
Jessica M. Vincent
Janet D. Pittman
Travis W. Wheat
Audrey L. Porcella
Jessie E. Willis
Wendy S. Punches
William W. Wills
YOUR IMPAC T
SUPPORT SOCIAL SCIENCES
The deep knowledge gained in class combined with active experience in the field prepares students to make strong
contributions to an increasingly diverse and globalized world. Your generous gifts will ensure the continued success of
social science’s Learn by Doing approach. Here’s how your gifts can impact the department:
Increase the number and amount of scholarships
•
Cultivate internship and mentorship opportunities
Suzanne H. Heitzman
•
Support student travel abroad and conference attendance
Michael T. Hespe
•
Host career fairs on campus, providing students networking and professional development opportunities
Kurt R. and Melinda Holm
•
Bring guest speakers to campus, exposing students to new perspectives, ideas and techniques
Brenda K. and Luther B. Hughes
•
Fund faculty research and conference opportunities, enabling faculty to contribute knowledge to the world and
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C A L P O LY S O C I A L S C I E N C E S D E PA R T M E N T
bring leading-edge information and techniques back to2 campus
Suzanne J. Hawker
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Susan I. Jennings
•
Kevin C. and Kristen A. Hauber
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Louanne and Gerald H. Quilici
Melanie M. Dietz
Kevin S. and Michelle G. Harrison
18
Christian E. and Judith A. Iversen
Alida Bergseid Imbrecht
Barbara C. and John P. Ingram
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cla.calpoly.edu/socs.html
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/Cal Poly SLO Social Sciences
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and retaining top students and faculty in our competitive and increasingly global world. In order to continue providing
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