Newsletter: November 2002
Nancy Vuckovic, Contributing Editor
This month marks the start of my tenure as contributing editor of the SMA column for AN. I want to thank my predecessor Ann Miles for setting a high standard for the column and for her kind help as I transitioned into the role. I’m happy to have Janelle Taylor as assistant corresponding editor for the column. We’ll be working together in the coming months to create columns that are a forum for exchanging ideas and promoting collaborations. We will also look to you—the column’s readers—for suggestions about what you’d like to see in the column, and for contributions that will make it speak to and for medical anthropologists. We welcome articles, position papers, editorials and photos for the column, as well as announcements of events, research opportunities and awards.
Announcements
Five SMA Invited Sessions at the 2002 AAA Annual Meeting will cover varied and important topics, including theory and methods, global feminism, diabetes, and culture in biomedicine. Refer to the final meeting program for time and location of these sessions.
Two SMA special events at the AAA Annual Meeting have the needs of junior medical anthropologists in mind. “Career Options for Medical (and Cultural) Anthropologists: Exploring the Range of Possibilities” will target recent doctorates in medical and cultural anthropology, advanced graduate students, and cultural anthropologists who are rethinking their career paths. Six panelists representing a wide range of career paths will offer the audience concrete guidance in negotiating careers, answer audience questions, and outline the range of job opportunities available to those interested in exploring the connection between anthropology and health-related fields. Panelists will include Margie Akin (Molina Health Care), Sue E Estroff (Dept of Social Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill Medical School), Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts (National Cancer Institute), Kathleen MacQueen (Family Health International), Nancy Vuckovic (Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research) and Stan Yoder (Macro International).
“How to Fund Your Dissertation Research: Crafting a Proposal that Succeeds” will provide instruction and practical advice for graduate students in medical and cultural anthropology who have begun the process of writing a dissertation proposal. Stuart Plattner (National Science Foundation) and Pamela Smith (Wenner-Gren Foundation) will join Beverlee Bruce (Social Science Research Council) and Mark Chavez (National Institutes of Health) to explain exactly what each granting institution looks for in a successful proposal. They will identify research topics and strategies best-suited to each institution, as well as the top 10 mistakes to avoid. Attendees will be able to ask questions about their own projects and speak to grant officers from each organization.
Both panels are scheduled for Thurs, Nov 21, from 6:15-7:30 pm in Esplanade Rooms A and B of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Check the final program to confirm locations. We hope to see you at these special forums.
The SMA Student Membership Committee meeting is open to all graduate and undergraduate students interested in taking an active part in SMA activities. We will discuss a series of new opportunities opening up for junior medical anthropologists through the SMA, and evaluate the most pressing needs of graduate students working their way through medical anthropology programs. The Student Membership Committee meeting will take place on Sat, Nov 23, from 12:15-1:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Rampart Room on the fourth floor. Bring your lunch and join us!
The SMA website is an important companion information venue to this column because it offers an immediacy and flexibility of size that a monthly newsletter cannot have. Look to the “Newsletter” feature of the website as a place for longer articles, interactive discussions and fast-breaking news. Betsey Brada, the SMA webmaster, deserves kudos for a website with great “stickiness.” Got you curious? Visit the website at www.medanthro.net.
Expect a small increase in membership dues: An additional $8 for members and $5 for students. The increase was approved by the board last Jan to help fund development and maintenance of the new SMA website. The increase was delayed until after the Sept launch of the website.
Students with thesis or dissertations on medical anthropology topics are urged to send their citations to the SMA webmaster (webmaster@medanthro.net). Include your email address if you’d like others to contact you to discuss your work.
Questions about what or when to submit to this column? Call or email Nancy Vuckovic at 503/335-6734, nancy.vuckovic@kpchr.org; or Janelle Taylor at 206/543-4793, jstaylor@u.washington.edu.