In the department, we do not make the distinction between basic and applied research and development that is the tradition in academia, but instead seek to train students within the program in the context of ongoing, real-world interdisciplinary projects addressing real-life issues. Faculty and students are engaged in active projects throughout the world, including Mexico, Central and South America, the Pacific Islands, South-East Asia, East Africa, Western Europe, Canada, Southern Appalachia, and Georgia. Their commitment is to the value of systematic fieldwork and methodological, intellectual, and academic rigor in the pursuit of anthropology.