Mailing Address:
Department of Anthropology
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306-0435

Telephone: 765-285-3279
Departmental phone: 765-285-1575
Fax: 765-285-2163
E-Mail: GWAITE@BSU.EDU
 
 

Education: M.A., Anthropology, Ball State University (1994) Thesis: The Red Man's Burden: Establishing Cultural Boundaries in the Age of Technology
B.G.S. Anthropology and Human Relations, Ball State University (1991)

 Teaching Experience: August 1993 to present: Full-time contract faculty in the Anthropology Department, Ball State University. I have full responsibility for development and teaching of those cultural anthropology courses that I have listed in the "courses" section. I teach these courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

August 1974-1984: I was employed as an instructor in a secondary school vocational program. My responsibilities included the development and revision of automotive curriculum. As part of the revision process, I formed community based advisory committees to oversee the objectives of that program. I also taught in all areas of that program.

1978-1986 Part time: I operated a Standardbred racing stable that contracted with the State of Indiana to train learning disabled individuals to be stable employees. The goal of this was to teach skills in the stable setting that would transfer to a broader range of jobs. I developed long-range individual plans for employees, individualized methods of instruction, and evaluation methods for those employees.

Applied Anthropological Experience:

January-October 2009: Planning and production of "A day with Mimi: The Modern Face of Việt Nam" A book, DVD, and teaching packet for Indiana seventh grade social studies classrooms.

February March 2006 : Consultant to Minnetrista Cultural Center for the construction of an Amish display. Mediated dialogue with Center staff and local Amish community.

January to April 2006: Consultant and participant in the production of "Cell Block Scholars"  A made for PBS video about prison college teaching.

April 2006:  Interviewed and filmed for "Why Peace " A video made for The Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Ball State University.
 
June 1997 to September 1997: Archaeology consulting for the United States Forest Service at Bedford, Indiana. Conducted a cultural resources management survey of 3100 acres of national forest in Crawford and Perry Counties, Indiana. I supervised a crew of five, planned and organized a walkover and shovel sampling survey, tabulated and interpreted results, and made recommendations for logging operations to be carried out in this area.

January 1996 to December 1996: Cultural media consultant in the video production of "A Feast Of Music," a Chilean/American cross-cultural concert video. This included planning, interviewing participants, filming, directing, editing, and producing a full length concert video and a fifteen minute video used to promote cultural exchange between South and North American musicians.

July and August 1996: Archaeology consulting for the United States Forest Service in Bedford, Indiana. Conducted a cultural resources management survey of 1200 acres of storm damaged national forest. I supervised a crew of six, planned and organized a walkover and shovel sampling survey, tabulated and interpreted results, and made recommendations for future logging and industrial use of the affected land area.

1967-1972: US Government Civil Affairs Specialist. I worked as a refugee management specialist in The Republic of Vietnam. The job included the coordination of multiethnic military operations among the Republic of Vietnam, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Australian military forces. I moved civilians who were in the path of military operations, established culturally appropriate methods for coordinated civil relief, which included establishing a community run sawmill, that in turn generated funds for other community development projects. I worked with district and village chiefs to build two villages and one school, worked with community leaders to dig wells, staffed and trained village health clinics, developed a community based irrigation/agricultural cooperative, acquired USAID/CORDS funding for the same, and coordinated a multicultural military presence in a 7500 hectare area that was also home to 2500 civilians.

Research Experience:
Principal research focus on refugees and agrarian resettlement in Vietnam in the post-revolutionary period.  Go-Noi Island

Ongoing: I am presently working with Southwestern Native Americans in an examination of cultural boundaries and the symbolic creation of those boundaries. My focus is the maintenance of those boundaries, processes of change, and the survival of ethnic diversity in the face of Globalization. During May and June of 2002 I traveled extensively in South France documenting migrations of the Gitane (Gypsies) of that region.

The rural Midwestern U.S. culture and processes of change since 1900. I am researching making a living in the rural Midwest, the changes to the cultural landscape, and the relationship of aesthetic ritual and cultural icons to those processes of change.

The creation of teaching units on Jamaica and Vietnam emphasizing the effects of colonialism and industrial development.

Research Awards:

2008/09  Ball State University, Immersive Learning Provost Initiative Grant  for  “A Day with Mimi: The Modern face of Việt Nam". A DVD and accompanying book for Indiana middle school teachers.

2007   Diversity Associate,  Ball State University Diversity Policy Institute. for  Introduction of the a freshman common reader and the creation of learning communities within the Ball State Correctional Education Program.  

2005-2006    Faculty Development Grant from the Center for Interantional Studies, Ball State University for travel to Vietnam to create student trip for December 
.
2004-2006     The Cohen Peace Studies Fellowship for "The Post-Revolutionary Village: Tradition and Modernity"

2004     Faculty Development Grant for paper presentation at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2002     Faculty Development Grant from Center for International Programs, Ball State University for ethnography in South France, May, June and July 2002.

2001     Continuing Education Ball State University, travel grant to Durant Oklahoma to present at the Fourth Native American Symposium

2000      "Jacob Piatt Dunn"  award from the Indiana Historical Society for the best article of 1999 in Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History.

1999     Continuing Education Ball State University, travel grant to Durant Oklahoma to present at the Third Native American Symposium.

1997     Continuing Education Ball State University, travel grant to Washington D. C. for development of a Việt Nam teaching unit.

1965-1966 Archaeology Department, Trinidad State College, Trinidad, Colorado. I received undergraduate work-study grants for Pueblo III site surveys and excavations in the Raton Pass area of Southern Colorado. I also received a work-study grant for the development of a departmental osteology file and osteological field guide for Southwestern archaeology sites.

Publications:
(Reports)
"Grist Mills of Delaware County in Historic and Prehistoric Contexts in the Tipton Till Plain". Archaeological Resources Management Service, Ball State University, March 15, 1994

"A Phase one Cultural Resources Survey of 2885 Acres within the Tell city Ranger District. Hoosier National Forrest, Crawford and Perry Counties, Indiana". September 30, 1997 Hoosier National Forest CRRR09-12-04-164

"A Phase one Cultural Resources Survey of 900 Acres, Morgan and Brown County, Indiana". August, 1996  

(Book)

2009 A day with Mimi: The Modern Face of Việt Nam  Drinian Press. Huron, Ohio.

2008 A Fair Profile: Hoosier County Fairs  Contracted with The Indiana Historical Society, submitted October, 2008.In press

2005 An "Ameirican Sports Icon", 1999 reprinted in "Indiana Sporting Life" Ray Boomhower ed. Indiana Historical Society Press, Indianapolis 2005.

2003    a. "A World Turned Upside Down: Refugee resettlement in the Vietnam War" in "The Maine Scholar Fall" 2003.
            b. "An American Sports Icon"  Reprinted in "The Missouri Veterinary Foundation Newsletter" Summer 2003.
            c."An American Sports Icon"  Reprinted in part and cited in "Dan Patch set the Pace" in The Chicago Tribune Jul 25, 2003 Pg1
            d. The Red Man's Burden: Creating Symbolic Boundaries in the Age of Technology, in Looking Through Two Worlds: Proceedings of the Native  American  Symposium. eds. Lucretia           Scousa, Chad Litton, Mark Spencer. Southeastern Oklahoma University Press. 2003.
            e. Brothers and Others: Christian Religious on the Reservation,  in Looking Through Two Worlds: Proceedings of the Native American Symposium.eds.  Lucretia Scousa, Chad Litton, Mark Spencer. Southeastern Oklahoma University Press. 2003.
 1999    a. "Grist Mills of Delaware County" in "The Indiana Magazine of History" Ps 364-382 V.XCV No4 December 1999
             b. "An American Sports Icon" in "Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History" Summer 1999 issue.
             c.  A review of Tom Holm’s "Strong Hearts Wounded Souls" In The American Indian Quarterly Spring 1999 Vol 23 No 2

Films:

Produced  "A Day with Mimi: The Modern Face of Việt Nam

Participated in "Cellblock Scholars" 2006, Free Speech Productions Four regional Emmy nominations 2007

"The Post-Revolutionary Village" 2006, Ball State University Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

" Why Peace" 2006, The Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Ball State University, Elyse Chudzynski, director.    

Invited and/or paid Presentations:

"A Stranger in a Strange Land: Doing Research in a Place you Thought you Knew" Ball State University Diversity Conference, November 14, 2009  

A Consistent Life Ethic: Presented to The Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology Graduate Retreat, April 18, 2009

Becoming an Officer in the U.S. Military in the 21^st Century. ROTC, Ball State University. November 20, 2008

“A view from the Trenches: Former Soldiers as Peacemakers”. Center for peace and Conflict resolution. Ball State University October 23, 2008 

"Indiana's County Fairs" presented at The Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, Indiana. August 1, 2007

"Outsourcing a War: What you get for your Mercenary Dollar" presented at  "The Impact of Culture, Race, and Religion in the Vietnam War"  Texas Tech University March 22, 2007

"Uprooted: Living in an Undoing World"  Presentation for Ball State University Freshman Connections Program September 28, 2006

"The Post Revolutionary Village: Vietnam" presented as a University wide presentation as the recipient of the "Cohen Peace Fellowship Award". April 17, 2006

Conference and class presentations:
"Negotiating Tradition in the Free Market: Cross Cultural Comparisons" presented at The Second International Conference on Vietnamese Studies, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, July 2004

"Brothers and Others: Christian Religious on the Reservation" presented at the Fourth Native American Symposium Durant, Oklahoma November, 2001.

"The Red Man's Burden: Creating Symbolic Boundaries in the age of Technology"  presented at the Third Native American Symposium. Durant, Oklahoma. November 1999

"Vietnam" Presented in Dr. Tony Edmonds History of the Vietnam War class 2002 through 2007.

A Consistent Life Ethic: Anthropology and Ethics. Presented as a guest in Anthropology 601 December 3, 2008.

"Vietnam" Presented for Dr Barb Stedman's Honors 189 class, September 2006

Paid Reviews:
2003:     Humanity 6th edition for Thomson/Wadsworth

2002:     Talking Politics: A village Window in Iran for Prentice Hall.

2002:     Tears for the Saint, Tears for Ourselves for Prentice Hall.

2001:     The Anthropology of Religion manuscript for Prentice Hall.

Thesis Committees:

Katrina Bieker, Senior Honors Thesis. "Human Trafficking and the Modern-Day Slave Trade in Southeast Asia". 2009

Eric J. Schissler, Anthropology "An Examination of Khmer Prayer inside the Ta Prohm Complex and its Implications for Ankor Management Policy" 2009

Steven Viall, Anthropology “The Obstacles of Culture: Becoming an Officer through ROTC at Ball State University” 2008

Francine Melia, Anthropology “The Self at Play: a Case Study of reification and De-reification in the “Play Environment” of American college Theatre” 2008

Seth Rosenberg, "Corner Stores and Bottles" 2008

Nils Jager, Architecture. "Accessibility of Social Housing: Acknowledging Interconnectivity of Various Layers of Access".  2006.

Sarah Cunningham, Anthropology .  An Ethnographic Exploration of College Drinking Culture".  2006 .

Elizabeth Pfeiffer, Anthropology . "The value of Education: Differing Perceptions in a Class Divided Society". 2005

Field Trips:

Việt Nam: Field Trip with 13 students for "A Day With Mimi: The Modern face of Việt Nam" Book/DVD/teacher's materials immersive learning project. May, 2009
 

Vietnam: Field trip with 13 students and 4 veteran consultants. June 1, 2008- June 22, 2008

South East Asia  Field trip with 21 students  to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, December 18, 2006- January 8, 2007

Service:
Ongoing: Freshman Connections team Captain for Learning Group #three Fall 2008. Eleven faculty and staff, and 640 students.

2007-2008   Center for Peace& Conflict Studies Advisory Committee.

2007-2008   Native American Studies Advisory Group.

2007-2008  Freshman Connections Team Captain for Extended Education, Corrections Program.

2005-2006 University Senate Extended Education Committee.

2005-2006 University Senate Contract Faculty Committee.

1999-2009: Department coordinator for correctional programs. Scheduled and supervised 7 faculty in the delivery of anthropology classes to Indiana correctional institutions.

2005-2009: Advisor  for "Offender Life Long Learning / Continuing Education Council" Education Department, Indiana State Prison.

Ongoing: Guest lecturer for selected Anthropology, History, and Political Science classes. Topic: "The Vietnam War, One Soldier's Story".

Ongoing: Guest lecturer at area churches, service clubs and student organizations. Topic: "An Anthropological Perspective on the Death Penalty

200-2009: Departmental Advisor. Assist majoring students in class choice and degree progress.

2003-2009: Freshman Connection faculty. Participated in a cross disciplinary team teaching project.

2003-2009: Freshman connection program Common Reader selection committee.

2004-2008: Freshman Advisor for University College. Participated in Freshman Orientation, met with assigned advisees for counseling and class advising.

Ongoing: Faculty sponsor for "STAND" Students against Genocide.

Ongoing: Faculty sponsor for student chapter of Amnesty International.

1977-1979: Appointment to Curriculum Advisory Board Department of Industrial Education, Ball State University

1996-1998: Anthropology Department Operations committee. Assisted the department chair in the day-to-day operations of the department, including personnel concerns, recruitment, and other issues as suggested by the faculty.

1996-1997: Faculty development group. Voluntary committee to discuss teaching and evaluation concerns in the classroom. Evaluated and implemented new methods for use in the classroom, and developed and authored a writing guide that was adopted as standard by the majority of faculty in the department.

1995-1996: Anthropology Department curriculum committee. Assisted in the review of course offerings for the department. Included recommendations for the deletion and addition of courses for the departmental undergraduate major and minor and the evaluation of current graduate level courses.

1995-1996: University Graduate Assistant Training committee. Aided in the development of training programs for graduate teaching assistants.

1977-1979: Appointment to Curriculum Advisory Board Department of Industrial Education, Ball State University
 

Professional Memberships:

American Anthropological Association

Association for Asian Studies

Vietnamese Studies Association

Indiana State Historical Society

Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana