UO Condon Hall
Anthropology

Research

The Department of Anthropology is composed of three subfields: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, and Sociocultural Anthropology. We are dedicated to better understanding human cultural and biological origins and diversity through research and training, and our faculty is committed to the advancement of knowledge through local, national, and international programs of research.

Two women working in a factory

International Recognition

We have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, World Health Organization, and various private foundations and international agencies, and our work has been published in Nature, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. We are highly interdisciplinary natural scientists with ongoing collaborations with one another, other anthropological subfields, researchers across the UO campus, and scientists around the world.

Our Research Labs

The Department of Anthropology is distinctive in its integration of the anthropological subfields via five areas of expertise and focus: Evolution, Ecology, and Environment; Indigenous and Minoritized Groups; Food, Health, and Society; Identity, Heritage, and Globalization; and Sex, Gender, and Sexuality. We have multiple labs across campus with ongoing research, as well as research projects happening across the world.

African Archaeology Lab, CON 268
Archaeobotany Lab, CON 265
Archaeology Teaching Lab, CON 204
Biological Anthropology Teaching Lab, CON 368
Cultural Lab, CON 315
Global Health Biomarker Lab, PAC 12
Human Animal Lab
Island and Coastal Archaeology Lab, Millrace 112
Isotopic Paleoecology Lab, PAC 13
Molecular Anthropology Lab, PAC 7 & 10
Primate Morphometrics Lab, CON 313
Primate Osteology Lab, CON 302-304
Southeast Asian Archaeology Lab, CON 256
STAR Lab, CON 355
Zooarchaeology Lab, CON 264
Larry Ulibarri

"Our students success starts in the classroom, arming them with knowledge, the scientific method, and feeding their hopes and passions. Beyond the classroom our campus is full of resources and opportunities: advising, career building, research, travel, grad school prep, internships, grants, clubs, and more. I get to help students live and build their dream."

-Larry Ulibarri, Professor of Biological Anthropology 

Give to the Department of Anthropology

Learn More about Giving to CAS

Research Across Disciplines

Our cultural program is highly interdisciplinary and involves collaborations with the other anthropological subfields, with researchers across campus, and with international scholars. The research experience and skills students gain can be used in careers in law, medicine, education, government, business, and other fields.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Recent Publications

Read the recently published work of faculty across the department.

Recent Publications

News

A spaceship flies in a futuristic city scape
Learning from Aliens
ANTHROPOLOGY - Professor Phil Scher uses science fiction and alien cultures to teach anthropology—and to challenge college students’ assumptions about humanity. In Anthropology and Aliens, a 100-level course in the Department of Anthropology, students examine speculative and science fiction to learn how societal structures influence behavior and culture—similar to how anthropologists study real-world societies.
a student sorts through dirt
The Ducks can dig it
ANTHROPOLOGY - Meet Gabi Gauthier, a UO student with a passion for Oregon history who studied at Connley Caves Field School this past summer under the mentorship of UO alum and Professor Katelyn McDonough. As a freshman, Gauthier was considering a STEM field. However, after taking classes with McDonough, BS ’14 (anthropology), Gauthier knew she wanted to officially major in anthropology with a focus on archaeology.
a collage of nine headshots of new Latinx studies professors
Meet the Latinx Cluster Hire: Ramón Resendiz
ANTHROPOLOGY - The College of Arts and Sciences is investing in its Latinx studies courses by hiring nine new tenure-track faculty members. Ramón Resendiz is one of the faculty members hired as part of this initiative. He joins CAS in fall 2025. Coming from Indiana University, Bloomington, Resendiz’s research investigates the relationship between historical institutions, visual culture, and documentary media in the process of seeing and imaging the history and citizenship of Latinx and Indigenous Peoples in the US.