Stephen Paff

Stephen is a cultural anthropologist. With an additional background in mathematics and programming, he is interested in combining analytical approaches with ethnographic insights. As a former teacher, he strives to understand how culture influences human learning and decision-making.

In his free-time, he is:

• Literally trying just about any foods he can
• Planning camping trips to the Rocky Mountains
• Conducting his own math projects in abstract algebra and topology for the fun of it

Helena Ottoson M.A.

Helena is an Applied Anthropologist. The past decade has been spend in consumer research, and as a Swede, she finds American contemporary living fascinating. She is equally happy hanging out with painters and plumbers rummaging through their trucks while discussing how the economy influenced their expansion of trade skills, as she is asking to see what is in the back of a woman's intimates drawer to figure out how personal life events change underwear preference.

More fun projects:

• Mobile phone use and self identity among Hispanic Millennials.
• Student and teacher learning and teaching techniques.
• Use of label makers.
• Federal recognition case of the Little Shell Chippewa of Montana.

Cherry Hunsaker-Clark M.A.

Cherry is an Applied Anthropologist who has spent the last 13 years researching human behavior. From consumerism to anti-corruption initiatives, Cherry is thrilled to talk to people about how they use their electronics or observe how they select their frozen potatoes. She is always fascinated with the "why" behind decision making.

During any given week you might find Cherry:

• Reading for her Ethnography book club because she is passionate about both reading and creating ethnographies - everyone has a story to tell.
• Making some zero-waste clothing or up-cycling a thrift store find because she is passionate about making her own clothes.
• Picking up trash in her local park with her three children, because she is passionate about her family and raising her three children to be Eco-conscious citizens of the cosmos.

Amy Bayersdorfer M.B.A.

Amy is a creative problem solver and community builder with deep experience in business and technology. She now uses her extensive business experience in the areas of energy, social justice, and non-profits. She speaks the languages of multiple functional areas, enjoys translating between them, and travels fluidly between the forest and the trees of business objectives. Her superpower is recognizing people's individuality.

• Amy is available for a road trip on a moment's notice, and can be recognized in her car with the eyelashes
• She enjoys cooking, believing that conversations shared over a meal creates stronger connections
• Her home is filled with art and artisan crafts, providing beauty and creativity
• She also enjoys paying it forward by mentoring young entrepreneurs as they launch their businesses

Clarissa Dieck M.A.

Clarissa is an applied anthropologist whose research interests lie at the intersection of human-technology interactions and education. She is particularly interested in how individuals' identities and attitudes towards different media and technologies affect the ways they use and interact with them. Most recently she has worked with a STEM-based educational nonprofit where she supported general education teachers as they implemented engineering programming and technologies in their classrooms. She is looking to continue to explore her research interests through other tech-focused opportunities.

You can usually find her:

• Experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen
• Listening to her favorite podcasts in the company of her cats
• Going on a walk in her neighborhood in sunny San Diego