Erin Halstad McGuire

Erin teaches courses in anthropology at the University of Victoria, ranging from a survey-based introduction to anthropology to upper-level courses in medieval archaeology, Vikings and the archaeology of death. She works with hundreds of students each semester, introducing them to skills and concepts that will come into play both during their studies and beyond. In 2016, Erin was the inaugural winner of UVic’s Excellence in Teaching for Experiential Learning Award, which recognized the ways in which she connects students with anthropology in their everyday lives and provides them with hands-on experiences. In 2021, she received the Social Sciences Teaching Excellence Award and the Harry Hickman Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching and Educational Leadership.

The UVic Medieval Studies Program introduced me to the value of interdisciplinary approaches to social issues. By learning to work with manuscripts, texts, art, archaeology and more I learned to see problems from diverse perspectives. This has allowed me to thrive within the field of anthropology, which by its very nature is interdisciplinary, but more importantly, it helped me to develop key life skills that continue to come into play.

Subsequent education: Russian and Linguistics - BA (UVic, 2000), Medieval Archaeology - MPhil (U of Glasgow, 2005), Archaeology - PhD (U of Glasgow, 2010)