Giving

Marysia Galbraith in the Woods Quad sculptureThank you for your interest in giving to the Department of Anthropology. The generous support and continued involvement of our alumni and friends allow us to do more in research, educate our students better, and more actively serve the local and regional anthropology community.

We humbly welcome tax-free donations to any of the following initiatives:

Endowed Graduate Scholarships

The Dr. Milady Murphy Endowed Scholarship in the Anthropology of Health and Wellness Scholarship is awarded to support graduate students who are enrolled in the anthropology graduate program and who are conducting research on the anthropology of health, illness, and wellness.

The Vernon James Knight Endowed Scholarship in Anthropology is awarded to graduate students who are enrolled in the anthropology graduate program and who are conducting research on the anthropology of art and design, with a preference for iconography projects. Secondary consideration shall be given to undergraduate majors with the same research interests.

The John Cottier Endowed Scholarship in Anthropology is awarded to graduate students who are studying Southeastern United States archaeology as defined by the Southeastern Archaeological Conference.

The Allen R. Maxwell Endowed Anthropology Scholarship is awarded to support graduate student research in the areas of ethnography or linguistic anthropology. Established through a bequest from Dr. Maxwell’s estate, it is our first award specifically dedicated to ethnographic or linguistic field research.

The David and Elizabeth DeJarnette Endowed Scholarship in Anthropology is awarded to support graduate student research on Moundville or Mesoamerica-related topics. Each spring, the award is made during the popular DeJarnette BBQ, held at Moundville Archaeological Park on the Saturday of Honors Week. Since it was founded in 1993 by Sarah and James Caldwell, the endowment has steadily grown. In recent years, our DeJarnette Scholars have received awards of as much as $8,000.

Gift Funds

The Anthropology Field School Gift Fund goes to the support of our undergraduate field schools in archaeology. Our field schools receive no budget from the University and depend heavily on these gifts for supplies and operating expenses. Our annual field schools for undergraduates date back to 1956, and, traditionally, they are among the most memorable experiences of our alumni.

The Anthropology Lectureship Fund goes to support distinguished guest speakers from outside the University. We try to have at least four guest speakers per year. These speakers greatly enrich our undergraduate and graduate programs by exposing our students to prominent ideas by the leading lights in our discipline.

The Hughes Prize recognizes students who have captured the imagination of the faculty by potential, intransigence, inventiveness, perseverance, insight, or a combination of those traits.

The James R. Bindon Endowed Lecture Series on Biocultural Anthropology and Health features guest scholars who can speak to interdisciplinary questions that make biocultural anthropology such a vibrant area for research and study. This series, and the endowment establishing it, are named in honor of our retired colleague, Jim Bindon.

The Richard A. Krause Award is given for academic excellence at the graduate level in anthropology. The recipient of this annual award is chosen by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department based on classroom performance and the promise of the student’s proposed thesis or dissertation research project.

The C. Earle Smith Award is given for academic excellence at the undergraduate level in anthropology. The annual award goes to the graduate senior in anthropology having the highest overall grade point average. Names of former “Smitty” Award winners are prominently displayed on a plaque in the Department.

Checks directed to any of these initiatives should be made out to the UA College of Arts and Sciences and mailed to the department at the address below. If you would like to discuss a contribution, please contact Department Chair Dr. Jason DeCaro or College of Arts & Sciences Director of Development Kelli Harris.