One of the greatest advantages of majoring in SOA is the opportunity to do research in your field. UIS students in the SOA program have worked on projects in archaeology, anthropology and sociology both locally and abroad. Here are just a few examples of student research:
James Farris (SOA) and Debbie White (BIO 2004) collect stone suitable for making arrowheads and other prehistoric tools on Kiser Creek in Pike County. This was part of research on ancient toolmaking (ca. 10,000 years ago) from an archaeological site discovered during investigation of the New Philadelphia historic town site.
White and Farris are working with Professor Lynn Fisher (SOA) and Dr. Michael Wiant (Illinois State Museum). Preliminary results were presented in a poster at the 2004 UIS Science Research Symposium (2nd prize for student research!). As the project nears completion, the group is preparing an article for publication.
Social Science Research Methods (SOA 411) is a hands-on learning experience right here on campus. Students learn about conducting social research by choosing and designing a class project and conducting surveys and interviews with UIS students. Data and results can also be used for a senior thesis, or by anybody interested in the topics. Professors Jonathan Isler and Jennifer Manthei offer SOA 411 every year. Contact either of them to learn more. Some recent research projects:
Fashion, Expression, and Attraction: A look at fashion at UIS, including how UIS students dress to express themselves as individuals, to be appropriate in different contexts, and to feel attractive.
Same-Sex Marriage: An investigation into ideas about same-sex marriage and related issues, with an emphasis on building community at UIS.
In 2002 and 2004, undergraduate students joined UIS Professor Lynn Fisher for 3-1/2 weeks in Blaubeuren, southern Germany. Students participated in a German-American research project on Stone Age social and economic landscapes in southern Germany, learned to identify and map Stone Age sites, and explored the kinds of tools and pottery made in this region from Neolithic to Roman times. In 2007, six undergraduate students and one graduate student will receive support to participate in the NSF-funded field course. We will carry out test excavations on Neolithic sites near the modern city of Ulm. The 2007 field course will run from July 18 - August 16. Read more about the 2007 field course. For more information, contact Lynn Fisher at fisher.lynn@uis.edu.
Study Abroad: Nicaragua/Globalization. Women's Studies Professor and Anthropologist Heather Dell is leading a group of UIS students to Nicaragua to study working conditions and effects of globalization. Read more in an October 2006 article in the Journal, a UIS student publication.
