Next UCAS Visit Day 2 April... book your place now through the Kent portal.

Applicant newsletter, Spring 2014

                                                            Next UCAS Visit Day… 2 April...
                                                             book your place now through
                                                                          the Kent portal.
Welcome to our newsletter for undergraduate applicants. We hope the articles that follow
will give you an idea of the vibrancy of our School and why our students have such a great
learning experience.

If you have not yet been to a UCAS Visit Day, then we really do recommend that you do.
There is no better way to get a sense of our school and what we have to offer. You will get
to hear from current students about what it is like to do a degree here and ask all the ques-
tions that cannot be answered online. Annabelle and Cassandra, who you can read more
about below, along with many of the students on other programmes will be there to give
you unique insights into the highlights and challenges of being at Kent. Troy, who spent
a year in Finland, will also share with you some of the benefits of the year abroad pro-
grammes. The afternoon is very sociable and interactive and we will be on hand to answer
any questions to do with courses, admissions requirements and future employability.

The next dates are filling up fast, book your place through your applicant portal at
https://evision.kent.ac.uk/urd/sits.urd/run/siw_lgn.

Best wishes

Mike Poltorak and Ian Bride

Dr Mike Poltorak and Dr Ian Bride

New module: The Anthropology of Europe - could it be for you?
In the 1960s and 1970s, Paul Stirling, who founded the study of anthropology at Kent, and John Davis pro-
duced pioneering studies of Mediterranean peoples that are still studied today. Among our current aca-
demic staff, we count a significant number of anthropologists working on Europe, including Head of School,
Professor João Pina-Cabral, who played a key role in reshaping the agenda of the field in the 1990s, and
was closely involved in founding the European Association of Social Anthropologists, a leading body for co-
ordinating research across Europe. Other staff are producing high calibre research on Europe which regu-
larly appears in leading anthropology journals, and we have a growing number of PhD candidates working
in the region. It is important that our students have direct access to this expertise in studying the world
on our doorstep, and the module also reflects Kent’s wider agenda to be recognised as the UK’s European
university. It is against this background that module convenor, Dr Matt Hodges, explains more below:

How did this module come to be developed?
When developing this course, I wanted to design a set of lectures that would be
of specific value to students who were already well-grounded in anthropology,
so I was able to include a range of recent publications alongside classic texts, to
ensure that students are in touch with what is happening in Europe and European
anthropology now. We are very well-placed to assess that at Kent, as we have an
excellent team of anthropologists here working on Europe - arguably, the largest
by proportion of staff in the UK.                                                   Above: Dr Matt Hodges

What does the module offer that is unique in the UK?
Surprisingly few departments in the UK offer the opportunity to
study Europe exclusively as a region. This course draws on the latest
research, but also our rich history of studying Europe at Kent, and
the expertise of our current staff - several of whom are involved
with the module and participated in discussions concerning its
design. The Faculty of Social Sciences has also recently inaugurated
a ‘Global Europe’ centre that hosts regular conferences, and inte-
grates research on Europe from a range of disciplines, including             PROFESSOR PAUL STIRLING
anthropology. For such reasons, we are confident that you will not                 1920-1998.
find a better place to study Europe than here at Kent.
                                                                       Throughout his career, Professor
How does it help students prepare for the world of work?              Stirling pioneered research in rural
Our students have an impressive rate of success in quickly finding     Turkey and promoted innovative
employment after graduation. Most students will probably end up        research technologies. Founding
working in the UK and Europe, and will need to engage with other        Professor of the Department of
European nationals in their daily work, or be required to make sense Sociology and Social Anthropology
of political, economic or cultural events in Europe as part of their  at the University of Kent, Professor
jobs. Studying the anthropology of contemporary European societies Stirling is best known as the author
- from the cultural projects of the European Union, to the current    of the classic ethnography, ‘Turkish
economic crisis in Greece and Spain, to the consequences for local     Village’. The image above is taken
communities of developing rural tourism - provides a cutting-edge    from Professor Stirling’s archive and
set of skills for finding your feet in today’s fast-moving European  depicts  a traditional Turkish wedding
jobs market that is attractive to employers.                                      in the 1950’s.
…anything else?
We are running a European Societies film club alongside this module, led by a recent Kent PhD graduate
who works on Europe and is now a member of our teaching staff. Students will have the chance to watch
classic and contemporary European films which tackle key themes in the module from a different angle,
and offer the chance to enjoy the lighter side of academic discussion. In time, we aim to offer more extra-
curricular activities of this kind, perhaps linked to Kent’s campuses in Paris and Brussels to add further
value to the experience for our students.

                 Calling all those interested in Tropical Ecology and Conservation

We are delighted to announce that a new field-course module has recently been approved
by the Faculty. The module will be undertaken almost exclusively on location at the Danau
Girang field studies centre in Sabah, Borneo.

Yes, you read correctly: Borneo, and as the title suggests the course will cover the characteristics and ecol-
ogy of tropical forests as well as the major conservation issues these habitats face. Students will gain direct
experience of these topics from field-based practical activities in forest and agricultural habitats, while po-
tentially catching a glimpse of threatened and elusive wildlife such as orangutans, elephants and hornbills.
The module will first run in the 2015-2016 academic year, with the field trip taking place in the preceding
summer break (June 2015). The course will initially be offered to 3rd year students on BSc Wildlife Conser-
vation.

Module convener, Dr Matthew Struebig of DICE spends much of his
research time in Borneo and believes this will be an excellent op-
portunity for Kent students to gain valuable experience. Matthew’s
specialist knowledge will ensure that our students gain the most
they can from this experience and that they develop a wide range
of research skills alongside making the most of opportunities to
network and discover their own interests.

A peek behind the scenes 1: Laura Withers, School Undergraduate Support Officer

What does your role entail?
My role means that I deal with the School’s undergraduate students on a daily basis. I spend a lot of my
time interacting directly with students, to give them advice about University procedures and point them in
the right direction for other services on campus. I also work closely with the academic staff to take care of
the administration that goes on behind the scenes for all the School’s undergraduate programmes.

What does a typical day consist of?
Every day is different! I often have a lot of emails to read, both from students, academic staff and other
administrators at the University. I have to tackle different tasks at different times of the academic year,
from contributing to Welcome Week activities at the start of the academic year, to helping students with
their module choices, to planning the timetable and co-ordinating the examinations process. Let’s just say
it keeps me busy!

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
I like to feel that I have made a difference to someone’s day. Often students come to see me when they’re
unsure about something and need clarification. I try to explain things logically and in an informal way, so
that hopefully you leave my office feeling calm and in control, with a better understanding of what you
need to do next.

When will new students first meet you?
New undergraduate first year students will meet the Undergraduate Support Officer at the Anthropology
and Conservation Welcome Talk in ‘Welcome Week’ (the week before academic classes begin). Unfortu-
nately it won’t be me who you meet because I am doing this role temporarily to cover maternity leave for
my colleague Emma Spiller. Emma returns to her role in August 2014 and I know she is looking forward to
meeting the next cohort of Anthropology and Conservation undergraduates.

If you could give new students one piece of advice, what would it be?
There are lots of societies and groups that you can join, so my advice would be: Get involved! It’s a great
way to make friends, try something new and ultimately to broaden your skills and experience.

                                    Kent’s new Liberal Arts degree

Next year, we celebrate 50 years since the founding of Kent and our School (under the
name of Sociology and Social Anthropology). By coincidence, this September in the lead up
to next year’s anniversary year, we will also welcome students to our newly founded Liberal
Arts degree.

Launching this September, with some of you likely to be amongst our very first cohort of
students, the BA (Hons) Liberal Arts will provide interdisciplinary skills for analysing and
understanding how and why we think and act the way we do, with language training and
modules individually chosen from across all three faculties (Humanities, Sciences and Social
Sciences). In the third year students will exercise their foreign language skills in universities
or job placements (in NGOs or other institutional settings) outside the UK.
For twenty five years after Kent’s founding in 1965, interdisciplinarity was a core part of undergraduate
teaching, with students required in their first year to take modules outside of the academic disciplines
they’d been accepted into and a wide range of cross-disciplinary modules - and programmes - provided.
We are very excited to be returning to this principal and look forward to welcoming our

first cohort of Liberal Arts students to the University this coming September - and to the stimulus their en-
thusiasm and boundary breaking curiosity will provide.

http://www.kent.ac.uk/sac/studying/ug_index.html

                  Right: Some of Kent’s first students in 1965

Where could your degree take you… For one of our graduates, Katy Upton, it took her to
Peru to look at the impacts of climate change and disturbance on Peruvian Amphibians.

“I completed my BSc Wildlife Conservation at Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE).
For my final year dissertation I was offered an amazing opportunity to research tropical frogs in the Peruvi-
an Amazon. This opportunity sparked a love for research and gave me the drive and determination to apply
for - and successfully receive - a PhD place with scholarship!

Amphibians are declining on a global scale and research into the impact of humans on amphibians is vital
in understanding how to protect this fascinating species. My PhD research focuses on amphibians in a pro-
tected reserve in the North East of Peru, part of the Amazon rainforest, which is being impacted greatly by
climate change. Climate change is affecting the seasonal flooding which results in 95% of the forest being
flooded with high water for 6-9 months a year. This is both beneficial and detrimental to the species of the
forest and I am exploring the impacts on the amphibians among other things.

I spent 5 months in both 2012 and 2013 living on a boat in the jungle in Peru. This is a tough environment
in which to do research. I have shared my activity through a blog. Here you can see nightly frog transects
and surveys, spotting caiman in the rivers and channels (including a three meter one), two birthdays, highs
and lows of rainforest life, discovery of potentially new species and many cute photos of the incredible
amphibians species you can find in Peru.”

Check out Katy’s blog and watch her scholarship video to find out more about her research and where her
degree has taken her:

Blog - http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/peruvianamazonandanurans/author/katyupton/
Video - http://vimeo.com/83967858
                                          Left: The Clavero and Lobo De
                                          Rio – my home while undertak-
                                          ing research.

                                                 Right: Greater hatchet-faced
                                                 treefrog (Sphaenorhynchus
                                                 lacteus).
Our School newsletter, published during term time, keeps students and staff up-to-date with
 what’s happening in our community and includes the sorts of things you might want to get
                        involved with. Click here for previous issues.
Another of our alumni, Max Harrison (BA (Hons) in Social Anthropology with a
Year in Japan) is currently working on his PhD at Harvard University.

Since graduating from his programme in 2011, Max has won a fully funded PhD
at Harvard University. As part of his application he created a short documentary
on a Japanese vegetable market using the skills he had learnt in visual anthro-
pology, read more here.                           Right: Max on his year in Japan

Have you applied for a degree with a study abroad option? The Undergraduate Study Abroad Scholarship
competition offers £2,000 towards an approved year abroad, for one year only (or pro-rata for the period
spent abroad). So, if you have applied for one of our degree programmes that incorporates a year abroad,
you could be eligible – more information available on the Scholarships and Loans webpages or from
scholarships@kent.ac.uk. Deadline Thursday 20 March 2014.

Annabelle Lockey, BSc Biological Anthropology (second year) talks about her experience.

Coming to Kent to study BSc Biological Anthropology was one of the best decisions of my life. I’m in my sec-
ond year now and have enjoyed every second of it (even the stressful moments!). The School of Anthropol-
ogy and Conservation and Canterbury have amazing staff and I love being taught by people who are so pas-
sionate about their subjects. Staff feel that undergraduates shouldn’t be limited and I really saw this during
our Osteology module, we are one of the only universities to have such a large human remains collection.
The fact that we get to interact and explore the history of these remains and learn topics such as histology
which is not taught anywhere else until postgraduate level, truly makes Kent students stand out. This is vital
as many employers in Anthropology and Archaeology often ask for Osteological experience.

I believe Kent’s reputation as the European university really encouraged me to talk to my lecturers about
the opportunity to travel to archaeological digs aboard in my first year. Here I met amazing people who I
have later gone with to conferences in Vienna and Durham. Travelling independently has really opened my
mind and increased my confidence immensely; I’ve even taken winter master classes in palaeoanthropol-
ogy in Leiden! Currently I am writing a paper on Neanderthal Ontogeny and extinction for this. My hopes
for the future contain taking Master’s and Doctorate degrees in palaeoanthropology. From my first year
introductory course in biological anthropology it was the topic I’ve always enjoyed the most and the main
reason I joined this degree. I would love to spend my next few summers and perhaps even a year work-
ing on archaeological digs, as I think there’s nothing more fascinating than discovering materials that were
made tens of thousands of years ago.

My modules this year, especially the human animal, have only reinforced my love for the subject, I per-
sonally have never felt like I’m doing work, every essay, every exam has felt like an exciting and intriguing
opportunity to explore what I’ve learnt. I jumped at the opportunity to take a ‘Year Aboard’ programme.
It was a difficult to choose which University in the USA and Canada, but eventually I applied to Calgary,
Alberta in Canada. I am really looking forward to experiencing a different style of teaching and living, engag-
ing with new people and taking modules such as ‘Zoo-archaeology’ and ‘Introduction to dinosaurs’! In this
economic climate and with the recent rise in tuition fees, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially
considering you still have student finance fully funding you and the supportive ‘Go Abroad Team’ back at
Kent helping you every step of the way. I think a lot of students are worried that they may come back from
their year abroad and feel down about the hum and drum of everyday life after an exciting year, but I know
I’ll be ready to jump right back in and work on my dissertation which we are preparing this current year.

Although I hope to go into research, I already feel that my time at Kent has really prepared me for whatever
future choices I make in life, taking an unusual and wide-ranging degree, going abroad and being someone
who is passionate about their work really makes you stand out.
       Click here to learn more about the experience of other students

Alumna and new staff member, Justyna Miszkiewicz just can’t tear herself away

Since graduating with a BSc in Biological Anthropology from the University of Kent, I have
been busy working on my PhD in the same discipline. In my recently submitted thesis I in-
ferred behaviour from ancient human bone histology in archaeological samples of modern
humans. I still cannot believe that my PhD journey is almost over! Cont...

My experience at Kent as a student has been truly exciting. As an undergraduate student I felt inspired by
my lecturers. In many ways, it is thanks to them that I pursued research in biological anthropology. I made
the best choice by staying at Kent for my PhD. I received training in hard tissue histology, which is not avail-
able at any other British university.
I joined the team as a Lecturer in September 2013. It has always been my aspira-
tion to become an academic, and the excitement I get each time I give a lecture is
always as if I am doing it for the first time. One of my favourite aspects of teaching
is the interaction with students - especially when they are fascinated by a certain
topic, we can discuss it for hours! More importantly, because a lot of my teaching
is research-led, I feel happy that my findings contribute to the body of literature
                                                                                         Above: Justyna in the
students can learn from. I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey at Kent, and hope
                                                                                                  lab
for many exciting endeavours in the future.

Another one of our alumni, Caroline Oliver, tells us about how she is using her degree

“Ever since I saw dolphins for the first time at the age of seven on a family holiday, I was hooked. As I
progressed through school and college this interest in marine life and conservation remained, so chose to
study for a BSc in Environment, Economics & Ecology as a means of gaining a practical approach to environ-
mental management. In preparation for my third year dissertation, I spent the summer of my second year
on a gap year expedition, where I learned to SCUBA dive and then spent many weeks conducting coral reef
fish surveys in the beautiful Caribbean sea. I used the data in my dissertation to map out species abun-
dance and diversity within the study area, and had experienced a wonderful summer in the process!
From there, I continued with my studies and completed an MSc in Conservation and Tourism at DICE,
where I met so many interesting and inspiring people. This time my research took me to Rwanda, where I
conducted an economic valuation study of game species to national park tourism revenues. Another fan-
tastic place to visit – particularly gorilla trekking in the Virunga Mountains – a real must see for any animal
enthusiasts!

Wanting to pursue further work in the marine environment, after graduating from DICE, I took on a role as
Project Scientist on a gap year program in the Bahamas. Here, I was responsible for delivering marine biol-
ogy training to groups of volunteers, assisting with dive training and helping to run logistics of a fairly re-
mote field station. I think it will take something spectacular to beat the opportunity to wake up on a beau-
tiful beach, commute over turquoise waters to the daily office of the coral reef. Here, I finally achieved my
childhood dream of swimming with wild dolphins.

Having achieved all I could from this role, I next undertook a Development Internship in an NGO in south-
ern Belize. This role involved the development of new conservation programs, seeking grant funding, and a
variety of other unexpected tasks! Amongst the highlights were implementing a shark education program
(see pic below) in local schools (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CdaUN13hlM) and being award-
ed funding to implement legal protection for a critically endangered grouper reef fish. My most significant
contribution was helping to design and develop a new volunteering program as a means of supporting
the continued research and monitoring programs throughout the region. The new program, Ridge to Reef
Expeditions, will be launching in summer 2014, and I’m looking forward to being back in Belize in February
to take on my new role as Expeditions Manager. The program gives early career scientists the opportunity
to get hands on, authentic experiences in biodiversity management in one of the most pristine regions of
Central America. With programs ranging from turtle nest protection and marine habitat mapping, to jaguar
tracking and reforestation, participants will gain invaluable experiences to start a career in conservation.
My advice to anyone seeking to make a difference is to just go for it. When
I first started out a few years ago, I had no idea where my passion would
take me, but I’ve developed a unique set of skills that are now being im-
plemented to make a real difference to the environment and communities
where I work. As a wise fish once said, ‘Just keep swimming!’”

A peek behind the scenes 2: Cassandra Flint is currently in the second year of a BSc in Wildlife Conserva-
tion and shares her experience as a Course Representative.

“Around a year ago, I was huddled in Marlowe’s Create Café, discussing various issues and ideas with my
course mates. I honestly don’t even remember the detail of what we were discussing now. At some point I
decided it wasn’t enough to talk, I had to do, and that’s when I stepped up to represent my year for Wildlife
Conservation and Environmental Studies.

Talking to the rest of the students during our first year, the general consensus was that there was a lack of
knowledge about how to get involved: involved in events, talks, and future endeavours of our School. So,
with this in mind, my aim was to streamline the communication between students and the School, making
it as easy as possible for students to be up-to-date with everything that was happening within our small
community and to get involved.

My first challenge was to present information in a way that people could access and respond to. I quickly
realised that there were too many e-mails – in fact, put quite simply there were too many things from too
many places. I too had to change my approach. So I started making and editing videos to present updates
                        and ask for input: comments spiked, people were debating, contributing solu-
                        tions and ideas for endeavours the School was pursuing. Overall I’ve seen a rise in
                        a sense of community and approachability amongst my course mates - one that
                        wasn’t there before. I have really enjoyed the experience of being a course rep and
                        would highly recommend it to anyone.”

Some of our recent media coverage...

BBC Radio 4 ‘Shared Planet’: Professor Douglas MacMillan discusses deer management with Monty Don.
First aired on Monday 6 January 2014.

BBC Four: The ground-breaking two-part series ‘Dissected’ aired on 18 February looked inside hands and
feet – view a clip of the new series featuring the School’s Dr Tracy Kivell here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pro-
grammes/p01q0n54

www.esciencenews.com: A new research network which aims to understand the problems caused by par-
rots that have invaded cities has been launched by the University of Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation
and Ecology (DICE).

www.wired.co.uk: Black rhino kill permit a ‘reasonable’ conservation policy according
to Dr Bob Smith
Wildlife Society Bulletin (2013): Niki Rust, a second year PhD student at DICE, reports
on studying human-wildlife conflict between big cats and livestock in Namibia, trying
to find a way for them to coexist.

We hope you have found this newsletter interesting and that we have given you a glimpse
of the many opportunities that lie ahead. If you have any questions, comments or concerns,
do get in touch. Best of luck in the coming months.

                         School of Anthropology and Conservation
            Marlowe Building, The University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR
          T: +44 (0)1227 827056 E: SACadmissions@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk/sac