Welcome to Dr. White’s Homepage!
Jess White, PhD
Current Position:
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology and
Office: Currens 514A
Address:
404 Morgan Hall, WIU,
Email: JL-White@wiu.edu
Courses:
ANTH 110 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology)
ANTH 111 (Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology)
ANTH 201 (World Culture Regions – Middle East and North Africa)
ANTH 381 (Old World Archaeology)
ANTH 475 (Primate Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution)
Faculty Advisor: WASC (Western Anthropology & Sociology Club)
I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Western Illinois University and a co-director of the Functional Morphology and Evolutionary Anatomy Working Group at WIU. My research interests cover a range of topics, generally focusing on land-use and environmental adaptations of primates, be they lemurs on Madagascar, or humans. My current research foci include the study of dental shape and the dietary in living lemurs and lorises, as well as other mammal groups with a wide variety of dietary behaviors. As a corollary, I also study dental shape and the dietary adaptations of adapiforms from the Eocene and Miocene of Europe and Asia. On the human side of the primate spectrum, I am also interested in the pressure put on cultures in conflict zones, and particularly the role of women, family, and religion in economic development and "fair trade" practices. I have conducted anthropological research in the US (Wyoming, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio) as well as Ireland, Bulgaria, France, India, China, and most recently, Israel and Palestine. I have also had the honor of participating in international workshops focusing on the use of geometric morphometrics, including the first MORPHOFEST in Vienna, Austria in 2006 (sponsored by EVAN).
In the FMEA program at WIU, I am interested in working with students who have an interest in mammalian ecological diversity and functional morphology. Through this unique program, I (along with Dr. Matt Bonnan, Department of Biological Sciences) train students to use geometric morphometric methods to investigate a variety of subjects and encourage our working group members to expand their own research interests as they prepare for graduate school, medical school, veterinary school, or other career goals. Our goal is to provide our students with a new perspective on biodiversity and an opportunity to participate in primary research with scientists in the field!
I am also the proud faculty co-advisor of the Western Anthropology and Sociology Club at WIU. WASC is an incredibly dynamic group of students, involved in a host of activities here on campus – from hosting outside speakers, to discussing movies based on a host of current social and cultural topics, to hosting “aware-ness raising” sales of Fair Trade items to highlight the role of indigenous crafts and under-represented groups in the global economic market. We welcome ALL WIU students to our group, regardless of major or minor – we only require an interest in other humans!
Selected
Publications and Presentations:
White, JL. (2007) Toward a greater appreciation of Adapiform biodiversity: a geometric morphometric analysis of lower molar shape. Abstract Volume: 2007 8th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, Paris, France: 136 (abstract).
Maloney MA, Meiers, ST, White, JL, and Romano M. (2006) Effects of three food enrichment items on the behavior of black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco) and ringtail lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Henson Robinson Zoo, Springfield, IL. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 9(2): 111-127.
White, JL. (2006) Evolution of adapiform ecological diversity: a geometric morphometric analysis of molar occlusal surface shape. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (Supplement): 138A (abstract).
White, JL. (2005) Old teeth, new interpretations: a functional analysis of the molar morphology of the Quercy adapids. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25 (Supplement): 130A (abstract).
White, JL, Gebo, DL. (2004) A unique proximal tibial morphology in strepsirhine primates. American Journal of Primatology. 64: 293-308.
Ciochon, RL, White, JL. (2004) Book Review. Journal of Paleontology. 78: 1217-1218.
(Reviewed: Hartwig, W.C., TheFossil Record of Primates)
White, JL. (2003) Variation of the mandibular molars in extant lemuriform primates: a qualitative and quantitative study (abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology 123 (Supp 38): 207-208 (abstract).
Walthall, NR, Wiant, MD, Warren, RE, White, JL. (2002) Peoples of the Past. Learning and Activity Books Series. Springfield, IL: Illinois State Museum.
White, JL. (2001) The proximal tibia of extant and extinct prosimians. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (Supplement): 113 (abstract).
White, JL. (2001) Analysis of the prosimian knee joint. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 114 (Supp 32): 164 (abstract).
WIU Department of
Sociology and Anthropology FMEA Working Group
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