Anthro Dept changes

[Tanya Peres]

Colleagues:

After serving as Chair of the Department of Anthropology since August 2022, and the Graduate Program Director for five years prior, I have elected to return to the faculty,
effective July 1, 2024. I am proud of all that we have accomplished in that time, especially the renovation of the Carraway Building – allowing us to house all faculty, staff, collections, and teaching spaces under one roof for the first time in 21 years.

During my time as Chair, we hired six new tenured or tenure-track faculty members (nearly 50% of our current faculty). With this growth came the need for additional resources
 – I worked with Dean Huckaba to increase the department’s operating budget by 30% and added enhanced Wi-Fi in student research spaces to ensure students are able to complete their coursework and research. I worked with the College to secure raises and promotions for our staff and added a part-time Administrative Associate (shared with Philosophy) to the team. More excitingly, as of June 2024 that position will become a full-time Administrative Associate for the Department of Anthropology.

I, along with Jessi Halligan, Rochelle Marrinan, and Jayur Mehta, rebuilt the master’s program into a destination for aspiring archaeologists – we have boasted a 100% job placement rate since our first MA students completed their degrees in 2018. To this day, our graduates are eagerly sought out by state and federal agencies and private firms to fulfill key roles in various sectors, demonstrating the enduring value of our education and training programs. I have widely engaged our vast alumni network to secure donations and internship opportunities for our students.

Another significant milestone during this time was marked by the first visit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to our department. While Theresa Schober, our Associate Curator, organized the initiative, we collaborated closely to host representatives from the Seminole Tribe of Florida within our department. While only one facet of FSU’s relationship with the STOF, nurturing this relationship between the Tribe, their THPO office, and FSU is of utmost importance. Currently, we are working with the College to hire a Collections Manager to assist the Associate Curator as we move forward complying with the new NAGPRA regulations.

I am grateful to have served the department in these leadership roles. The dean has approved a research leave for the academic year 2024-2025, and I am excited to reconnect with my research and students.  Wishing you all a wonderful and productive summer.

Best,
Tanya


Dr. Tanya M. Peres, Chair
Professor
Department of Anthropology
Florida State University
850-644-8201


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