LAKERS TOGETHER: View the university’s COVID-19 response. Also, be sure to complete the online daily self-assessment.
Faculty and Staff
Faculty at a Glance - view contact information, areas of interest, and office hours
FULL TIME FACULTY
Dr. Karim Alizadeh
Visiting Professor
Office Address: 229 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8217
Email: alizadek@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Harvard University
Anthropologist/archaeologist, social inequality, social complexity, early urbanism, border studies, collapse of Late Antique empires, ceramic studies, Southwest Asia
Dr. Elizabeth Arnold
Associate Professor
Office Address: 225 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8936
Email: arnoleli@gvsu.edu
B.A., M.A, University of Manitoba
Ph.D., University of Calgary
Anthropologist/Archaeologist - Plant and animal studies within the archaeological record
Dr. Kristin Hedges
Assistant Professor
Office Address: 226a Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8212
Email: hedgeskr@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., University of Arizona
Medical Anthropology - Kenya, urban United States
Dr. Tara Hefferan
Affiliate Professor, Internship Coordinator
Office Address: 224 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8924
Email: hefferta@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Applied Cultural Anthropology - Haiti and the United States (Focus on Grand Rapids), economic development, midwifery
Dr. Gwyn Madden
Professor
Office Address: 223 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-2721
Email: maddeng@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Physical Anthropology - Bioarchaeology, paleopathology, mummy studies
Dr. Russell Rhoads
Associate Professor
Office Address: 234 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-3018
Email: rhoadsr@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Kentucky
Applied sociocultural anthropology - Africa and Latin America, resettlement, refugees and migration, community engagement
Dr. Mark Schwartz
Professor; Interim Curator
Office Address: 220 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8518
Email: schwamar@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Archaeology - Near East, Great Lakes, underwater archaeology
Dr. Christopher Shaffer
Assistant Professor
Office Address: 226 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8210
Email: shafferc@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Washington University
Biological anthropology - Human variation, conservation ecology, ecological anthropology, hunting technology
Dr. Heather Van Wormer
Associate Professor, Department Chair
Office Address: 221 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8673
Email: vanwormh@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Historical archaeology/ Cultural anthropology- Intentional communities, social memory, historical anthropology, social movements, North America and New Zealand
Dr. Deana Weibel
Professor
Office Address: 227 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-3346
Email: weibeld@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
Cultural anthropology - United States and France, Religion and pilgrimage, tourism and space exploration
Dr. Michael Wroblewski
Associate Professor
Office Address: 230 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8931
Email: wroblewm@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., University of Arizona
Linguistic anthropology – indigeneity, language revitalization, language and identity, language variation and change, Amazonian Ecuador, U.S.
CURRENT PART-TIME & AFFILIATED FACULTY
Dr. Janet Brashler
Retired
Phone: (616) 331-3694
Email: brashlej@gvsu.edu
Ph.D., Michigan State University
Archaeology - Eastern United States and Middle East, ceramic analysis, Native Americans and social justice, cultural ecology
Dr. Cindy Hull
Professor Emerita
Email: hullc@gvsu.edu
Angela Reed
Adjunct Professor
Office Address: 222 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-8933
Email: reedang@gvsu.edu
STAFF
Wesley Jackson
Collections and Information Management Specialist
Office Address: 249 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-3395
Email: jacksowe@gvsu.edu
Barbie Young
Office Coordinator
Office Address: 231 Lake Michigan Hall
Phone: (616) 331-2325
Email: youngb@gvsu.edu