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| Welcome! My name is Dr. Laura Greer Vick, and I'm a Professor of Anthropology at Peace College in Raleigh, NC. I earned my B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a result of my work with students at Peace College, I have won several awards: the McCormick Distinguished Teaching Award (1993-1994, 2004-2005), the Janice Edwards Service Award (2004 - 2005) and the Alumnae Distinguished Professorship (2000-2003). In spring of 2008, I was named Ragland Professor of International Studies and work alongside Ms. Lyle Sheppard, Program Coordinator. Together, we hope to encourage more students and faculty to study abroad and to bring a greater appreciation of other cultures and their study to the Peace Campus. I have been a professor at Peace College for 18 years and have also taught courses at Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am currently a research associate at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham and a Contributor for the, North Carolina Program for Forensic Science. My primary research is focused on spider monkey socioecology and socialization in Punta Laguna Mexico. In addition to my life-long interest in and study of the nonhuman primates, I truly enjoy learning and teaching others about the prehispanic and contemporary cultures of Mesoamerica. In fact, I am very proud of the Peace College Summer Mexico Program, which I plan and direct. It is truly a life-changing experience for our participants, and students learn about all facets of life in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula - everything from the basic geology, geography, and biology of the region, to the prehispanic, colonial, and more recent culture which has evolved there. To really understand a culture, you must study it, and our students do this first hand! For me, the Yucatan is especially appealing - a chance to combine nonhuman primate research with research on Mesoamerican culture. Of course, one of my favorite places in the world is Punta Laguna, home of my study subjects - the wild spider monkeys - but also home to some of my very best friends, native Maya people who have warmly welcomed me as a good friend for many years! Punta Laguna has changed over the years, from a very small ecotourism site in the early 1990's, with thatch-roofed houses and no electricity, to being a regular stop for tourists who want to learn about the ecology of this special place. Today, the village has limited electricity, via solar panels, but still has only a one room schoolhouse, with grades 1-6 and an itinerant teacher and an erratic daily schedule. Many of the adults have had little to no education but desire more educational opportunities for their children. As a result of my long-time friendships there, in 1998, I began a small scholarship program to help deserving young people continue their education. Many friends, colleagues, and students have contributed to this scholarship fund. To date, several young people have taken advantage of the Punta Laguna scholarship and have gone on to complete additional years of education. Four have already finished high school, and three have gone on to seek licensure programs, and soon will be able to contribute, financially to their families. I am very proud of these young peoples' accomplishments!
Anthropology Course descriptions
This web Site was created initially in 2001 by student: Melinda E. Patterson This page was last updated on
09/07/08.
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