UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A group of budding anthropologists recently spent two weeks at Penn State engaged in timely and important research, thanks to the Penn State Department of Anthropology’s ARISE program.
Founded in 2022, ARISE (Anthropological Research in Science Education) is a summer institute designed to spur interest in integrated anthropological sciences among undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups within the discipline.
Ten students were selected from this year’s pool of 35 applicants to participate in the program — two Penn State students and eight undergraduates from schools in California, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and Mississippi. During their time on campus, the students worked closely with anthropology faculty and graduate students to receive intensive training in theoretical problem-solving skills, data collection and analysis methods, the ethics and historical background of the field, and applications of anthropological sciences within and outside academia.
“I was very impressed with the group we had this year — they’re just really inspiring students who had phenomenal applications,” said ARISE program director Laura Weyrich, associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Penn State. “They’re all very passionate — and using their interest in anthropology in different ways. Meanwhile, they’re also building a network of fellow scholars within the space.
“Whether they plan to go on to graduate school or an industry job, the program provides students with that foundation and training that will help them along their journey,” Weyrich continued. “And for us, ARISE is a way to change the dial for the discipline. Right now, there’s a pipeline problem, and we need to find more equitable ways for the profession to promote young people from underrepresented groups.”