Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

Click on a category to jump to the relevant questions.

Main Conference Details

  • The Public Anthropology Conference is a two-day event held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown Washington, D.C on November 7th and 8th.

  • Sessions will be organized around a general theme and a format of presentation. This includes but is not limited to individual and group presentations, poster presentations, panels, and various non-traditional formats. A detailed program information will be posted closer to the conference date! 

  • This conference is hosted and planned by the Department of Anthropology at American University.

Applying to Participate

  • There are no firm requirements to apply to present, meaning anyone can apply. The conference is focused on research and work which has emerged using anthropological, archaeological, ethnographic, or qualitative methods.

  • No, you do not need to be an anthropologist to apply. We welcome and encourage applications from other qualitative, interdisciplinary, artistic, or advocate scholars.

  • No! The Public Anthropology Conference welcomes engagement and knowledge sharing between an expansive set of thinkers and doers. This includes members of the general public!Item description

  • The application deadline has been extended to Friday, September 12 at 11:59pm EST.

  • You do not need to be registered to submit, but you need to be registered to present - should your application be accepted!

    That said, we do encourage early registration, as we anticipate selling out of conference spots.

  • Yes, we would love volunteers. A call for volunteers will go out in mid-August. To get notified when the call for volunteers goes out, sign up for our newsletter here.

Attendance and Registration

  • Register using the form here.

  • The deadline to register in November 1, 2025.

  • Registration is free for all attendees. Donations are encouraged for participants based on income and affiliation type.

  • As of right now, we do not have a formal virtual option planned. We are working to acquire the funding and technology to make that happen. If you would like to be updated when/if we are able to confirm virtual participation, sign up for our newsletter here.

  • Yes, this conference is for everyone!

Types of Presentations

  • Individual presenters (or small research teams) would apply to give a 15-20 minute presentation which topics such as:

    • Contradictions of Garissa: Activism, Education, and Counterterrorism in Northeastern Kenya

    • Paradigm Shift: The Standing Rock Sioux and the Struggle of Our Time

    • Anthropology in the Community: The Immigrant Alexandria Oral History Project

    • Sin Marrones, Sin Gays: Experiences of Stigma Among Gay Latino Men in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Region

    • Radioactivism and the (Not-So) Collective Memory of St. Louis's Nuclear Past

    • Producing Domesticity: Irish immigrant women and 19th-century domestic labor

    • Chic Camo: When the U.S. Military Styled Barbie

    If accepted, individual presentations will be grouped onto a larger panel, in which all presentations have a similar theme.

  • To apply for a group of presentations, all of the presentations would submit together under a single panel idea. An application could look like:

    Panel Title: Immigration and Activism

    Individual presentations included in this group application:

    • Understanding Racism Among the UK Independence Party Supporters

    • Somos Semillas: Understanding the Societal Impacts of Latinx DACAmented College Students

    • Anthropology in the Community: The Immigrant Alexandria Oral History Project

    If accepted, the entire panel is accepted together.

  • Applicants for non-traditional sessions may submit for a range of formats. While we provide a list of possible forms (see below), applicants are welcome and encouraged to pitch interactive and creative sessions that go beyond or blend the listed formats.

    Possible formats: Interactive, long-form, or creative format, such as: workshops, teach-ins, author talks, community dialogues, walking tours, film screenings, art performances

    Examples of non-traditional sessions:

    • Photogrammetry: A Skills Workshop: Participants are encouraged to download a free trial of the photogrammetry software Agisoft prior to attending this workshop. Participants will be given a series of photographs so they can build their own 3D models during the workshop.

    • Questioning Commutes: An Interactive, Historical Walking Tour of the DC Metro System: Facilitators will trace the history of the regional transit network, focusing specifically on the debates and decisions which birthed the DMV’s system in the post-WWII period and connecting this history to ongoing issues. Simultaneously, facilitators will lead an ethnographic exercise, in which participants critically observe transit in action and collaboratively articulate findings.

    • LYD: A Screening of the Award-Winning Film + Q&A with the Directors

Transit and Housing

  • If you are taking public transportation, we recommend taking the DC Metro to Metro Center or Gallery Place/ Chinatown stops. The library is also along several bus routes.

    If you are driving a personal vehicle, we recommend parking at the Victor Building Garage.

  • Yes, we will be offering travel and transportation support for participants and attendees. More information on support will be added soon. To get notified when that information is available, sign up for our newsletter.

  • While there are many options for hotels in the D.C area, there is no designated hotel or lodging accomodations affiliated with this conference.

Other Questions

Have a question not answered here? Send our team an email at pubanthcon@american.edu!