Presenting your research at a prestigious national conference can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.
But College of Saint Benedict senior Rachel Erben – who was one of six CSB and SJU students to present at last month’s Society for Applied Anthropology’s annual meeting – said the experience was extremely valuable.
“It was my first time even being at a conference like this, much less presenting,” said Erben, a political science major who presented her research into intercultural interaction, which she conducted while studying abroad at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University during the spring semester in 2024.
“But it was really cool. You can present your findings in class and it’s helpful. But a conference like this is a higher threshold. You really need to have a strong grasp of your material and what you want to convey because it’s being examined in a more critical, academic way.
“The feedback you get isn’t just people saying they like your poster. It’s a lot more highly specific than that.”
According to the organization’s website, the SfAA “is dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research, promoting the practice of anthropology and influencing public policy and professional growth. Since its founding in 1941, the society has worked to apply scientific principles to better understand and improve human relationships.”
This year, the group’s national conference was held March 25-29 at the Hilton Portland Downtown in Portland, Oregon.
In addition to Erben, the other CSB and SJU students presenting were:
· Allison Parker (Racism and Resistance Through Art Among Afro-Brazilians in Salvador, Brazil)
· Kathryn Schug (Rights of Nature: The White Earth Nation’s Rights of Manoomin Court Case)
· Brett Lund (Navigating Dietary Needs: College Students Perspectives on Dining Hall Accommodations)
· Ella Martin (Risky Genes: Social Determinants of Health and Their Impact on DNA Methylation in Indigenous Communities)
· Miel Aronson (The Feminine Perspective: Effects of Climate Anxiety on Women Across Cultures)
“I’m an English major so I wasn’t as familiar with all the applications of anthropology,” said Schug, who was presenting a project she worked on with CSB and SJU visiting professor of sociology Ted Gordon.
“I was so amazed by the wide range of topics. There was a graduate student I talked to who had researched dolphins and how people view them. I wouldn’t have imagined that fitting into anthropology, but it’s such a vast field. It really opened my eyes to all the things you can do with it.”
The group was accompanied by associate professor Ellen Block, the chair of the sociology department at CSB and SJU, whose own nationally noted research centers on the intersection of health, kinship and care in sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S.
She has been taking students to the conference since 2018.
“I was a fourth- or fifth-year graduate student before I even attended a professional conference like this,” Block said. “I wish I’d been able to have this experience as an undergrad because it’s such great practice for presenting in this kind of setting before students go to grad school or enter the professional world and it becomes a much higher-stake situation.
“It’s always energizing to see our students present their amazing work and step up to the level of professionalism required at these things,” she continued.
Erben acknowledges being a bit nervous beforehand, wondering how her work would be received by an older and more experienced audience.
But she said those concerns were quickly laid to rest.
“We were some of the youngest people there,” she said. “Most of the attendees were graduate students, or people who had already earned their Ph.D. But they all took us seriously and asked great questions.
“The advice they provided was so valuable. It couldn’t have been a more enjoyable experience.”