Student Researchers
Leveraging the distribution of CSU campuses across California, Indicia is deploying seniors and graduate students in the social and behavioral sciences across their local communities, seeking insights into how people connect emotionally to their personal technology, especially smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Students are doing participant-observation, conducting formal and informal interviews, and collecting oral histories, about people and their consumer electronics. Students are encouraged to develop their own lines of inquiry, while also collecting data that will support the development of ethnographic decision tree models for predicting future energy consumption in the state.
Student Reports on Research Conducted Spring 2017 for EPIC Cybersensitive Project
Student Reports on Research Conducted Fall 2016 for EPIC Cybersensitive Project
Jacob Bowen
Jacob Bowen is currently a student at CSU San Marcos, and will graduate in 2017 with a BA in Medical Anthropology. After graduation, he is hoping to attend law school where he will focus on immigration and health policy. Jacob is a passionate individual who loves to get involved in any project he can find. Currently he is working with the Global Studies department on campus to produce a film on the human trafficking town hall. In his free time he loves to travel, watch films, and cook.
Mikhayla Brown
Mikhayla Brown is currently an undergraduate majoring in Indigenous Anthropology with a minor in Ethnic Studies. She works as a student assistant for the Anthropology Department at California State University in San Marcos. To gain field work experience, Mikhayla has taken a course on cultural competency with Dr. Konane Martinez, which involved creating and conducting an online survey for the NCHS San Marcos Health Center, as well as conducting a focus group with the medical staff. Prior to going to CSU San Marcos, she attended and graduated from Palomar College where she received an AA degree in World Language. She hopes to one day apply what she has learned to conducting research on the concept of nerd culture and the increasingly growing gaming community. She also hopes that this research will end up promoting diversity within the black community. In her spare time, she is playing League of Legends with online friends, reading online articles relating to gaming and being alternative in the black community, and watching YouTube videos relating to game theory.
Chi Chang
Chi Chang is currently double majoring in Criminology and Anthropology at CSU Fresno. Her love of research has led her to work with Dr. Hank Delcore on transportation issues around campus, and she currently conducts an independent study on students’ social factors surrounding sleep under the guidance of Dr. Dvera Saxton. Aside from this, Chi is a huge animal lover and during her free time can be found lounging on the couch with her Pom-Yorkie mix furball named Yogi. She also loves music and food. She is open to trying new foods and while she tries to perfect her somewhat existing cooking skills, Chi also loves to travel and looks forward to studying abroad in Japan this upcoming summer.
Paige Connell
Paige is a sociology major at Chico State. Her main area of interest is power inequalities and how they work, whether they are based around gender, race, wealth, geography, or ability. Understanding the way these systems operate is vital to dismantling oppression, which she believes is a top priority. Paige is currently conducting content analysis that looks at the portrayal of romantic relationships in popular music videos, with a special focus on how such cultural artifacts may normalize unhealthy or abusive dynamics. She is also interested in psychology, namely in how society influences people's behaviors and thoughts, and what role human psychology has in shaping society. Her favorite activities include reading, watercolor, sending postcards, and trying new recipes. She also enjoys visiting California state parks and historical landmarks.
Nina Doering
Nina is a student at San Francisco State University studying Journalism and Social Sciences. Originally from San Diego, her interests were formed through moving to the Bay Area for school and studying abroad in France. Her passions lie in human factors, sustainability in urban spaces, and sociological studies. She is fascinated by the interaction between communal norms and sustainable practices, as well as the ways in which different social groups utilize technology. On any given day you may find Nina working part-time at a San Francisco coffee shop, kicking herself for not wearing sunscreen, or pondering her relationship with her computer.
John Ehlers
John is a graduate student of anthropology at CSU Long Beach. His previous ethnographic work focused on the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society and that organization's role in its members' social and intellectual identities. In a similar vein, his graduate thesis is concerned with issues of identity and spirituality within the Jediist community, whose members follow the spiritual tradition described in the "Star Wars" movies. More generally, John wants to examine the phenomenon of the internet from a anthropological perspective and find the ethnographic and research models that can best fit social groups which exist primarily or solely online. He believes that new media studies will be instrumental in reaching those communities and presenting the academic research about them. John worked previously as a maker of documentaries and commercials, and hopes to utilize those skills in his graduate work and future career. For fun, he holds his breath underwater for long periods in order to chase seals with a waterproof camera. The seals are faster swimmers than he is.
Nathanael Grant
Nathanael is a senior at California State University, Long Beach, and is looking to graduate with a BA in sociology. He is currently beginning a research project engaging in a comparative study of military recruitment in various parts of Los Angeles. Nathanael is looking to attend graduate school following the completion of his undergraduate degree, with further research interests broadly involving the qualitative study of global political movements and their contributions to a broader understanding of applied political theory. He also engages in self-study within a variety of related disciplines, including history, philosophy, and cultural studies. When Nathanael is not studying or working, you may find him training to compete in powerlifting, binge watching the office again, or practicing amateur martial arts at a local hardcore show.
Samantha Howell
Sam holds a BA in Anthropology with a concentration in Historical Archaeology from James Madison University. She is currently working on her M.A in Anthropology, focusing in Environmental Anthropology. Her research is concentrated on how rural Paraguayan farmers are adapting amid increasingly persistent climate induced stressors and an oppressive political climate that has historically shaped the context for their vulnerability. Her other research interests include development, sustainability, cultural impacts on subsistence-based communities, material culture, resource management, globalization, corruption, education systems, ethnomusicology and Latin America.
Andy Lopez
Andy is majoring in anthropology and is interested in its cultural aspect. Andy is also minoring in music and hopes to one day start a project in music ethnology, perhaps a project on globalization of folk-metal or maybe one on school music festivals. His future interests include working with indigenous rural communities in southern Mexico to learn and understand traditional environmentally conscience resource-consumption practices. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings one can generally find Andy volunteering at Helping Hands Food Pantry, distributing food to the local homeless population. He is also the kind of fellow you would constantly bump into throughout campus at the most random locations. Andy enjoys all sorts of music genres, from indie-rap to prog-rock, metal and latin-jazz (not much modern pop radio though). He also enjoys philosophical discussions and debates, any great anime series, smiling, and getting to know people in person, instead of over social media.
Dana Muensterman
Dana is in her last semester at Chico State and will graduate in May 2017. She was raised in beautiful Bend, Oregon, living near the Cascade mountain range. Dana originally wanted to study French and become a teacher, but was introduced to the wonderful world of anthropology. She is pursuing a degree in Social Science with a primary focus in Anthropology and a secondary focus on Multicultural and Gender Studies, while also obtaining a minor in French. Dana is excited about this intership because she feels that it will open doors to other possibilities and careers that she had not thought of. Her plans after graduation include travel to Southeast Asia for volunteer work on farms and helping local families.
Cynthia Ortega
Cynthia is a student of anthropology at Cal State San Marcos. She graduates in Spring 2017 and hopes to continue her studies by focusing on phsychological anthropology in graduate school. She is especially interested in working with communities that have experienced trauma, and strongly believe all individuals have the right to exist in equality. She is an advocate for human and animal rights, loves to practice yoga, be outdoors, and can always be found with a copy of good strong coffee in hand.
Paul Parrett
Paul is a junior level anthropology student working towards his PhD. His interests are primarily in spiritual healing and neo-shamanic practices, with an emphasis on millennials. His current work includes being a research assistant, and data analyzer on contemporary Pagan belief in the Fairy, as well as apothecary owner and grounds keep. With an eye for finding connections, and a gregarious joyful attitude, Paul seeks to share the human experience in a well-constructed, social scientific way. When not slaving away at the student's desk, you may find Paul: Crafting teas, tinctures and elixirs for practical ailments and beauty. Puttering around the garden, and practicing his kung fu. Reading tarot at the local bookstore, and peddling charms and spells to whimsy seekers for the right price.
Courtney Pickens
Courtney currently attends CSU San Marcos and will be graduating in May 2017 with her B.A. Sociology concentrating on children, youth, and families. She enjoys doing research, however, would like to eventually become an academic advisor to at-risk youth. This is her first research internship and she is really excited to gain experience in the field. Her plan after college is to look into a Masters Program that would allow her to work and attend school simultaneously. The Sacramento area is where she is considering to live after college as it is closer to her family in Modesto, California.
Flor Saldana
Flor is a current MA student in the department of Sociology in California State University San Marcos. Her research areas are sociology of education and medical sociology. Her thesis work explores how Latinos self-rate their health and how that is impacted by their relationship with their doctor and type of health insurance. Flor plans to pursue a PhD and become a professor. She would like to continue doing sociological research in health and education. In her free time, Flor enjoys doing Zumba, Yoga, hiking, playing outside with her two children, reading Parents magazine, and experiencing new places and cultures. Coffee is a must!
Tucker Seifert
Tucker is a senior, majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Sociology at Sonoma State University. His educational background is grounded in social theory and the four fields of American anthropology. Tucker is interested in the social sciences and how socio-cultural anthropology can be applied towards a better understanding of human existence, particularly in today's society. He is a teaching assistant for Linguistic Anthropology, and last semester he held the same position for Sociology of Religion. He is trained in ethnographic methods and has conducted fieldwork in order to study substance use. By combining theory and methods from anthropology and sociology, he conducts research on topics such as ethnopharmacology, sociology of deviance, and legal anthropology. Tucker is absolutely fascinated with humans and finds their behavior interesting and perplexing. While not studying or working, Tucker loves to play sports, especially basketball, where he finds an opportunity to engage in a fun activity while also using an anthropological lens to observe social dynamics and behavior. Additionally, Tucker likes to listen to music, sing, and play the drums and guitar. His favorite band is the Beatles, plus an array of genres from doo-wop to Jazz, as he enjoys exploring the interrelationship of music, society, and culture.
Amanda Wurtz
Amanda is an aspiring Cultural Anthropologist who will shortly graduate with her BA from California State University Channel Islands. Being a California Native has inspired Amanda to spend the last decade conducting field research on sub-cultures within the Los Angeles area. Most of her research has been geared towards the mind of an artist and how all forms of art, especially music, affects people’s day to day lives. After earning her degree, she plans to travel to Europe and attempt to trace back the lines to find the beginnings of art and culture. Although her attentions are within the realm of culture, Amanda has also had experience in applying anthropology within the business realm and has helped to assist places of business with fundamental knowledge on how to maintain a healthy business that employees, managers, and customers all enjoy. A slight workaholic, Amanda’s gears are always turning and any curve balls that are thrown, she’ll take a swing at.