anthropology Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Missouri State University’s Dr. Scott Worman presented the anthropology program’s High Impact Educational Experience (HIEE) success rates at the Society for American Archaeology annual conference. The conference was held April 29-May 3 in San Francisco, California.

Worman is an associate professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology (SAG). He also serves as the department’s anthropology program coordinator.

In “Dig Up Opportunity in Your Backyard: Accessible Field Training for Undergraduates,” Worman discussed how adopting commuter field schools has allowed Missouri State students to engage with multiple HIEEs. This solution provides hands-on training in archaeology as well as how the university makes that training accessible to students.

Commuter field schools offer numerous benefits, Worman said. Students enjoy a range of scheduling options that accommodate their busy lives. As “work-integrated learning experiences,” field schools also encourage sustained engagement with surrounding communities and create “school-to-career pipelines” for graduates.

“Completing an archaeological field school is required for someone to be able to begin working as a professional archaeologist,” Worman said. “So these field schools open the door to careers.”

Worman collaborated with Dr. Elizabeth Sobel, professor of anthropology, and Kevin Cupka Head, director of the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) for the research and presentation.

Missouri State University’s Dr. William Meadows, professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology, continues to enjoy a prolific research and writing career.

The University of Texas Press will issue a second edition of Meadows’ “Comanche Code Talkers of World War II” in the fall of 2026. The second edition contains over 60 pages of new material.

The first edition has sold over 10,000 copies, Meadows noted, and still generates requests for him to speak, conduct research, and advise museums, universities, government entities and Native American communities.

Earlier this year, Meadows published a book on Native American hand game traditions. Missouri State’s Emily Yeap recently conducted a radio interview with Meadows about his research for this book.