Anthropology
Ten Stories That Shaped 2020
The past twelve months were a year like no other for Harvard and the world. Under the backdrop of a once-in-a-century pandemic, students took classes from all over the globe, while pushing for social change at the University and on the political stage. Here, The Crimson reviews ten stories that defined 2020 at Harvard.
Anthropology Dept. Takes Stock of Gender Issues
An eight-month investigation by The Crimson uncovered allegations of sexual harassment against three senior faculty in Harvard’s Anthropology Department and a department culture that placed women at a disadvantage.
Anthropology Dept. Forms Eight Committees in Response to Harassment and Gender Bias Concerns
Harvard’s Anthropology department has formed eight subcommittees — along with hiring an external consultant and launching faculty outreach efforts — in order to address long standing climate issues revealed this past summer.
University Dismisses Student’s Title IX Complaint After Gen Ed Clash Over Race, Gender
Harvard dismissed a Title IX complaint from a transgender student this month who alleged comments Anthropology professor Arthur M. Kleinman made during a public confrontation during a General Education class in September constituted sexual misconduct.
Dominguez, Urton, Comaroff Accusers Request Seats on New FAS Title IX Committee
Twelve women who have accused Harvard faculty of sexual harassment or misconduct penned a letter to Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay Friday requesting representation on a new committee being formed to review the FAS’s interim sexual harassment policy.
Accused of Sexual Harassment, Anthropology Prof. Gary Urton Files Retaliation Complaint Against Accuser
Harvard Anthropology professor emeritus Gary Urton filed a retaliation complaint against a former graduate student on Aug. 31 for publicly sharing the findings of an investigation which found Urton abused his power by making a sexual advance towards her.
Anthropology Prof. Gary Urton Abused Power During Sexual Advance Toward Student in 2012, University Investigation Finds
Harvard’s Office for Dispute Resolution determined that Anthropology professor Gary Urton made a sexual advance toward a student and abused his position as a teacher when he solicited then-graduate student Jade d'Alpoim Guedes to join him in a hotel room in 2012.
Anthropology Prof. John Comaroff Placed on Administrative Leave Following Allegations of Sexual Harassment
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay placed Anthropology and African and African-American Studies professor John L. Comaroff on paid administrative leave Monday afternoon following allegations that he sexually harassed students and retaliated against those who spoke out against him.
Anthropology Prof. Urton Plans to Retire Amid Investigation into Sexual Harassment Allegations
Anthropology professor Gary Urton told colleagues in the department that he plans to retire in August, two months after he was placed on leave amid allegations of sexual harassment.
Anthropology, African and African-American Studies Students Call for ‘Transformative Change’ in Petition to Department Heads
Students distributed a petition Monday outlining steps toward “radical, truly transformative change” to department structures they say facilitated abuse, beginning with the removal of three faculty accused of sexual misconduct.
Anthropology Faculty Call for Urton’s Resignation as More Former Students Accuse Him of Sexual Misconduct
Twenty-five members of the Harvard Anthropology faculty requested professor Gary Urton’s immediate resignation Thursday. Two former Ph.D. students told The Crimson this week that Urton sexually harassed them when they were graduate students.
Anthropology Prof. Urton Placed on Administrative Leave After Sexual Harassment Allegations
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay has placed Anthropology professor Gary Urton on paid administrative leave following allegations of sexual misconduct against him, she wrote in an email to Anthropology students, faculty, and staff Wednesday morning.
Anthropology Department Removes Urton as Undergrad Studies Director After Sexual Misconduct Allegation
Harvard’s Anthropology department has removed professor Gary Urton as the Director of Undergraduate Studies in light of allegations that he pressured a former student into “unwelcome sex,” per an email sent to undergraduate concentrators Tuesday.
Harvard Anthropology to Form Committee to Address Department’s ‘Long-Standing Problems’
Harvard’s Anthropology department chairs wrote in an email Saturday that they will “work to dismantle” structures that contributed to “an environment in which abuses continue to manifest and go undetected” in response to a story published by The Crimson Thursday.
Protected by Decades-Old Power Structures, Three Renowned Harvard Anthropologists Face Allegations of Sexual Harassment
Senior Anthropology professors Theodore C. Bestor, Gary Urton, and John L. Comaroff have weathered allegations of sexual harassment, including some leveled by students. But affiliates said gender issues in the department stretch beyond them.
Appeals Court Dismisses Former Professor’s Tenure Lawsuit
A federal appeals court last month affirmed a district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit by former Harvard associate professor Kimberly S. Theidon, ending her long-running lawsuit alleging that the University unfairly denied her tenure.
Jury Could Hear Former Associate Professor’s Gender Discrimination Suit Against Harvard, Judge Says
A lawsuit brought by former Harvard Associate Professor Kimberly S. Theidon alleging the University unfairly denied her tenure could be headed to trial after a federal judge said at an appeal hearing Wednesday that the case may be better left to a jury.
Harvard Senior Becomes First DACA Recipient to Win Rhodes Scholarship
Two Harvard seniors — Brittany N. Ellis '19 and Jin K. Park '18-'19 — have won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Park is the first-ever beneficiary of DACA to become a Rhodes scholar.
Augmented Reality App Lets Museum Visitors Experience Sphinx
The app allows viewers to engage with a reproduction of Thutmose IV’s “Dream Stela,” which sits between the legs of the Sphinx.
Court Dismisses Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Harvard
A federal judge ruled last month that former associate professor Kimberly S. Theidon failed to prove Harvard violated Title IX policies in denying her tenure.
Archaeologist Randall White Talks Early Art at the Peabody Museum
“In my whole career, I’ve never had the sensation I had when I turned over the block from Blanchard and saw an image that no one had seen for 37,000 years,” White said.
Mary Steedly, Cornerstone of Anthropology Department, Dies at 71
Steedly, remembered for her eloquent writing, unfussy demeanor, institutional dedication, and passion for dogs, died on Jan. 4 due to breast cancer. She was 71.
Semitic Museum Hopes to Break Mold with Sphinx Casting
Scholars and students have labored over resin and molds with to bring a piece of the Great Sphinx—or at least a facsimile of it—to Cambridge.
Under the Wall
Ieva Jusionyte, an associate professor of anthropology, talks about the politics of security on the U.S./ Mexican border, and how border security and first responders deal with threats and hazards that cross borders.