Election results: congratulations to Rick Feinberg, President Elect; to Margo Smith, for another term as Treasurer, to Marion Berghahn, Representative at Large; and to Stephanie Mojica, Student Representative

The theme of this year’s meeting is “Ghosts” and the Association of Senior Anthropologists is planning a full and rich array of in-person activities. Looking forward to seeing many of you there…

If you have any questions or have suggestions for panels or other activities, please contact Program Chair (and ASA President Elect) Rick Feinberg

Check the AAA website for further details about the meeting

Devva Kasnitz

Members of the Association of Senior Anthropologists will miss Devva Kasnitz, who passed on January 26th with an aggressive form of liver cancer. She joined us several years ago in our efforts to make the annual AAA meetings more accessible to seniors. She offered her expertise, developed over a long career in disabilities research and as an advocate in addressing logistics and getting things done. Beyond the focus on accommodating the decline in abilities confronting most seniors as they age, Devva helped us understand that accessibility is a lifetime concern for many of our colleagues and must be addressed proactively at an institutional level. She became a member of the ASA board, helping to coordinate our record keeping and setting up and managing the section’s listserv. Along with the appreciation of Devva’s organizational skills, we also were inspired by her good cheer and courage, especially in overcoming the obstacles imposed by cerebral palsy.

Devva was an undergraduate major in cultural geography at Clark University and earned her doctorate in medical anthropology at the University of Michigan. Among the many roles she filled as an expert in disabilities studies and services, she served as a mentor in the US, Australia, and Guatemala, and was an adjunct professor in the School of Professional Studies at the City University of New York. Devva was a founder and executive director of the Society for Disability Studies and owner of Devvaco Consulting in Eureka, California. An NIH-funded researcher, she connected the worlds of policy, teaching, administration, and entrepreneurship.