Director
Dr Anne Pisor; Penn State
Anne Pisor (“pie-zur”) is an integrative scientific anthropologist who studies how people manage risk. She’s an expert on the evolution of cooperation in humans, especially social relationships that span communities (“long-distance relationships”) – often key to risk management. This work inspired her federally funded projects on climate change adaptation (NIH) and natural resource management (NSF), interdisciplinary efforts that involve collaborations in public health, epidemiology, development, climate science, public policy, and more.
Evolutionary social scientists know Anne as a human behavioral ecologist, cultural evolutionist, and evolutionary psychologist; anthropologists know her as a cultural and evolutionary anthropologist; social scientists know her as an anthropologist, demographer, ecologist, and statistician; and those in health science and business know her as an expert in behavior and culture.
Anne is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Social Science Research Institute at Penn State University. She was recently named a Rising Star by the Human Behavior and Evolution Society as an early-career researcher “whose innovative work has already advanced the field.” You can watch a talk of hers for a taste of her academic approach.
When not at the university, you can find Anne mentoring entrepreneurs and change-makers, helping them narrow down who they’re serving, what’s hard for those they serve, and what actions they can take to make things better. See Anne’s LinkedIn profile for more on her cross-sector work.
Graduate students
Ollie Shannon; PhD student; Washington State
Ollie Shannon is a biocultural anthropologist and PhD candidate specializing in queer communities, chosen family networks, and social support systems. Their research explores how queer individuals create and sustain relationships that provide emotional, financial, and caregiving support and how resources flow across these chosen family networks. Ollie’s teaching philosophy is rooted in inclusive pedagogy, equity-based learning, and classroom innovation. They strive to create student-centered learning environments that recognize the diverse experiences and perspectives each student brings. With over two decades of experience as a community organizer, Ollie has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, mutual aid, and social justice. This background informs their research and teaching, bridging scholarship and activism to support marginalized communities. Ollie was recently awarded the Graduate Teaching Award by the College of Arts & Sciences at Washington State University.
Courtney Elmore; PhD student; Penn State
Courtney Elmore is a passionate life-long learner and former Geospatial Intelligence Analyst for the Air Force. Her time in the military taught her not only to navigate complex data but also the importance of strategic decision-making in high-stakes environments. After the service, she transitioned into entrepreneurship, where she ran her own business, gaining hands-on experience in leadership, problem-solving, and building relationships within the community.
Currently, Courtney is pursuing her Master’s degree at Penn State University via the Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate program and seeks to delve deep into the world of social networks and social capital. She is especially interested in understanding how these systems influence well-being, and how they can be leveraged to foster stronger, more connected communities. Her academic journey is driven by a desire to explore how human connections and the way we interact in social spaces shape our lives, both personally and collectively.
Courtney is excited to combine her past experiences with new insights from her studies to contribute meaningfully to the evolving field of anthropology and to continue learning about the ways in which social networks can be harnessed for positive change.
Soujanya Akkiraju; PhD student; Penn State
Venkata (“Soujanya”) Akkiraju is a first-year Ph.D. student at Penn State, working with Dr. Anne Pisor. She comes with a background in public health, with an MPH from the Indian Institute of Public Health, New Delhi, India. Soujanya brings around four years of professional experience, with some of her most impactful work involving indigenous communities in India, as well as socially and economically marginalized communities, particularly women and children.
As a Research Associate at the Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, she collaborated with national and international organizations, including the Healthy India Alliance and the University of Adelaide, on projects aimed at understanding the cross-cutting determinants of health and well-being.
Soujanya’s research interests focus on mixed-method studies exploring the role of social, cultural, and behavioural determinants in shaping health within communities.