Undergraduate Student Profile: Moriah James

I am currently a junior socio-cultural anthropology major looking to focus my concentration on heritage. My experience outside of the classroom began my sophomore year as a volunteer in Dr. Mark Leone’s archaeology lab under the guidance of Tracy Jenkins. It was here where I gained experience with cleaning and cataloging artifacts. As a volunteer for Maryland Day 2016, I had the opportunity to explain to visitors how archaeologists interpret artifacts of the past and what they can tell us today. Getting this face-to-face experience made me realize why our department’s focus on practicing applied anthropology is so critical.
Starting in the Fall of 2016, I have been working as an undergraduate researcher with the Deal Island Peninsula Project (DIPP) under Michael Paolisso, Katherine “Jo” Johnson, and Liz Van Dolah. The primary task assigned to me was to create a research paper on the histories and heritages of African Americans and Native Americans living on the Deal Island Peninsula the Eastern Shore. Something emphasized to me was to write this paper in a way that is accessible to communities outside of academia and for other DIPP stakeholders. Additionally, I am a member of the Student Affairs Diversity Advisory Council (SADAC), a recent addition the department’s Diversity Committee and the Secretary of ASA—join us on Facebook!
As a CIVICUS graduate, my first two years of college consisted of volunteering around the local community and in the greater D.C. metro area. Whether it was volunteering as a language partner with international graduate students or tutoring Latina Elementary schoolers, volunteering in multicultural communities is incredibly important to me and has influenced my future career goals. Some of my other interests include African American studies, museum studies, and cultural and heritage tourism. I hope one day to use the skills that I continue to learn here at Maryland to help in ways that ultimately benefit others. 

Published on Mon, 03/06/2017 - 09:20