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Anthropology undergrad excels at 'community-oriented' ASU


John "Jake" Lulewicz
October 17, 2011

The catalyst for John "Jake" Lulewicz’s interest in anthropology was the first trip he took outside the USA. Before entering his junior year in high school at the age of 16, his grandfather took him on a safari to Botswana. It was the first time Lulewicz was completely immersed in a cultural environment unlike his own. The experience instilled in him the thrill of traveling; the respect for, and fascination with, cultural differences; and the realization that there is an “undeniable sameness between peoples.”

Lulewicz is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in anthropology (with an emphasis in archaeology) and a minor in geography at Arizona State University.

“ASU, being such a large university, can feel intimidating at times,” Lulewicz said. “But throughout my time here, I have managed to transform such a massive environment into a small-scale, community-oriented experience.” Opportunities for involvement in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change have helped create that sense of belonging.

As testament to Lulewicz’s outstanding academic efforts, he recently received the Dean’s Circle Scholarship from ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has also been invited to join Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Kappa Phi is the country’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines, and Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic honor society for the liberal arts and sciences.

Lulewicz is applying to graduate programs in anthropology this fall and hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in the field. He anticipates one day being a professor and continuing archaeological research with a focus on human-environment interactions and patterns of human phenomena across varying landscapes. His advice for students considering study in anthropology is to “go for it.” He added, “Anthropology can undoubtedly enhance or supplement absolutely any degree, let alone be an invaluable primary degree in itself.”