Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology News

The Seventh Annual Dr. Lindsey Powell Memorial Conference will take place on WKU's main campus on Saturday, February 15, 2020. Five anthropology students will present papers based on their original research projects and field experiences.

Following refreshments and opening remarks at 9:00 am CST, students will give 15-minute presentations and answer questions from the audience.

• Hannah Banks "Struggles with Chronic Illness: Investigating Autoimmune Diseases" This ethnographic study examines the experiences of women who live with autoimmune diseases, focusing on themes such as blame, self-advocacy, and healthcare system failures.

• Allison Cook "The Malnourishment Epidemic" In an attempt to destigmatize the word "malnourishment," this study examines the complex and diverse nature of inadequate nutrition, its impacts in developing and developed countries, and potential solutions to eradicating malnutrition.

• Jordan Mansfield "Vasagard Archaeological Project" This paper describes recent excavations at a Neolithic (ca. 350-2700 BCE) settlement in Denmark, focusing on artifact analyses and functional interpretations of causewayed enclosures.

• Ariana Pedigo "An Ethnographic Study of the Dance Program at WKU" Using a holistic approach, this research examines the development of community within the WKU dance program, demonstrating that, at its core, dance is not just an art, it is a lifestyle.

• Ginny Willoughby "An Ethnographic Study of Employment in Historic Preservation and Allied Trades" In the face of workforce shortages in the historic preservation trades, this research examines young peoples' knowledge of and perspectives on this career, offering suggestions for insuring sustainability and diversity within these growing professions.

Dr. Lindsey Powell was a devoted and inspiring anthropology professor at WKU from 2009 until his untimely death in 2014. He guided many students into careers and graduate programs in cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, visual anthropology, and Asian studies. Beloved by students, one described him this way: "He encouraged people to do what they really wanted to do. He was a man who had his own passions but was more than happy to help you go somewhere else and do something different if that's what you wanted to do. In a lot of ways, he just tried to make the world he lived in a better place. And he did." After his death, students asked that the annual anthropology student conference be renamed in his honor.

The event will be held in Fine Arts Center 239 and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Kate Hudepohl at kate.hudepohl@wku.edu.