Andrea Willingham
Odessa, FL

Anthropology major Andrea Willingham '12 was one of 80 students nationwide to be named a 2011 Udall Scholar. Andrea received a $5,000 award and traveled to Tucson, Arizona, in August to meet policymakers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care, and governance. Recipients are selected on the basis of their commitment to careers in the environment, health care or tribal public policy, leadership potential, and academic achievement. In Spring 2011, Andrea earned the Writing Excellence Award at Eckerd, a recognition bestowed on the top 1% of students at the College.

Andrea hails from Odessa, Florida, and is pursuing a double major in Environmental Studies. She has served as president of Campus Sustainability Congress, an environmental activism club. She is also vice-president of the Anthropology Society. She also serves as a student representative for the College's Environmental Affairs Committee. Andrea studied at the London Study Center during spring 2010, and she recently participated in a service-learning trip to Puerto Rico.

Taylor Leisher
Wilmette, IL

Tell us a little about yourself. I was born in Chicago, IL and grew-up living in both Honolulu, HI and Chicago. My entire life I thought...(click for full profile)

Alex Caterino
Cheshire, CT

While it's probably not technically possible to abuse one's liberal arts education, junior Alex Caterino is certainly giving it her best shot. "I believe that I am unique in that I am taking full advantage of the 'liberal arts' education that Eckerd prides itself in." In addition to her anthropology major, she's dabbled in Latin, French, Psychology, Philosophy, Religious Studies and Environmental Studies. (click for full profile)

Chris Dvorscak
Crystal River, FL

Anthropology major Chris Dvorscak '10 spent ten weeks in an underwater archaeology field school off the Florida Gulf Coast during summer 2009. The annual field school is hosted by the University of West Florida near the Spanish colonial city of Pensacola. Chris hails from Crystal River, Florida, and he was a member of the Eckerd varsity baseball team. He begins his graduate studies in Maritime Archaeology at the University of West Florida in Spring 2012. When asked about his summer field school experience, Chris shared the following:

"I had envisioned diving on wrecks you see on the Discovery Channel - wrecks that are all relatively intact and in clear water. Unfortunately, the wrecks we excavated were in water that was very dark and murky. At times, I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face and I would end up just closing my eyes and feeling my way through the site . . . All the artifacts that were excavated were recorded multiple times to prevent error and loss of provenience. Being that most of the time we would plot artifacts underwater, having many records proved to be imperative."

Robyn Erickson
Pasadena, CA

Robyn participated in an archaeological dig at Maximo Park, near the Eckerd campus, on September 26, 2009. The project, sponsored by the Florida Public Archaeology Network, is part of ongoing efforts to restore and preserve Maximo Park for future generations. The efforts to learn more about the area's cultural history were covered by the Times.