- The Learning Environment
The Learning Environment
The Anthropology Department offers courses in three subfields of anthropology: archaeology, cultural anthropology and biological anthropology. Archaeology is a discipline that employs a multitude of historical and scientific methods to study past societies through sites and remains. Cultural anthropology is the study of shared and transmitted beliefs, behaviors and products within human societies. Biological anthropology is the study of the origins and evolution of our own species and our primate relatives.
Classes offered by the department range from large lecture to small seminar formats. Students complete a capstone senior seminar in addition to a range of area studies and theoretical or problem-oriented courses. Students in biological anthropology engage in laboratory work, while those studying archaeology perform practical research on sites and artifacts. The department also offers opportunities to conduct independent study and research under the supervision of a faculty member.
About Our Facilities
The Department of Anthropology office is located at 380 Academic Center in the Ellicott Complex. The department holds classes in centrally scheduled spaces throughout the campus, which include traditional classrooms and lecture halls that can accommodate the program’s teaching philosophies.
Archaeology students who enroll in the department-sponsored field school have the opportunity to conduct artifact identification and material analysis in a working Cultural Resource Management (CRM) firm, UB’s Archaeological Survey.
The Cultural Anthropology program provides students with opportunities to learn about and conduct research on many contemporary issues, including migration, environmental policies, warfare, medical care, and religion around the world.
The Biological Anthropology program has two specialized lab spaces: a wet lab to conduct specimen dissections and a morphology dry lab outfitted with a skeletal collection. In addition, there are several research groups such as the Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, the Hominin Movement Lab, and the Applied Primate Behavioral Evolution Lab.
The Marian E. White Anthropology Research Museum and Anthropology Library provide resources to undergraduate students conducting research.
About Our Faculty
The Anthropology Department includes fifteen full-time faculty who specialize in various fields within cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology. Dr. Sirianni and Dr. Bacigalupo have each received awards for excellence in teaching. Dr. Sirianni is a State University of New York Distinguished Teaching Professor and has also been recognized with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Bacigalupo has received the Student Association's Milton Plesur Teaching Excellence Award. Recent internal and external evaluations have given high marks to the department.
Faculty List Directory
Please visit the Anthropology department website for additional information about our faculty.