Resolving Intersectional Challenges Within Organizations w/ Nirupama Hayden
Release Date: 04/04/2025
Consumer Research w/ Patti Sunderland
AnthroPuzzled
On the latest episode of AnthroPuzzled, we speak with Patti Sunderland, founding principal of Cultural Research and Analysis Inc. Patti discovered anthropology in college, a perspective she says continues to shape her work in consumer research. After early projects in luxury markets and time at a nonprofit research institute, she eventually built her own firm. Anthropology, she notes, helps her look beyond individual behaviors to the broader cultural patterns driving them. Today, Patti conducts consumer and cultural analysis to support branding and product development, using interviews,...
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Sickness & Biocultural Anthropology w/ Eric Shattuck
AnthroPuzzled
On this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we speak with Dr. Eric Shattuck, Assistant Professor of Biological Anthropology at Florida State University. Initially drawn to cultural anthropology, Eric discovered his passion for evolutionary medicine and the ways pathogens can influence host behavior. Today, his teaching and research explore human variation, adaptability, and especially the social dimensions of health and disease. Eric’s work in social immunology examines how culture and social connections shape immune function and responses to illness. He discusses how social interaction can both...
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Bioarchaeology & Forensic Anthropology w/ Paulina Meléndez
AnthroPuzzled
On this episode of Anthropuzzled, we speak with Paulina Meléndez, an independent scientist and researcher whose work bridges the fields of bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. Her expertise lies in understanding how the study of human remains can illuminate both past societies and present-day issues. Bioarchaeology helps us interpret how people once lived, ate, and interacted with their environments, insights that continue to inform our understanding of humanity today. Forensic anthropology, meanwhile, applies these methods to identify missing persons and assist in criminal...
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Visual Anthropology & Ethnography w/ Michael Hicks
AnthroPuzzled
In this episode of Anthropuzzled, we talk with Michael Hicks, an Anthropology Practitioner and Documentary Photographer, about how visual anthropology can illuminate pressing social and political issues. Michael has studied across all four fields of anthropology, but his work centers on cultural and political dynamics. He believes that to understand any system, whether a business or nonprofit, you must look at its interconnections. This perspective guides his varied career, which spans academic research, applied fieldwork, and nonprofit work. Recently, as a Data Analytics Manager, he analyzed...
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Outreach & Public Engagement w/ Guven Witteveen
AnthroPuzzled
In today’s episode, we sit down with Guven Witteveen, Web Manager of East Asia Anthropology at the American Anthropological Association and an experienced professional in outreach and public engagement. Guven’s career has centered on building connections across languages and cultures. He worked with Title IX programs to promote foreign language study, coordinated grants for colleges, and discovered his main anthropological focus in Japan. While at a museum there, he helped introduce translation technologies for exhibits, ensuring English versions reflected the intent of their Japanese...
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Technology & Innovation in Cultural Heritage Management w/ Michael Tomiak
AnthroPuzzled
On the latest episode of Anthropuzzled we talk with Michael Tomiak the head of digital programming at the new museum of West African Art and a consultant at Quercus Heritage. Michael discusses how new technology could benefit the world of cultural heritage management. Michael shares how emerging technologies are transforming cultural heritage management, a field dedicated to safeguarding land, objects, and knowledge of cultural significance. With roots in history, physics, and technology, his journey has been shaped by diverse internships and fieldwork, leading him to innovative ways of...
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One Year of AnthroPuzzled
AnthroPuzzled
AnthroPuzzled turns one! In this special anniversary episode, host Abby Letsinger reflects on a year of curious conversations, unexpected discoveries, and the winding path that brought this podcast to life. What began as a personal search for direction has grown into a space for real stories, honest questions, and diverse perspectives on what anthropology can look like beyond the classroom. Tune in as we celebrate one year of puzzling through anthropology—and look ahead to what’s next. Your input matters! Please take a few minutes to complete our listener survey linked below. Your feedback...
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Exploring Words and Worlds w/ Grace Penry
AnthroPuzzled
On this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we’re joined by Grace Penry, a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Arkansas. With a bachelor’s in anthropology and creative writing, she is now pursuing a master’s in translation and creative writing. Grace shares how her lifelong passions for storytelling and connecting with people drew her into both anthropology and writing, and how the observational skills she gained as an anthropologist continue to shape her creative work. Her interests also extend into languages, she minored in Spanish, spent time studying abroad in Argentina, and now...
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Consumer Insights w/ Mary-Caitlyn Valentinsson
AnthroPuzzled
In this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we talk with Mary-Caitlyn Valentinsson, Manager of Ethnographic Research for Universal Destinations and Experiences in Orlando, Florida. Mary-Caitlyn explains how anthropology and UX research come together in her work to understand the guest experience from a truly holistic perspective. Using interviews, focus groups, and structured observations, she studies leisure and tourism with the knowledge that a vacation begins long before visitors arrive at the park gates. Her research sometimes explores different things like the “sociology of cool,” guest beliefs...
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Research Consultant w/ Eleanor Snowden
AnthroPuzzled
In this episode of AnthroPuzzled, I speak with Eleanor Snowden, a research consultant whose work is deeply rooted in applied anthropology. Eleanor specializes in “story surveys,” a method that invites people to share everyday experiences and interpret the meaning of their own stories—challenging traditional research models that often remove this agency. Her approach focuses on unearthing small, often hidden narratives that emerge naturally in conversation, especially those that reveal how people make sense of the world around them. By working alongside changemakers and socially conscious...
info_outlineOn this episode of AnthroPuzzled, we were honored to interview Nirupama Hayden, a Certified Diversity Executive and Associate Consultant. We discuss how anthropological knowledge is vital in jobs with diversity components and in negotiation.
Companies today face a multitude of challenges, among the most pressing being issues related to belonging and inclusion. These challenges lead to inefficiencies in client services and create unhealthy work environments. As a diversity executive, Nirupama works with companies to identify the best solutions to these problems and ensure they do not arise again.
Nirupama applies her understanding of anthropology to address the root causes of workplace issues. She also leverages these skills to analyze and navigate the unique social environments within each company. According to her, many workplace problems stem from miscommunication between different levels of the organization. To foster an ideal work environment, employees must learn to collaborate, compromise, and communicate effectively. Her work ensures that all employees feel safe and heard in their workplace. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and addressing diversity issues with care and intentionality.
Beyond consulting, Nirupama also applies her anthropological expertise in teaching. She creates positive learning environments that significantly increase passing rates and enhance student success. By incorporating the communication skills she advocates for as a diversity executive, she makes her classes engaging and impactful. Her teaching leaves lasting impressions on many students, even altering the course of their lives.
Stay tuned to learn more about how anthropology skills are an asset in diversity and consulting work.