About Me

I was born in Montréal, Québec, and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After spending a year abroad as a French language student at L' Université Catholique de L'Ouest in Angers, France (1987-88), I attended Concordia University in Montréal, where I first developed an interest in anthropology and archaeology (1988-90). Subsequently, I completed studies for my BA at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, where I received an Honors degree in anthropology in 1992. In January 1993, I began studies for an MA degree in anthropology at the University of Calgary, which I completed in 1994. In September, 1994, I began doctoral studies in sociocultural anthropology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. I was awarded an MPhil. degree in 1996, and a PhD degree in May, 2000.

Before joining the faculty of the CSUS Anthropology Department in September, 2002, I was Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in the Winter and Spring of 2002, Lecturer at Mission College (Santa Clara) in Spring, 2002, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at New York University in the fall of 2001.

From August, 2000, to December, 2001, I also held the position of Research Consultant in qualitative market research with Sachs Insights, a company based in lower Manhattan.

I now live in Sacramento with my wife, Stephanie Seery-Murphy, who is a doctoral candidate in the School of Religion at Claremont Graduate University, and our daughter, Siobhan.

Click here for my Curriculum Vita (PDF).