NIU Department of Anthropology

10/16/2026

We love busy weeks with engaging programming!
This week we had Cassie Coffey (DuPage Children's Museum) present at the The Pick Museum of Anthropology at NIU's "Pros at the Pick" series, and Dr. Aaryn Mustoe (Southwest Regional Primate Research Center) speak on his work on aging and pairbonding in marmosets.
Thanks to both speaker for sharing your work with us! 📚😍📚😍

10/15/2026

10/14/2026

Tomorrow! We are so pleased to host Dr. Aaryn Mustoe for these two talks. Join us if you can!

10/12/2026

Wow, we are overwhelmed by the response so far to our fundraising efforts! We hit 62% of our fundraising goal of $6000, and there are 2 weeks remaining.
To those who generously shared, THANK YOU! 😍
If you were on the fence, or hadn't gotten around to it, or you're hearing this for the first time - you can help get us to the finish line! A donation of any amount gets us closer. ❤️

10/12/2026

Today, October 12, we recognize Indigenous People's Day - it's a great moment to remind ourselves of NIU's land acknowledgement here:

The three locations of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Naperville and Rockford occupy the traditional homelands of Anishinaabe peoples—Niswi-mishkodewinan, also known as the Council of the Three Fires—comprised of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Odawa. Other Indigenous peoples who call this ...

10/08/2026

Day 3 of crowdfunding and we're so grateful to everyone who has already contributed! 😍😍😍
Cultural Anthropology students like our alumnus Rokibul Islam use interviewing and other qualitative research tools to probe peoples' perceptions and outlooks - all very useful in understanding cultural differences and the sources of conflict!
Please consider a donation to help us reach our goal!
https://give.niu.edu/anthropology-students-study-the-world-help-them-get-there

10/08/2026

Ever wondered about the “paleo diet”? Here is an expert’s take!

Did our ancient ancestors really eat the way today’s “paleo” diet enthusiasts imagine?

Find out during the edition of AIA Archaeology Hour, featuring Briana Pobiner from the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program!

📅 October 21, 2026 | Briana Pobiner
⏰ 8pm ET | 7pm CT | 6pm MT | 5pm PT
Register: https://buff.ly/PnnFhyG

In "What Was the REAL Paleodiet?" Briana Pobiner will separate fact from fiction by exploring evidence from fossils, stone tools, genetics, and studies of living humans and chimpanzees. Discover how human diets evolved over time and why human meat-eating is unlike that of any other species.

All registrants will receive a link to the recording after the webinar!

📸 Briana Pobiner at the ancient footprint site of Engare Sero, Tanzania. Credit: Cynthia Liutkus

10/07/2026

The Newman Civic Fellowship program honors and supports students who are committed to addressing public challenges at member institutions of Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to advancing the civic and public missions of higher education. NIU is pleased to r...

10/07/2026

Day 2 of our crowdfunding to benefit our amazing MA students. Can you help us start strong? 📚😎
https://give.niu.edu/anthropology-students-study-the-world-help-them-get-there

10/06/2026

IT'S TIME!
Every fall we fundraise so that we can continue to fund our amazing MA students with modest seed grant. This helps them conduct cutting-edge research and travel to conferences to share their finding.
Beat the rush and donate today? We are so grateful for support in any amount!

Join me and make a gift to Anthropology Students Study the World – Help Them Get There!