This week, we are excited to feature our first-year PhD student, Clara Devota! Although Clara is only in her first year as a graduate student, she’s been part of our lab for the last four years as an undergraduate student here at MSU, and we’re all thrilled that she chose to stay in East Lansing for her graduate degree!
Clara, a native Michigander, stayed close to home as an undergraduate at MSU. Clara actually started as an Animal Science major intending to become a production animal veterinarian, working with large animals like pigs, cows, lambs, and all the farm animals! Clara grew up on her family’s centennial farm and has always loved being around animals (particularly the fluffy cows!), but when she got to school, the veterinarian path just didn’t seem to fit. So, she traded in the muck boots and farm coveralls for a more typical undergraduate (and, let’s be honest, grad student) wardrobe of sweatpants and worn-out t-shirts to major in anthropology.
Clara took Introduction to Physical Anthropology in the first semester of her freshman year at MSU and, according to Clara, “it just felt right.” She particularly loved the intersection of history, biological science, and social science and how the field was so multidimensional. When she later took the Introduction to Forensic Anthropology course here, she realized she especially loved the applied work one can do with forensics, which has a strong impact on the world around us. During her undergraduate career, Clara also got the chance to take several graduate courses, which definitely helped her realize that graduate school in forensic anthropology was something she would really enjoy doing.
During a summer in undergrad, Clara also did an internship at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago where she assisted in the curation and repatriation of Indigenous North American ancestors. This was the experience which really cemented her path into forensic anthropology. She was able to spend each day working towards returning someone back to their descendent community and that was an incredibly meaningful and impactful experience which made Clara realize she would like to be in a similar role for her future career. As an Indigenous student herself, Clara especially enjoys discussions on ethics in biological anthropology and how we can support Indigenous scholars within anthropology.
Clara chose MSU for graduate school for the wealth of opportunities which are available to her both within the Department of Anthropology but also throughout the University. Clara notes, “there are several unique fellowship and certificate opportunities which will allow me to explore anthropology and the social sciences in a deeper way and provide me with some flexibility when I (one day) move into the job market.”
This year, Clara has a research assistantship supporting Dr. Carolyn Isaac with her research on the progression of osseous healing in the human cranium. Clara enjoys the trauma/healing research because trauma assessments in forensic anthropology have a significant impact on the decision by legal authorities to pursue prosecution. According to Clara, there are still so many unknowns about skeletal trauma and healing so the ideas for research abound!
When asked about her favorite aspect of forensic anthropology, Clara noted, “It is never boring! Forensic anthropologists often end up wearing a lot of different hats, which can sometimes be stressful, but for the most part it means that the field is dynamic and you have the opportunity to participate in lots of meaningful projects throughout your education and career.” One of these meaningful projects is getting to assist with casework, which Clara feels very privileged to be a part of.
For those looking towards graduate studies in forensic anthropology, and really any field, Clara’s advice is “don’t give up your other hobbies and interests while you are in graduate school. Treat graduate school like a job, rather than your entire world. Keep time for the things you enjoy which are not related to anthropology and don’t stop yourself from trying new things or taking vacations over the fear that they will detract from your studies. Yes, there may be weeks where hobbies and your life outside school are set aside to finish a paper for class or get a grant application done, but taking breaks can prevent burnout and help you to keep enjoying the work you do while in school.”
In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, Clara spends her time gardening, growing a big vegetable garden in her yard every summer. Clara grew up helping her grandparents garden, and the green-thumb trait definitely rubbed off on her! This summer, she plans to expand into cut flowers and have plenty of dahlias, zinnias, and sweet peas on the docket to plant once the Michigan winter finally gives way. In the colder months, she loves to curl up with her cat, Kaspar, and go on reading binges. Finally, when she can afford to do so, she loves to get out and travel. A few of her favorite experiences so far are hearing the Vienna Boy’s Choir sing Christmas mass at Hofburg Chapel, making chocolate from scratch in Cuzco, Peru, and exploring the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia!
Authored by: Alex Goots
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