Susan Kaplan

Susan Kaplan is a Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and Arctic Studies Center at Bowdoin College. She specializes in Arctic anthropology and archaeology, focusing on Inuit responses to environmental change and contact with Western societies, Arctic exploration history, and material culture studies. Her work spans northern Labrador, Ellesmere Island, and Newfoundland, supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and other institutions.

Education: PhD and MA from Bryn Mawr College; BA from Lake Forest College.

Research interests include:

• Inuit archaeology and environmental adaptation
• History of Arctic exploration and indigenous collaboration
• Material culture analysis and museum outreach
• Community-based heritage preservation

Recent grants include projects on Peary's expeditions, Arctic marine mammals, and digitizing historical documents. She has organized conferences like 'North By Degree' and collaborates with northern communities to document cultural histories. The Arctic Museum under her leadership hosts exhibitions and educational programs.

Key publications explore Labrador Inuit resilience, Arctic exploration narratives, and interdisciplinary methods in anthropology.