Episode 194: Anna Dhody Part 1 – Bones, Museums, And Seizing Opportunities

My guest today is Forensic Anthropologist Anna Dhody.

What we talk about with Anna in part 1:

Anna initially studied archaeology, influenced by visits to the Penn Museum in Philadelphia as a child.
She developed a passion for archaeology at a young age, around 9 or 10 years old.
Chose Boston University for its separate archaeology department, which offered more opportunities than those combined with anthropology departments.
After attending an excavation in Belize during her sophomore year, she became interested in biological anthropology, focusing on human bones and their stories.
She realized the competitive nature of academia and planned to pursue a master’s in forensic science instead of a PhD.
Anna wrote a thesis manual titled “The Underground Crime Scene” for law enforcement on how to excavate buried crime scenes, which gained unexpected international circulation.
Applied for jobs after graduation and was scouted by the CIA but ultimately accepted a position at Harvard’s Peabody Museum due to the need for osteologists for a NAGPRA project.
Worked at the Peabody Museum for four years, taking advantage of free classes and gaining valuable experience.
Became involved with a United Nations project in Peru to train local medical personnel in forensic anthropology, which turned into a significant teaching role.
Returned from Peru and took a temporary position at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. What was initially meant to last five months ended up lasting nearly 20 years.
Anna’s career path was shaped by a combination of luck and the challenges faced in the museum world, emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities.