Riall W. Nolan (born October 12, 1943) is an American anthropologist, an emeritus professor of
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
, USA and a faculty member in the MPhil program in
International Development
International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...
at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, UK. A scholar of international development, cross-cultural adaptation, and
applied anthropology
Applied anthropology is the application of the methods and theory of anthropology to the analysis and solution of practical problems. In ''Applied Anthropology: Domains of Application'', Kedia and Van Willigen define the process as a "complex of ...
, he has conducted research on issues of change and development in Eastern
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 井仆井內丐中五 (Senegaali); Arabic: 塈堻媞塈 ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''R矇ewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 井仆不丐仆不五 ...
,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, 鈮鈮銃韶 銃賞銃鈮, r蘋 La廜k, translit-std=ISO (); ta, 鉈鉈耜鉒鉈鉒, Ila廜kai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
,
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ; ar, 塈媯塈, a廜-廜〣匍l officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
,
Cote dIvoire
Ivory Coast, also known as C繫te d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of C繫te d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
,
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 五仆井, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, 葶舝葖, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: R矇publique de Guin矇e), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, and Western
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, 苤邽訇邽, r=Sibir', p=s妦阞b妦ir妦, a=Ru-苤邽訇邽.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
. His work as a researcher and project specialist has included community led development initiatives with the
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...
,
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
, and numerous university and local
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
partners.
His research in economic and cultural change has been published in numerous academic journals, and he is the author of several books on practicing and applied anthropology in the context of development, including ''Development anthropology: Encounters in the real world'' (2001, 2018), ''Using anthropology in the world'' (2017), ''Anthropology in practice: building a career outside the academy'' (2003), and ''A handbook of practicing anthropology'' (2016).
Biography
Nolan received a bachelor's degree in psychology from
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...
in 1965 and then spent three years as a
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...
volunteer in Senegal where he worked in community development on issues of rural health and water availability. Following this experience he received a
Fulbright
The Fulbright Program, including the FulbrightHays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
scholarship to obtain a DPhil in social anthropology from the University of Sussex in 1975. His doctoral work focused on wage-labor and migration among the
Bassari people
The Bassari are people who live in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The total population is between 10,000 and 30,000. Most of the Bassari are concentrated on either side of the Senegal-Guinea border southwest of Kedougou, K矇dougou Reg ...
in Eastern Senegal and was published as ''Bassari migrations: the quiet revolution'' in 1986.
During and after this work, Nolan was a lecturer at the
University of Papua New Guinea
The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired ...
and worked in a variety of research and project manager positions in rural Senegal, urban Tunisia, and Sri Lanka, as well as consulting work with the World Bank. Concurrently, he accepted a position as an assistant professor of anthropology at
Georgia State University
Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the ...
in 1985, was a faculty member of the
School for International Training
The School for International Training, widely known by its initials SIT, is a private non-profit regionally-accredited institution headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States. The institution has two main divisions. SIT Graduate Instit ...
in 1986, became director of the international management development institute at the graduate school of public and international affairs at the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
in 1989, dean of international affairs and programs at
Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University (GGU or Golden Gate) is a private university in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1901, GGU specializes in educating professionals through its schools of law, business, taxation, and accounting. The university offers s ...
in 1995, associate provost and director of the institute for global studies and affairs at the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
in 1998, associate provost and dean of international programs at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
in 2003, professor of anthropology at Purdue University in 2009, and lastly accepted academic visitor positions at Cambridge University and
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = 瞿14.4 million (2020)
, budget = 瞿319.6 million (201920)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
in 2014.
Scholarship
Nolan's research is predominately focused on applied and practicing anthropology, the anthropology of development, and international education. He has written or co-authored eight academic books and over 30 peer-reviewed articles or book chapters in addition to white papers and consultant reports for organizations including national governments, the Peace Corps, USAID, and universities around the world. His most recent book, ''Using anthropology in the world'', was described as "a must-have for any serious anthropologist's digital or physical bookshelf"
Applied work
Nolan is active in several national organizations, including the Society for Applied Anthropology and the Association of International Education Administrators. He is a past board member of both of these associations, and is currently on the national board of
Engineers Without Borders
The term Engineers Without Borders (EWB; french: Ing矇nieurs sans fronti癡res, ISF) is used by a number of non-governmental organizations in various countries to describe their activity based on engineering and oriented to international development ...
. He is also on the editorial board for the UK journal, ''Anthropology in Action'' and participated in a 2014 webinar on engaged anthropology and professional development for university students.
He has conducted training programs and contributed to the development of service programs including upper-level university administration, several international development agencies, and public and private partners based in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Publications
*1976: Social Science and Society: The Use and Abuse of Social Research in the Third World, UPNG, edited with Michael Donaldson.
*
*
* Named as an Outstanding Academic Title by
Choice magazine
Choice consists of the mental process of thinking involved with the process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them for action.
Choice may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Binomial coefficient, a mathematical function des ...
.
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*
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nolan, Riall
Purdue University faculty
American anthropologists
1943 births
Living people
Colgate University alumni
Alumni of the University of Sussex
American expatriates in Senegal
Academic staff of the University of Papua New Guinea
Georgia State University faculty
University of Pittsburgh faculty
Golden Gate University faculty
University of Cincinnati faculty
Academics of the University of Sussex
Academics of the University of Cambridge
American expatriate academics
American expatriates in the United Kingdom
American expatriates in Papua New Guinea