The Anthro Expo
The Anthro Expo is an annual symposium organized by the Department of Anthropology to showcase the talents of their students. The theme of this year鈥檚 symposium was 鈥淔rom Fieldwork to Futures: Anthropology in the Real World鈥�. Project Rebound student, Derek Fulbright鈥檚 research was highlighted on the 鈥淎nthropology and Community Engagement鈥� panel, which featured the work of four students who took the lead on various projects in the community. Fulbright is a candidate for the Master鈥檚 of Arts in Anthropology and he spoke about his research among unhoused neighbors of the San Fernando Valley. As part of his coursework in an Applied Anthropology Seminar, Fulbright has used ethnographic research methods to shed light on unhoused individuals鈥� perceptions of outreach organizations in the San Fernando Valley and the role these perceptions may play in decision-making processes related to accepting and rejecting housing assistance. On the panel, Fulbright reported on his experiences and insights gained from interviewing unhoused neighbors while collaborating with local outreach provider About My Father鈥檚 Business (AMFB), and HIRI grant recipients Kevin Zemlicka and Nathan Romine. Fulbright argued that unhoused neighbors鈥� experiences are poorly understood, thereby preventing the development of relevant forms of assistance.
