On this episode, Dr. Massimo Lando (City University of Hong Kong) hosts show show and interviews Dr. Michael B. C. Rivera (The Arch and Anth Podcast) about the move they're making to Hong Kong, and their reflections on the life they've led together since the launch of the podcast in May 2019. Michael created The Arch and Anth Podcast on May 13th, 2019, and since then has released 150 episodes. He talks about the early inspirations for creating the podcast and what was involved in the initial preparation. As Massimo was there too for all the time the podcast has been active, they also discuss h ..read more

Today, Stefan Milosavljevich (Stefan Milo on YouTube) talks to us about his inspiration and process of creating YouTube videos all about archaeology, anthropology and human evolution. How did Stefan get started on YouTube and what first inspired him to start doing videos on his passion subjects of archaeology and anthropology? What does he believe are the keys to producing a quality video? What have been the most popular videos on the channel and how is his approach of using academic sources for his videos an important factor in designing the content? As two science communicators using differe ..read more

On today's episode, Dr. Lena Karvovskaya (Utrecht University) is on the podcast to talk about her current work as a research data manager, as well as her earlier PhD research studying theoretical linguistics and the grammar of possession. In complex data management, how does Lena work with users with projects that need new connections? In what ways does her building community between users and her university library help research data get collected and shared? How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed her role in these large-scale scientific projects? We also talk about Lena's PhD thesis that look ..read more

Aqeel Ihsan (York University) is an anthropology PhD candidate focusing on South Asian diaspora currently living in Canada. Topics of Aqeel's interest include South Asian diaspora's memories of the 1947 partition of India into two republics (now India and Pakistan), concepts of 'home' and 'belonging', and how grocery stores, restaurants and kitchens at home serve as spaces for ethno-national identities to be established and continually evolve. What inspired Aqeel to move from working as a high school history teacher and return to university pursuing graduate studies? What happened in 1947 to t ..read more

In this episode, Dr. Katie Tucker (The Solomonic-Zagwe Encounters Project) takes us through her multitudes of osteoarchaeological research experiences, beginning with The SolZag Project that centers upon the interactions between the Zagwe Kingdom (900 - 1270) and the Solomonic Dynasty (1270 - 1974). For Katie's work at the Gännätä Maryam Rock Church and the Washa Mikael Rock Hewn Church, near Lalibela, what interesting environmental and historical aspects characterize these medieval-period sites? What do we know so far about the human skeletons found at Gännätä Maryam, and what questions still ..read more

For this edition of the podcast, Sofia Carrera (University of Michigan) is on the show to speak about her new research looking at how early life adversity affects health, hormones and development, with her newest paper out speaking on these themes in the study of gelada monkeys. What is the landscape like in the Ethiopian Highlands, and how do gelada monkeys find food and interact with each other in this environment? How What are glucocorticoids and how do they give animals the ability to better respond to environmental or social stressors? What unique factors come into play when Sofia studied ..read more

Today, Dr. Noel Hidalgo Tan (SoutheastAsianArchaeology.com; Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre; SEAMEO SPAFA) is on the show to talk about public outreach, rock art and building capacity in regional archaeology in Southeast Asia. Noel currently works with the education and culture departments in Bangkok, Thailand, as part of the work done by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA). We speak about the role of archaeology in different countries, and how they relate to different ministries and departments dependent on historical c ..read more

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Son (University of Sheffield) introduces us to her work in Korean studies, performing human rights research and monitoring, and investigating news reporting and media, popular culture and social movements, as well as nation-building, identity, security and peace-building on the Korean Peninsula. What career and personal life influences led to Sarah living in East Asia and now researching historical and sociopolitical relations between North Korea and South Korea, as well as nation-building projects and identities within each state? What were the main events that led ..read more

In this episode, Dr. Cara Ocobock (University of Notre Dame) talks to us about her investigations in human biology, anatomy, physiology, evolution, energetics and environmental adaptation. One the main projects she is involved in assesses cold adaptations among reindeer herders in Finland. What are the daily and seasonal activities of reindeer herders living around the Arctic Circle in the north of Finland? How does Cara collect ethnographic and biological data that will give clues as to how these indigenous communities are adapted to the cold behaviorally and physiologically? What is brown ad ..read more

To close out the week, Carmen Lucia Cano Roca (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) is on the show to share her work in food science, food safety and Salmonella microbiology. Which multiple disciplines does food science draw from? For her PhD research, how does Carmen study how risks of Salmonella infection can be better controlled? How did Carmen take what she learned in her earlier life and education in Guatemala, and choose food microbiology as her chosen scientific discipline? What are the different physical, chemical and microbial hazards food scientists are concerned with? Where are the diffe ..read more