Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. E. Christian Wells

College of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology Department

Undergraduate Degree

BA, Anthropology, Archaeological Studies, Latin American Studies, Oberlin College

Graduate Degree

MA, Anthropology, Arizona State University

Doctoral Degree

PhD, Anthropology, Arizona State University

Previous Post(s)

Project Director for Cultural Resources at the Gila River Indian Community in central Arizona

Selected Published Works

See webpage at http://uweb.cas.usf.edu/~cwells/. Latest book is “Mesoamerican Ritual Economy: Archaeological and Ethnological Perspectives” (2007, University Press of Colorado)

Area of Specialization / Research

Archaeology, Economic anthropology, religious belief and ritual practice, sustainable agriculture and soil science, Central America and the American Southwest

Current Course Offerings

• Archaeology (Summer B 2007)
• Mesoamerican Archaeology (Fall 2007)
• Economic Anthropology (Spring 2008)

How and when did you first become interested in your field of study?

I remember exactly when I decided that I wanted to be an archaeologist. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago in the 1970s and 1980s and, when I was five, my parents took me to see the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum of Natural History. The rest was (pre)history.

What made you decide to pursue a career in higher education?

Since I knew my career track at an early age, higher education was always part of the picture.

Why did you choose to be a part of the academic community at USF?

The Anthropology Department at USF is one of the best in the country for applied anthropology—applying your research to help people solve problems. Given my background in social work and activism that I developed in college, USF was a natural fit for me.

What do you enjoy about teaching the students of USF?

I enjoy the diversity in the classroom—cultural, ethnic, social, economic, and so on. Everyone brings a different perspective to class and, by the time the semester is over, discovers that despite all the observable differences, people are more similar than first presumed.

What do you like about the university community?

I like the research environment in the university community, which promotes faculty/student research experiences. This is the best way to learn and the most fun way to teach!