Emily Overmyer (Class of 2019)

Emily Overmyer graduated from the University of South Alabama with a B.A. in Anthropology in 2019. During her time in the program, she served as President of the Student Anthropological Society and worked as a student assistant. Emily also worked in the archaeology lab alongside her peers and Anthropology faculty members sorting and classifying ceramics, plant remains, and other materials found on archaeological surveys around southern Alabama and Mississippi. Some of her favorite summer memories during her time at South were when she got to be a part of the Phase I and Phase II surveys for the AL-DOT I-10 bridge project with the Center for Archaeological Studies. She also had the privilege of interning for fellow South Anthropology alumna, Dr. Denise Lewis, as a part of her Cambodian-Laotian Community Strength and Resilience Project. While in the Anthropology program she presented a professional poster at the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC), and also presented her research related to her internship at the Society for Cross-Cultural Research Conference.

Emily’s research in medical anthropology inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare. She continued her education and obtained a B.S. in Nursing through the University of South Alabama’s accelerated nursing program in 2020. From there, she accepted a job in a cardiac intensive care unit in Mobile, AL and began her career as an ICU nurse. She has since gone on to gain national certifications in Critical Care and Cardiac Medicine from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and works as full-time charge nurse on her unit. Emily credits her education in anthropology with making her a holistic and well-rounded nurse that is able to provide compassionate and culturally-competent care to her patients. She still utilizes knowledge and skills she learned studying anthropology in her nursing career, such as cultural awareness and even identifying bones and their markings on radiological imaging! Emily is currently applying for doctoral programs in nursing anesthesia practice.

Of her time at South and with the anthropology program, Emily says: “I am so grateful for my education in anthropology, and all of the research, leadership, and interning opportunities I had because of the incredible faculty at South. Dr. Carr, Dr. Gregoricka, Dr. Moberg, and Dr. Nelson all have such a passion for the field and for the success of their students that is evident throughout the program. The skills and knowledge they taught me in research, organization, critical thinking, and cultural competency have been invaluable to my nursing career.”