Aug. 22, 2025 —The Department of Anthropology is thrilled to welcome its new cohort of graduate students—the largest in recent memory. These nine brilliant young scholars were chosen from a highly-competitive applicant pool and join a vibrant academic community at a critical juncture in the university’s history.
Three incoming students will join the department’s Archaeology program. Andrew Goebel, a graduate of Carthage College, plans to study human-animal relationships and the influence of animals on religion and folklore. Segun Moses Okegbile, who has completed degrees at the University of Ibadan, is interested in human-environment interactions and adaptation strategies in West Africa. Laura Wildman, an SMU alumna (and former Anthropology Club President!), returns to the department to study expressions of grief in the archaeological record, focusing on child burials.
The other six incoming students join the Cultural Anthropology program at SMU. Jackson Chappell, a graduate of the University of Utah, is interested in the relationship between politics, economics, and hierarchy in Norway. Jose M. Dominguez, joining us from California State University, Dominguez Hills, plans to study resilience and stress among child migrants. Madalyn White, who completed her BA at Texas State University, hopes to conduct research on small-scale farmers in Honduras.
Our final three Cultural Anthropology students will further specialize in Medical Anthropology. A.J. Nicholson, a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, plans to study how people navigate end-of-life care in North America. Michelle Zernick, who joins the department from California State University, Long Beach and the University of California, Irvine, is interested in early psychosis intervention and mental healthcare decision-making, particularly among d/Deaf people. Finally, Beiyi Zhang, who holds degrees from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, plans to conduct research on the lived experiences of youth with ADHD in contemporary China.
Please join us in welcoming the 2025 cohort to SMU!
