Dr. Dillon Carr is an associate professor of anthropology at Grand Rapids Community College where he also serves as department head for Social Sciences. His graduate work in Anthropology focused on better understanding human/environmental interactions in the archaeological record of North America. More specifically, Professor Carr’s research examines how the indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes region adapted to the large-scale climatic changes occurring at the end of the last ice age. Research into this area is important as it provides a unique historical record to better understand strategies employed by human populations as they perceive of, and respond to, rapid environmental change.

Since coming to Grand Rapids Community College in 2011, Professor Carr has also used anthropological methods, theory, and scholarship to engage in a public anthropology of Grand Rapids as part of the Social Science Department’s annual Race, Ethnicity, and Identity conference. This work reflects a strong conviction that the role of community college faculty is to serve both our students and broader community. This work has explored how the historical landscape of Grand Rapids silences non-white histories, the role of social boundaries in maintaining structural inequalities within the city, and the impact of policing and city budgetary priorities within the greater Grand Rapids area.