College of Liberal & Applied Arts

Department of Anthropology, Geography & Sociology

  • SFA Anthropology

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Welcome to the Department of
Anthropology, Geography and Sociology

This diverse department offers programs of study in anthropology, geography, sociology and sustainable community development. Our curriculum is designed to produce graduates who can succeed academically and professionally through the abilities to reason, gather information, communicate, solve problems and adapt to dynamic environments.

Areas of Study

Lumberjack Spotlight

  • DR. CECIL ANALYZES HISTORY THROUGH POTTERY 

    Backed by a multiyear National Science Foundation grant, Dr. Leslie G. Cecil researched Mayan pottery from Mexico, Belize and Guatemala to determine if ritual pottery or the ideas surrounding the pottery were being exchanged. As a result, she created a publicly accessible database of pottery with more than 1,500 samples. 
     

    Dr. Leslie G. Cecil

    Dr. Leslie G. Cecil, Professor

  • LINKING CLASSROOMS: PROFESSOR PUTS RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE

    Dr. John C. Pruit, SFA assistant professor of sociology, studies the long-lasting lessons preschool teaches students. Studying education and preschool teachers in particular has influenced Pruit's own teaching style. Through his research, he has realized that preschool teachers both teach and care for their students, which is something he tries to achieve in his own interactions with college students.

    Recently, Pruit received the Teaching Excellence Award for being an outstanding faculty member in the College of Liberal and Applied Arts.

    Dr. John C. Pruit

    Dr. John C. Pruit

  • ALUMNUS OCRAN SOLANO WINS SOCIOLOGY AWARD

    Solano was awarded the 2017-18 M.B. Wade Outstanding Sociology Graduate Award, which is given annually to recognize an outstanding sociology graduate. Solano is currently working with international clientele, using multiple languages, as a travel professional. 

    Ocran Solano

    Ocran Solano, Class of 2018

  • ALUMNUS MICHAEL ZERINGUE WINS GEOGRAPHY AWARD

    Zeringue was awarded the 2017-18 William T. Chambers Outstanding Geography Graduate Award, which is given annually to recognize an outstanding geography graduate. Zeringue is pursuing his goal of being an engineering officer in the U.S. Army. He aspires to obtain a master’s degree in the engineering field.

    Michael Zerinque, Class of 2018

    Michael Zerinque, Class of 2018

Transformative Experiences

From assisting with the installation of museum-quality exhibits to cleaning up historic cemeteries, Lumberjacks have access to unique hands-on experiences that bring anthropology to life.

Labs and Technology

Labs and Technology

Providing our students with real-world lab and field experiences – like working with historic collections and researching alongside professors – leads to significant career advantages after graduation. Our well-equipped Anthropology and Archaeology Laboratory houses facilities for processing artifact collections and accommodates extensive collections of artifacts from prehistoric and historic sites in Texas.

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Community Impact

Community Impact

SFA’s anthropology, geography and sociology students get involved in a variety of community initiatives. In fact, our students have participated in cleanup and preservation projects at historic cemeteries, organized food and toy drives, and led a variety of eco-friendly activities, such as campus recycling campaigns and community farming initiatives.

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Meet Our Students

  • Kaitlin Stewart

    Kaitlin Stewart

    As a freshman, Kaitlin became the youngest presenter at the 2018 American Association of Geographers annual conference. Her presentation on the Chin immigrant group earned her an honorable mention from Supporting Women in Geography.

  • Katherine Coleman

    Katherine Coleman

    “It was a wonderful opportunity to be in the Applied Skills Internship. We learned so much from our internship and from Mr. Edgar.”
     

  • Randy K. George

    Randy K. George

    Randy participated in a rewarding summer internship with the nonprofit Neighborhood STRONG. He assisted in its mission to identify and refurbish housing for qualifying families in Lufkin.

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