معرفی
Robert J. Foster is a Professor of Anthropology and Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester, holding the Richard L. Turner Professor of Humanities title. He previously served as the Mercer Brugler Distinguished Teaching Professor and received the Goergen Award for Teaching Excellence in 2008. Foster has held visiting roles at institutions like Cambridge University and the Australian National University. His research focuses on political economy, material culture, globalization, and the socio-cultural impacts of mobile technology in Oceania.
Education:
- PhD, 1988, University of Chicago
Research Interests: Foster investigates the intersections of political economy and material culture, particularly in Papua New Guinea and Melanesia. His work explores how globalization, corporations, and media shape cultural identities, with notable projects on mobile phone adoption and the historical contexts of Pacific Island artifacts. He has conducted fieldwork in Papua New Guinea since 1984 and secured grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Australian Research Council.
Key Projects:
- A Cultural Biography of the P.G.T. Black Collection, analyzing Pacific Island artifacts' socio-historical contexts.
- An Australian Research Council-funded study on mobile phones' moral and cultural economies in the Pacific.
- Series editor for Tracking Globalization, Indiana University Press.
- Organized the Lewis Henry Morgan bicentennial project (2018), including academic and public exhibits.
Awards & Grants:
- Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (2014–2019).
- National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship (2011–2012).
- Central New York Humanities Corridor Award (2013).
Teaching & Mentorship: Foster teaches courses on cultural anthropology, globalization, and mobile technology, including a special colloquium on Lewis Henry Morgan. His mentorship has supported interdisciplinary research and public engagement in anthropology.
Labs/Teams: Collaborates with institutions like the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Rochester Museum & Science Center on cultural and historical projects.
