Shantu Salvi Major: Anthropology Year of graduation: 2006

Where do you live and work?

I live in Cambridge, MA, and the company I work for is based in Pawtucket, RI, but the job takes me all over New England.

What is your occupation?

Archaeologist for a Cultural Resource Management company.

What did you do immediately after graduating from UMass Boston?

I spent two and half weeks in Kenya with my fiancee. It was an adventure of a lifetime.

What has been your most worthwhile professional experience so far?

I would have to say that my most worthwhile experience in the field has been touching cultural materials that were created or manipulated thousands of years ago. It is difficult to describe what it's like to hold a projectile point that some man or woman crafted over 6,000 years ago, but I can say that it's pretty intense!

What are the one or two events, courses or people that stand out in your mind from your time at UMass Boston? Please explain.

This is a tough question because there are so many people and events from my UMass experience that remain quite special to me. My time spent on the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation's reservation, as part of Steve Silliman's field school, is definitely one of those moments. As we were digging on the reservation, the Eastern Pequot were in the process of applying for federal recognition as a sovereign nation. The state of Connecticut, particularly its attorney general, was very much against this, despite the legitimacy of the Eastern Pequots’ claims. It was a very interesting, and rare moment to be sifting through the past, while simultaneously watching how those events were currently playing out in the present. Unfortunately, the Eastern Pequot's claim, I would later find out, was rejected for political reasons. For me personally, though, my interaction with members of the tribe, while trying to reconstruct their past, was nothing short of amazing.

Has studying anthropology impacted your perspective (personally, professionally, or other)? If so, how?

The field of anthropology appeals to me because it attempts to take a holistic perspective in its examination of humanity. Through my studies at UMass Boston I discovered some of my own biases and prejudices. My anthropological background has helped to shape my own personal philosophy toward life and, I hope, has made me a more honest person. There is no such thing as complete objectivity. Even anthropology itself, with its many theories, will fail to provide satisfactory answers to all of life's questions. Yet, if we can acknowledge this, and be honest with ourselves and each other, then maybe we will be able to eradicate some of the problems that we are currently struggling with as a species.

Any other comments?

I hope that every student at UMass Boston is enjoying their time there, and fully appreciates what a caring and dedicated staff they have access to. Having spent time at two other well known colleges before enrolling at UMass, I can say without reservation that the level of commitment of the teaching faculty is way above par. UMass Boston is truly a beacon of learning.