Santa Clara University Anthropology

07/09/2024

New piece on Cabo Pulmo in Sierra magazine:

Some fear tourism could be the end of Cabo Pulmo

05/29/2024

Shobha Joneja advocates for representation of Indigenous people in Santa Clara.

04/20/2024

Please join the SCU community and anthropology colleagues across and beyond SCU to honor our dear colleague and friend, Michelle Bezanson, next Saturday on SCU’s campus. We hope to see you there♥️

04/19/2024

Our deepest condolences to Dr Michelle Bezanson’s family. We lost a treasure in the science world. She was one we will never forget. She was wonderful with her students and with the local kids. She would always make time for the local kids teaching them recycling and doing conservation play learning. When she came to the site everyone including the monkeys knew it. She was a special person with a big personality and heart. we will never forget you. We will be planting an almendro tree with the primate students in your honor. Our 16 meter bridge being renovated on trail “A” will be named the Bezanson bridge. We will also add you to the La Suerte hall of fame museum when we finish the construction. Michelle you touched so many loves and will always be remembered. ❤️🙏

04/18/2024

SCU Department of Anthropology is profoundly sad to share that we lost our dear colleague, teacher-scholar and friend, Dr. Michelle Bezanson, to cancer on Tuesday, April 16th. A biological anthropologist and primatologist, Michelle joined our Department in 2006, earned tenure in 2012, and became full professor in 2020.

As a professor, she received SCU’s Logothetti Teaching Award and the University Award for Recent Achievement in Scholarship. In 2022, she was inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for her research excellence in primatology, biological anthropology, and field ethics. Her last publication, “News and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology,” (2024) presented an international forum of primatologists on the use of terminology in primatology and conservation research.

Michelle’s love for our Department and students was immeasurable. From leading students in a field course at the La Suerte Biological Field Station in Costa Rica to working with students to publish the Department’s community standards, she was selflessly committed to our students’ learning and wellbeing and always encouraged them to value themselves and the world around them.

For nearly 18 years, her love of art, science, sense of humor, and creativity filled our 3rd floor O’Connor hallway, each senior spring banquet, and every moment of celebration and pause. It is not possible to capture the depth of her generosity and spirit in words. We are heartbroken but know she would want us to celebrate the precious time we had with her and all that she did to make our Department a generative place to think and learn in. Our hearts are with her husband, Hari, their sweet Blue Heeler, Walter, and her parents, Liz and Warren Bezanson.

We love you, Michelle. We will continue to cherish and honor your life and work in our teachings and presence here at SCU. ♥️

08/17/2022

New publication by Dr. Michelle Bezanson with amazing colleagues: Allison McNamara, Michelle Rodrigues, Rahayu Oktaviani, Montse Franquesa, and Martin Kowalewski.

Linking Conservation Goals to the Conservation Education Outcomes and Assessment