The Pollitzer Student Travel Awards are designed to help students defray the costs of attending the AABA meetings. The awards are named in honor of William S. Pollitzer, a Human Biologist who taught at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, a Darwin Lifetime Achievement Awardee, and past president of the AABA.

Qualifications: This award is open to all AABA student members (undergraduate and graduate) who are attending the annual meeting. You DO NOT have to present a paper to compete or receive this award. You DO need to be a MEMBER of the AABA at the time of the meeting, and not have been granted your PhD before the submission deadline.

Students from underrepresented groups in biological anthropology, those who are the first in their family to go to college, or are undergraduate students at two-year and four-year colleges (without graduate programs) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Award: $595

Application and Essay: The essay question changes each year. Awards are made on the basis of an essay of no more than 750 words long (excluding references). Any submission over 750 words will be automatically disqualified. References are not counted towards the 750 words and should be included in the same text box with the essay.

The deadline for the 2025 AABA meetings awards is January 6, 2025, 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. 

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2025 Essay Topic:

Imagine that you are a new postdoc or professor, preparing to teach your first course in Introduction to Biological Anthropology. Your university provides you with access to laboratory teaching materials, which include some decades-old, anonymized human skeletons. Their history is completely unknown to anyone in your department, as they were acquired long before any of the current faculty were hired. How do you propose to handle this situation? Are there ethical ways for you to use these materials in your teaching, or would that be outside of the bounds of ethical and responsible use? Or do you propose a solution that is somewhere between these two poles? In your essay, be sure to provide examples and address ethical considerations while referencing published scholarship.

Submit your application here
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Essay evaluation and scoring procedures:

The AABA student prize committee will evaluate each submission with an identification number (assigned by the committee chair) to mask authors’ identities. Applicants who have won a Pollitzer travel award previously are eligible to enter the competition again, but students who have never won before will be given priority.

Awards will be announced ~February 15, 2025

Further information may be obtained from the Student Programs Committee chair, Kevin Hatala.

2024

Chelsea Rose (University of Central Florida), Madison Grant (CUNY), Elizabeth Poplavska (Boston University), Rancis Short (Boston University), Megan Langlois (McMaster University), Lydia Bailey (Mississippi State), Madeline Kelly (University of Chicago), Jessica Martin (Boston University), Julie Strain (CUNY), Abigail Houkes (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Keegan Krause (Northwestern University), Rebecca Reid (University of Dundee), Ayken Askapuli (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Rebecca Cook (Duke University), Madison Bradley-Cronkwright (Duke University), Amanda Cooke (McMaster University), Margaret Furtner (Louisiana State University), Matthias Hackl (University of Calgary), Allyson Simon (Ohio State University), Anna Samsonov (Baylor University), Luke Quarles (University at Buffalo), Madison Butler (University of New Mexico), Rebecca Seegraber (University of Utah), Laura Pott (University of Minnesota), Isabel Roji (San Diego State University), James Tetreau (University of Calgary), Alexandra McDougle (Columbia University), Livia Santos (George Mason University), Mary DeWitt (Purdue University), Nadine Hussein (University of Calgary), Clara Brandon (University of Michigan).

2023

Lydia Bailey (CMNH), Krista Bennett (LSU), Celia Cleary (George Mason), Isis Dwyer (University of Florida), Stephanie Fannin (OSU), Taylor Flaherty (UNLV), Lucia Freedberg (UC Santa Barbara), Kaita Gurian (OSU), Jordie Hoffman (University of Calgary), Te Wai Pounamu Hona (University of Queensland), Laura Hunter (University of Chicago), Liam Johnson (UNLV), Madeleine Kelly (University of Chicago), Alexandra Kralick (University of Pennsylvania), Dayanira Lopez (UNLV), Megan Malherbe (University of Zurich), Daniela Orozco (UGA-LANGEBIO), Magdalena Palisson (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile), Laura Pott (University of Minnesota), Maria Sellers (George Mason), Sharmi Sen (University of Michigan), Robin Singleton (University of Oklahoma), Kyle Smith (Penn State), Siobhan Summers (University of Florida), Rosa Taylor (University of Oregon), Jana Meyer Valesca (University of New Mexico), Lindsey Warshawski (University of Victoria), Sterling Wright (Penn State), Carlotta Zeppilli (Sapienza University of Rome), Jaime Zolik (University of Minnesota), Andrea Zurek-Ost (UNC Chapel Hill).

2022

Malorie Albee (The Ohio State University), Zoe Albert (Boston University), Nikki Appel (University of New Mexico), Alyssa Bolster (Vanderbilt University), Abigail Colby (University of Calgary), Hannah Cantrell (University of New Mexico), Isis Dwyer (University of Florida), Julia Galway-Witham (New York University), Abigail Gancaz (Penn State University), Carla Goldsmith (The Ohio State University), Jacob Haffner (University of Oklahoma), Faye Harwell (Boston University), Nicholas Jaworski (Miami University), Urvi Kaul (University of Connecticut), Catherine Kitrinos (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Alexandra Kralick (University of Pennsylvania), Emma Lagan (The Ohio State University), Tisa Loewen (Arizona State University), Dominic Mayo (University of Michigan), Rachel Orkin (LA Pierce College), Gina Palefsky (University of California, Merced), Esteban Rangel (Eastern New Mexico University), Valerie Sgheiza (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne), Kathryn Sokolowski (University of Utah), Mary Stough (University of Alaska), Emma Thurau (City University of New York), Baonhu Tran (University of Texas, Arlington), Trent Trombley (University of California, Berkeley), Madeline Walker (University Minnesota), Sina White (University of Kent).

2021

Malorie Albee (The Ohio State University), Elizabeth Bews (University of South Florida), Andrea Blackburn (Boston University), Colin Brand (University of Oregon), Alyson Caine (University of California, Merced), Amy Chan (California State University Los Angeles), Mekenzie Davis (University of Louisville), Kara DiComo (University of South Florida), Francesca Dunn (University of South Florida), Ashley Ezzo (University of Louisville), Abigail Gancz (Pennsylvania State University), Alfie Gleeson (University College London), Rachel Heil (California State University, Fullerton), Madison Homer-King (University of South Florida), Courtney Johns (University of South Florida), Kristin Kaosa (The University of Texas at Arlington), Alexa Kelly (University of North Texas Health Science Center), Rose Leach (Kent State University), Amanda Leppert Gomes (University of South Florida), Ingrid Lundeen (University of Texas at Austin), Leela McKinnon (University of Toronto), Isabelle Monroe (The University of New Mexico), Vanessa Reeves (The University of South Florida, Tampa), Jeremy Simmons (New York University), Julianne Stamer (Arizona State University), Nicole Torres-Tamayo (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales), Jordan Wright (University of South Florida), An-Di Yim (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)..

2020

Donovan Adams (University of Nevada, Reno), William Aguado (Rutgers the State University of New Jersey), Sydney Baker (Ohio State University), Christina Balentine (University of Texas, Austin & University of Connecticut), Rebecca Biermann Gürbüz (University at Buffalo), Marianne Brasil (University of California, Berkeley), Grace Calhoun (University of Florida), Caitlin Craig (University of Victoria), Katherine Daiy (Yale University), Elizabeth Dinkele (University of Cape Town), Luke Fannin (Dartmouth College), Aileen Fernandez (University of Oregon), Raquel Fleskes (University of Pennsylvania), Alyssa Funk (Brown University), Jacqueline Galimany Skupham (California State University, Chico), Abigail Gancz (Pennsylvania State University), Obed Garcia (University of Michigan), Matthew Go (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Amanda Hardie (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Victoria Harries (Yale University), Caitlin Hawley (Arizona State University), Marleigh Jenkins-Morse (Macalester College), M Shruti Kamath (University College London), Monica Keith (University of Missouri), Brittany Kenyon-Flatt (University at Buffalo), Emma Lagan (The Ohio State University), Rose Leach (Kent State University), Naomi Levin (Texas State University), Tisa Loewen (Arizona State University), Risa Luther (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities), Rebecca Mayus (The Ohio State University), Stephanie Medrano (Texas State University), Raphaela Meloro (University of Florida), Lauren Michelman (University of Saskatchewan), Brian Padgett (The Ohio State University), Gina Palefsky (University of California, Merced), Alannah Pearson (The Australian National University) (declined), Erin Pinkston (University at Buffalo), Edward Quinn (The University of Florida), Valerie Sgheiza (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Sofiya Shreyer (University of Massachusetts-Amherst), Cassie Skipper (University of Nevada, Reno), Emma Thurau (NYCEP, The Graduate Center – City University of New York), Sharon Toth (University of Pittsburgh), Xiaojia Wang (Cornell University), Devin Ward (University of Toronto), Olawunmi Winful (Vanderbilt University), Jessica Wollmann (University of Toronto), Caitlin Yoakum (University of Arkansas), Aaron Young (The University of Arizona), Kendra Weinrich (The Ohio State University).

2019

Malorie Albee (The Ohio State University), Rachel Bell (UMass Amherst), Steph Berger (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Katherine Bishop (University of Alberta), Kelly Blevins (Arizona State University), Emily Brennan (University of South Carolina), Laura Brubaker-Wittman (Boston University), Andre Luiz (Campelo dos Santos Federal University of Pernambuco), Carlye Chaney (Yale University), Katherine Daiy (Yale University), Andrea DiGiorgio (Boston University), Jessica Dolding-Smith (University of Kent), Katie Faillace (Cardiff University), Jacqueline Galimany Skupham (California State University, Chico), Sara Gardner (Georgia State University), Rebecca George (University of Nevada, Reno), Matthew Go (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Katherine Harrington (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Alexa Kelly (University of North Texas Health Science Center), Andrew Kim (Northwestern University), Allyson King (University of Calgary), Ludmila Kumpan (University of Toronto), Ruairidh Macleod (Cambridge University), Aleksey Maro (University of California, Berkeley), Sara McGuire (The Ohio State University), Allison McNamara (University of Texas at Austin), Brianne Morgan (McMaster University), Kristen Morrow (University of Georgia), Bram Mulder (University of Cambridge), Taylor Paskoff (University of Missouri), Sam Patterson (Arizona State University), Taylor Peacock (McMaster University), Emily Peschel (University of Calgary), Megan Petersdorf (New York University), Kristen Prufrock (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Alexandra Ptacek (Arizona State University), Mustafa Quadir (Beloit College), Amanda Rossillo (Duke University), Katharine Ryan (University of Tennessee, Knoxville), Kristin Sabbi (University of New Mexico), Elena A Sierra (Uppsala University), Julia Stuhlträger (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology), Ariane Thomas (University of Iowa), Rachel Voyt (University of Texas at Austin), Devin Ward (University of Toronto), Kendra Weinrich (The Ohio State University), Olawunmi Winful (Vanderbilt University) (declined).

2018

Alisha Anaya (The George Washington University), Carly Batist (Central Washington University), Rachel Bell (The University of Massachusetts Amherst), Amy Beresheim (University of Toronto), Emma Berthiaume (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Madison Bradley (University of Calgary), Emma Brzezinski (Miami University), Timothy Campbell (Texas A&M University), Emma Cancelliere (The Graduate Center City University of New York), Thuan Cao (University of Cambridge), Antonia Carter (University of South Alabama, award declined), Morgan Chaney (Kent State University), Carlye Chaney (Yale University), Colleen Cheverko (The Ohio State University), Mark Conaway (University at Buffalo), Isabelle Coupal (University of Montreal), Erika Danella (Quinnipiac University), Sophia Dent (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Kaitlin East (McMaster University), Zachary Enfinger (University of South Florida), Ellen Fricano (Johns Hopkins University), Elise Geissler (University of Florida), Lauren Gilhooly (University of Western Ontario), Matthew Go (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Andrew Holmes (University of Toronto), Mareike Janiak (Rutgers University), Kelsey Jorgensen (Wayne State University), Hyunwoo Jung (University at Buffalo), Brittany Kenyon (University at Buffalo – SUNY), Katherine Kling (Stony Brook University), Klara Komza (The University of Toronto), Emma Lagan (The Ohio State University), Natalie Laudicina (Boston University), Brittany Matheney (University of South Florida), Sara McGuire (The Ohio State University), Fernando Mercado Malabet (University of Toronto), Sarah Mincer (Stony Brook University), Emily Nett (University of Notre Dame), Brian Padgett (The Ohio State University), Amber Pirson (University of South Florida), Kelsey Pugh (The Graduate Center City University of New York), Crystal Riley Koenig (Washington University in Saint Louis), Danielle Rubinstein (New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine), Sofiya Shreyer (Bridgewater State University), Izzy Starr (The State University of New York, University at Buffalo), Tessa Steiniche (Indiana University), Zane Swanson (New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, The Graduate Center – City University of New York), Catherine Taylor (University of California Berkeley), Emma Thurau (Northern Illinois University), Nicole Torosin (University of Utah), Alexandra Tuggle (The Ohio State University), Nicole Webb (The Graduate Center City University of New York), Nicole Weiss (The Ohio State University), Samantha Yaussy (University of South Carolina), An-Di Yim (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Alexandra Zachwieja (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Kaya Zelazny (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Trisha Zintel (University of Massachusetts Amherst).

2017

Malorie Albee, Lucyna Bowland, Timothy Bransford, Marianne Brasil, Kristen Broehl, Margaret Bryer, Sergio Calle, Jessica Campbell, Stephanie Canington, Colleen Cheverko, Melissa Clark, Bonnie Clark, Elizabeth Clausing, Mark Clemente, Amanda Cook, Catherine Cooper, Dany Coutinho Nogueira, Randy Edward David, Matthew de Vries, Madelynne Dudas, Crystal Easley, Eleanor Farber, Allison Formanack, Maria Fox, Jessica Galea, Rebecca ilmour, Evelyn Glaze, Matthew Go, Madelyn Green, Amanda Hardie, Aliya Hoff (declined), Stella Ioannou, Hyunwoo Jung, Laura Kihlstrom, Gillian King-Bailey, Emma Lagan, Amanda Lee, Ingrid Lundeen, Kathryn Marklein, Leslie Quade, Malcolm Ramsay, Asta Rand, Brian Shearer, Samantha Stead, Elizabeth Tinsley Johnson, Jeanelle Uy, Kerryn Ashleigh Warren, Nicole Weiss, Amanda Wissler, Emma Wood..

2016

Kathryn Allen, Amy Anderson, Samantha Archer, Jessica Beck, Jacqueline Berger, Jacqueline Berger, Jessica Bolte, Joel Bray, M. Loring Burgess, Colleen Cheverko, Sarah Duignan, Sarah Edlund, Amandine Eriksen, Katie Faillace, Elen Feuerriegel, Matthew Go, Laura Goetz, Deanna Goldstein, Alexis Goots, Nora Heidel, Genevieve Housman, Carmen Hové, Vishal Khetpal, Sandra Koch, Katherine Lacy, Maria Nieves Colon, Caitlin O’Connell, Samantha Patterson, Sarah Peacock, Rosie Pitfield, Terren Proctor, Rachel Provazza, Shelby Putt, Meagan Rubel, Ingrid Sierp (declined), Noah Simons, Rick Smith, Mary Studebaker-Reed, Alexandra Uhl, Mary Wilkins, Alexa Wimberly, and Allysha Winburn..

2015

Julia Arenson, Joel Bray, Loring Burgess, Maria Darr, April Dobbs, Pedro Fernandez, Rebecca Gilmour, Jesse Goliath, Kevin Knowles, Elaine Kozma, Myra Laird, Amanda Lee, Lydia Light, Brian Padgett, Smanatha Patterson, Jeffrey Peterson, Kristen Ramirez, Malcolm Ramsay, Megan Rue, Christina Stantis, Marissa Stewart, Sarah Traynor, Lu Yao, and Samantha Yaussy..

2014

Kathryn Allen, Claudia Astorino, Jess Beck, Richard Brel, Laura Cirillo, Mary Cole, Kim Congdon, Shaliegh Diaz-Ryder, Erin Dineen, Hallie Edmonds, Jennifer Eyre, Adam Foster, Theresa Gildner, Halszka Glowacka, Alia Gurtov, Nicholas Holowka, Stephen Johnson, Rob’yn Johnson, Addison Kemp, Holly Kiang, Marc Kissel, Tom Kraft, Sharon Kuo, Anne Kwiatt, Sam Larson, Justin Ledogar, Ellis Locke, Elizabeth LoPresti, Emily Middleton, Selin Nugent, Sean Prall, Kelsey Pugh, Joshua Robinson, John Rowen, Elizabeth Sawchuk, Jill Scott, Jess Senjem, Darcy Shapiro (declined), Eric Shattuck, Brian Shearer, Amanda Spriggs, Nicole Squyres, Laura Stroik, Sarah Swartz, Rob Tennyson, Nathan Thompson, Miranda Utzinger, Ziyu Wang, Gabriel Yapuncich, and Madeline Zhu.

2013

Kari Allen (Duke), Jeannie Bailey (U. Washington), W. Andrew Barr (UT Austin), Lydia Beaudrot (UC Davis), Ryan Campbell (SIU, Carbondale), Meadow Campbell (SIU, Carbondale), Lori Critcher (OSU), Elizabeth Daly (ASU), Noah Dunham (OSU), Hallie Edmonds (ASU), Kelsey Ellis (UT Austin), Elaine Gomez Guevara (CUNY), Nanda Grow (Texas A&M), Ashley Hammond (U. Missouri), Jessica Hartel (USC), Mauricio Hernandez (Cambridge), Nicholas Holowka (Stony Brook), Aimee Huard, (U. New England), Zachariah Hubbell (OSU), Jessica Joganic (Washington U.), Rob’yn Johnston (U. Missouri), Marc Kissel (U. Wisconsin), Anne Kwiatt (UT San Antonio), Sarah Lacy (Washington University, St. Louis), Catherine Merritt (U. Toronto), Justyna Miszkiewicz (U. Kent), Thierra Nalley (ASU), Allison Nesbitt (Stony Brook), Christina Nicholas (U. Iowa), Natalie O’Shea (U. Iowa), Tiffany Pan (U. Washington), Sean Prall (Indiana U.), Thomas Cody Prang (NYU), Joshua Sadvari (OSU), Jill Scott (U. Iowa), Michala Stock (NYU), Sarah Swartz (U. Missouri), Zack Throckmorton (U. Wisconsin), Willa Trask (Texas A&M), Jessica Walker (U. Pittsburgh), Raining Wang (U. Washington), Shasta Webb (Macalester College), Taylor Yuzwa (Mercyhurst)..

2012

Heidi Bauer-Clapp, Michael Berthaume, Jennifer Byrens, Keely B. Carlson, Colleen Cheverko, Jonathan Brent Clayton, Caitlin Dardenne, Ileana Diaz, Adam Foster, Tegan Gaetano, Heather Garvin, Ashley Gosselin-Ildari, Lesley Gregorika, Elaine Go´mez Guevara, Amber Heard-Booth, Nicholas Holowka, Genevieve Housman, Zachariah R. Hubbell, Margaux Finn Keller, Michael Kenyhercz, Sharon Kessler, Amy Klegarth, Anne C. Kwiatt, Cadell Last, Shayna Liberman, Annick McIntosh, Georgia Milward, Justyna Miszkiewicz, Teague O’Mara, Daniel M. Parker, Sean Prall, Matthew C.S. Reid, Laurie Reitsema, Michelle A. Rodrigues, Annette Rodriguez, Aaron Sams, Eric Shattuck, Brittany Singletary, Amanda Spriggs, Nathan Edward Thompson, Zachary John Throckmorton, Carrie Veilleux, and Vivek Venkataraman..

2011

Andrea Baden, Claire Barrett, Michael Berthaume, Nicole Burt, John Crandall, Ileana Diaz, Heather Garvin, Jan F. Gogarten, Lesley Gregoricka, Nanda Grow, Lauren Halenar, Nicholas Holowka, Zachariah R. Hubbell, Gail Hughes-Morey, Heather Jarrell, Sam Kemmis, Alexandra Klales, Alicia Krzton, Sarah Lacy, Denise K. Liberton, Sara Kane Lynch, Charla Marshall, Jaime Mata-Miguez, Monica McDonald, Stephanie Meredith, Emily Middleton, Thierra K. Nalley, Emma Nelson, Teague O’Mara, Daniel Parker, Chris Percival, Laurie Reitsema, Joshua Robinson, Elizabeth Rowing, Aaron Sams, John M. Starbuck, Robert Stark, Natalie Uhl, Vivek Vasi Venkataraman, Fernando Villanea, Darice Westphal, Victoria Wobber. In the age of personalized genomics, genetic ancestry testing, and medical genetic testing, do disciplines such as osteology, paleontology, primatology, human adaptation, etc., have relevance anymore for understanding modern human evolution and biology?

2010

Bridgett Alex, Harvard University; Claire Barrett, University of Kent; Mary Blair, Columbia University; Ryan Campbell, Southern Illinois University; Jennifer Danzy-Cramer, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Caitlin Dardenne, University of Utah; Jessica Drew, Florida Atlantic University; Heather Garvin, Johns Hopkins University; Christopher Golias, University of Pennsylvania; Lesley Gregorika, Ohio State University; Emily Hammerl, University at Buffalo-SUNY; Kristi Lewton, Arizona State University; Denise Liberton, Pennsylvania State University; Sara Lynch, University at Buffalo-SUNY; Stephanie Meredith, Arizona State University; Christina Nicolas, University of Iowa; Aidan Ruth, Kent State University; Jennifer Spence, Ohio State University; Natalie Uhl, University of Illinois, Vivek Vasi Venkataraman, Stony Brook University; Anna Vick, University of Florida; Jennifer Wagner, Pennsylvania State University..

2009

Mark Beary, University of Missouri; Jessica Brinkworth, City University of New York; Ryan Campbell, Southern Illinois University; Stephanie Child, University of Missouri; Lynn Copes, Arizona State University; James Cray, University of Pittsburgh; Kathryn Driscoll, University of Tennessee; Heather Garvin, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Lesley Gregoricka, Ohio State University; Nanda Grow, Texas A&M University; Emily Hammerl, University of Buffalo; Heather Hassel, Stony Brook University; Mary Kelaita, University of Michigan; Cassandra Koontz, Vanderbilt University; Britney Kyle, Ohio State University; Sarah Lacy, Washington University in St. Louis; Denise Liberton, Pennsylvania State University; Sara Lynch, University of Buffalo; Tracie McKinney, Ohio State University; Rachel Menegaz, University of Missouri; Katie Miller, Arizona State University; David Pappano, University of Michigan; Eleanna Prevedorou, Arizona State University; Ellen Quillen, Pennsylvania State University; Terrence Ritzman, Arizona State University; Elizabeth Rowe, Temple University; Anna Vick, University of Florida; Leslie Williams, Ohio State University..

2008

Wendy Black, University of Cape Town; Tafline Crawford, Wash. University; Jessica Joganic, Arizona State University; Lisa Pulliam, Western Oregon University; Jill Scott, University of Iowa; Melisa Kiyamu Tsuchiya, University of Albany; Meghan Healy, University of New Mexico; Elisabeth Nicholson, Northwestern University.

2007

Robert Omalley, University of Southern California; Susan Landers Roberts, University of Colorado; Amy Farnbach, Arizona State University; Elizabeth DiGangi, University of Tennessee; Rebecca Gray, University of Florida; Kristin Young, University of Kansas..

2006

Omer Gokcumen, University of Pennsylvania.