Washburn Sociology and Anthropology Department

06/03/2026

Read the news from the College, and find out about upcoming events, in the CAS June newsletter: https://us8.campaign-archive.com/?u=fc98bab8d24a96664851c7cd0&id=fcb7162e79

06/03/2026

Applications have been reopened for two positions serving the Charles Curtis House State Historic Site in Topeka! See details at https://www.kansashistory.gov/11403

The Curtis House is the former residence of Vice President Charles Curtis located near the state capitol.

The Kansas Historical Society is seeking a Full-time Site Administrator and a Part-time Assistant Site Administrator. Job duties can be found via the link above. This is a great opportunity for someone with a love for sharing history with others.

These opportunities will be open until filled. The positions have been reopened to seek a wider pool of applicants. Those who applied during the initial opening of these positions need not apply again; your application will continue to be considered.

The Charles Curtis State Historic Site is not yet open to the public.

06/02/2026

Day 7 of Explore Japan with Dr. Park! The students experienced “shinkansen” aka a bullet train for a day trip to Yokohama, the second largest city and a port city, which included visiting the Ramen Museum, Cup Noddles Museum, and the largest Chinatown in Japan. They made a traditional instant ramen from scratch — from kneading to packaging. Some even had a chance to participate in a local festival.

Washburn University College of Arts and Sciences

05/31/2026

Today in Scotland, Dr. Laura Murphy led a geoarchaeological and human landscapes field program for 26 fellow geoscientist professionals at two sites: Cairnpapple Hill and Castlelaw Hill Fort, both near Edinburgh.

The group explored different uses of high ground: from the sacred, ceremonial, and astronomical aspects of Neolithic-Bronze Age henges and burials featured at Cairnpapple to defensive fortifications during the Iron Age-Roman Period at Castlelaw Hill Fort, which features ditches from a former palisade and an underground chamber for storing food supplies and for shelter.

Dr. Murphy’s contribution was just one part of a week-long excursion hosted by the Geological Society of America to visit the birthplace of modern geological theory of the Earth proposed by James Hutton and published in several volumes in the late 1700s. There will also be a gala and a symposium in the coming week in honor of Hutton’s 300th birthday.

The development of modern archaeology in Scotland in the 1930s and 40s would use stratigraphic nomenclature and an understanding of site formation processes - foundational from Hutton’s work.

Sikonna the Eastern Shawnee dog stuffie from Great Council State Park in Ohio has continued his travels with Dr. Murphy to sacred sites around the world.

Geoarchaeology Division of the Geological Society of America

Washburn University College of Arts and Sciences

05/31/2026

Explore Japan! Day 3 & 4: the group visited the Meji Shrine for spotting shinto weddings, a local temple, Harazuku, and Skytree along with visiting a sister school, Commerce Univ of Chiba (CUC), for doing Dr. Park’s sharing culture. Students are ready for the weekend and they will adventure on their own.

Washburn University College of Arts and Sciences
Washburn University Office of International Programs

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

We have our first update from the Explore Japan study abroad crew!

Check out the photos from Day 1 & Day 2. After a group arrival photo, the students packed in a ton of activities by visiting numerous shrines, temples, museums, and miso tasting - not to mention the exhausting work of getting Dr. Park around! Then, everyone got to experience a “sushi-zume” on the train - which means they were packed in like sardines.

Washburn University College of Arts and Sciences

Washburn University Office of International Programs

05/27/2026

🚨Our department spring semester newsletter is here! Be sure to check out all of the amazing things our faculty and students accomplished! Have a fantastic summer, everyone!

Link:https://www.washburn.edu/academics/college-schools/arts-sciences/sociology-anthropology/newsletters/2026-spring-SOAN-Newsletter.pdf

05/25/2026

Ever wondered what it’s like to be an archaeologist? Don’t miss your chance to work with one of our fantastic community partners this summer. Time is running out!

May 29th is the LAST DAY to register to join the Kansas Historical Society and Kansas Anthropological Association for the 2026 Kansas Archeology Training Program field school in Russell, Kansas. The field school allows participants to learn more about Kansas History, get hands on experience in archeology, and meet other participants with common interests. Register at https://bit.ly/reg2026KATP.

05/16/2026