Real Estate w/ Alex King
AnthroPuzzled
On the latest episode of AnthroPuzzled we sit down with Alex King who has built a career in real estate, showing how anthropological thinking shapes the way people buy, sell, and understand homes. After leaving academia, he began working as a real estate agent and later became the owner of a home transition and estate services business, often supporting seniors and families navigating major life changes. Through his work, he applies anthropology in everyday practice, listening closely to clients, understanding their values, and asking deeper questions about why they want a home and how they...
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Communications & Archaeology w/ Dina Rivera
AnthroPuzzled
On the latest episode of AnthroPuzzled we sit down with Dina Rivera, a communications director for the Register of Professional Archeologists. Through her job Dina promotes the standards and ethics of archeological practice. The organization she works at makes resources with these guidelines available for archeologists in the field. She personally handles all the internal and external communications within the Register of Professional Archeologists and she interacts with a variety of individuals in this job, including conspiracy theorists. Dina has also spent time working on the...
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Environmental Anthropologist in Rural Development w/ Diane Russell
AnthroPuzzled
On this episode of AnthroPuzzled, I speak with Diane Russell, an ecological and environmental anthropologist working in international conservation, climate change, and natural resource management. Diane focuses on the social factors that shape how communities understand and interact with biodiversity. Her work shows how anthropology can illuminate the drivers of environmental challenges and help design conservation strategies that are both effective and culturally grounded. She shares insights from her global fieldwork, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Fiji,...
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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...
info_outlineOn the latest episode of AnthroPuzzled we sit down with Alex King who has built a career in real estate, showing how anthropological thinking shapes the way people buy, sell, and understand homes. After leaving academia, he began working as a real estate agent and later became the owner of a home transition and estate services business, often supporting seniors and families navigating major life changes.
Through his work, he applies anthropology in everyday practice, listening closely to clients, understanding their values, and asking deeper questions about why they want a home and how they plan to use it. He explains how cultural background, migration histories, and local community dynamics influence housing choices, from refugee settlement patterns to preferences for urban or rural living.
He also reflects on how ideas about homeownership, stability, and success are culturally shaped, especially in today’s shifting housing market. Anthropology, he argues, helps real estate professionals read people, not just prices.
Listen now to learn how anthropology comes to life in the housing market.