September 9, 2020
Professors Konane Martinez, Laurette McGuire (CHABSS) and Richard Armenta (CEHHS)
have been invited to serve on a San Diego County wide "Regional COVID-19 Taskforce for Equitable Recovery." The CSUSM News Center Article explores this work.
April 4, 2020
The Anthropology Department is proud to announce that Jessica Garcia has received the Dean's Champion Award for Schoarship and Creative Works. Jessica was nominated by Dr. Spenard for her excellence in research and scholarship in Archaeology. Congratulations Jessica!
About Jessica:
Jessica found her passion for archaeological research while studying at Palomar College and made her mark in archaeology here at CSUSM. She accompanied Archaeology Professor Dr. Jon Spenard last summer to Belize to investigate ancient Maya cave rituals. “Although the jungle and cave environments we were working in were challenging, she excelled and demonstrated herself to be a well-rounded researcher. My team placed two excavation units that season, and she was in charge of one of them from beginning to end. Jessica’s work with me is establishing the foundational knowledge that all future work there will build upon for generations to come,” said Dr. Spenard. Jessica also contributed to collecting informal interviews with Maya community partners in Belize to learn more about the symbolic significance of plants they use in cave rituals, what plants in the jungle are useful and for what purposes, what kind of spirits live in the caves who demand rituals, and about local healing practices. She’s presented her research finds at undergraduate research conferences as well as professional and cultural interest groups including Southern California Mesoamerica Network. Jessica has also co-authored a report on her work in Belize with Dr. Spenard. All these accomplishments illustrate her intellectual prowess and tenacity as a scholar. Congratulations, Jessica! Your curiosity and research embody CHABSS and CSUSM’s core values and highlight the meaning ofUnderstanding the World, Improving Your Community!
