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Annalisa Alvrus, Ph.D.

Residential Faculty - Anthropology

Program Director:

Cultural Science, Philosophy & Religious Studies

Cultural Science, Philosophy & Religious Studies

Office: SC 14 - Room: SC68

480-461-7913

Office Hours

In person at Room SC68 in the SC14 building at the southwest corner of the Southern & Dobson campus

Please email me at [email protected] to set up an appointment to meet in person or online.

Profile

I'm a Florida native, who ended up in another sunny place (Arizona) after getting a job at MCC subsequent to finishing grad school at ASU. My hobbies including reading, hiking, and tending my plants and cats. I love the subject I teach, so work is never a chore.

Classes Taught

Spring 2025

ASM104 Bones, Stones, and Human Evolution 4 Credits

Study of human evolution and variation; including fossil hominids and their tools, primate anatomy and behavior, human genetics, and the environment and human biology. Prerequisites: None.
General Education Designations: Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Natural Sciences General [SG]
Section Location Delivery Dates Days Times Availability
26313

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
01/13/2025 – 05/09/2025

Closed

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Class 26313 Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]
ASM275 Forensic Anthropology 4 Credits

Survey of the role of forensic anthropologists, from the crime scene to the courtroom. Course focuses on how skeletal analysis can aid in medicolegal investigations, especially by identifying aspects of the life history of unknown individuals and by reconstructing events that took place at crime scenes. Covers both the legal aspects of forensic practice and the underlying biological basis for evidence obtained from skeletal remains. Examines applications of forensic anthropology in mass disasters, human rights investigations, and the deciphering of historic cases. Lab activities designed to illustrate techniques and principles central to the discipline. Prerequisites: None.
General Education Designations: Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Natural Sciences General [SG]
Section Location Delivery Dates Days Times Availability
28934
Dobson Campus
Hybrid In-Person
Lecture/Lab
01/13/2025 – 05/09/2025
Mo
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Class Started

Notes: Hybrid classes include face-to-face format on campus at the time listed in the class schedule. The other part will be held online either without a set time to attend or a Live Online session. Students enrolling in a hybrid class acknowledge they already possess the skills described in the Minimum Computer and Technology Requirements at https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Low-Textbook-Cost Class: The total cost of the required materials for this course is $40 or less.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning, teaching, and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or have an open license copyright that permits no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, retention, redistribution, and adaptation by others.

Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]
28222
Dobson Campus
Hybrid In-Person
Lecture/Lab
01/14/2025 – 05/09/2025
Tu
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Class Started

Notes: Hybrid classes include face-to-face format on campus at the time listed in the class schedule. The other part will be held online either without a set time to attend or a Live Online session. Students enrolling in a hybrid class acknowledge they already possess the skills described in the Minimum Computer and Technology Requirements at https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]
27359

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
01/13/2025 – 05/09/2025

Class Started

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Low-Textbook-Cost Class: The total cost of the required materials for this course is $40 or less.

Class 27359 Students may contact the instructor at: [email protected]
28117

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
01/13/2025 – 05/09/2025

Closed

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Low-Textbook-Cost Class: The total cost of the required materials for this course is $40 or less.

Class 28117 Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]

Summer 2025

ASM104 Bones, Stones, and Human Evolution 4 Credits

Study of human evolution and variation; including fossil hominids and their tools, primate anatomy and behavior, human genetics, and the environment and human biology. Prerequisites: None.
General Education Designations: Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Natural Sciences General [SG]
Section Location Delivery Dates Days Times Availability
16035

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
05/27/2025 – 07/17/2025

Open

17 of 30
Seats Available

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Low-Textbook-Cost Class: The total cost of the required materials for this course is $40 or less.

Class 16035 Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]
ASM275 Forensic Anthropology 4 Credits

Survey of the role of forensic anthropologists, from the crime scene to the courtroom. Course focuses on how skeletal analysis can aid in medicolegal investigations, especially by identifying aspects of the life history of unknown individuals and by reconstructing events that took place at crime scenes. Covers both the legal aspects of forensic practice and the underlying biological basis for evidence obtained from skeletal remains. Examines applications of forensic anthropology in mass disasters, human rights investigations, and the deciphering of historic cases. Lab activities designed to illustrate techniques and principles central to the discipline. Prerequisites: None.
General Education Designations: Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Natural Sciences General [SG]
Section Location Delivery Dates Days Times Availability
16318

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
05/27/2025 – 07/17/2025

Open

20 of 30
Seats Available

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Class 16318 Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]

Fall 2025

ASM104 Bones, Stones, and Human Evolution 4 Credits

Study of human evolution and variation; including fossil hominids and their tools, primate anatomy and behavior, human genetics, and the environment and human biology. Prerequisites: None.
General Education Designations: Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Natural Sciences General [SG]
Section Location Delivery Dates Days Times Availability
24532

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
08/25/2025 – 12/19/2025

Open

24 of 25
Seats Available

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Class 24532 Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]
ASM275 Forensic Anthropology 4 Credits

Survey of the role of forensic anthropologists, from the crime scene to the courtroom. Course focuses on how skeletal analysis can aid in medicolegal investigations, especially by identifying aspects of the life history of unknown individuals and by reconstructing events that took place at crime scenes. Covers both the legal aspects of forensic practice and the underlying biological basis for evidence obtained from skeletal remains. Examines applications of forensic anthropology in mass disasters, human rights investigations, and the deciphering of historic cases. Lab activities designed to illustrate techniques and principles central to the discipline. Prerequisites: None.
General Education Designations: Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Natural Sciences General [SG]
Section Location Delivery Dates Days Times Availability
23878
Dobson Campus
Hybrid In-Person
Lecture/Lab
08/26/2025 – 12/19/2025
Tu
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Open

21 of 25
Seats Available

Notes: Hybrid classes include face-to-face format on campus at the time listed in the class schedule. The other part will be held online either without a set time to attend or a Live Online session. Students enrolling in a hybrid class acknowledge they already possess the skills described in the Minimum Computer and Technology Requirements at https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Class 23878: Students may contact instructor at [email protected]
23877

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
08/25/2025 – 12/19/2025

Open

20 of 25
Seats Available

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Class 23877 Students may contact instructor at: [email protected]
24205

Online Course
Online (On Your Time)
Lecture/Lab
08/25/2025 – 12/19/2025

Open

24 of 25
Seats Available

Notes: This is an Online class that does not meet at specific class times. Students are required to have access to a computer or mobile device, and Internet access, unless otherwise specified. Before enrolling in their first online class at MCC, students need to view the online orientation and complete the readiness survey on https://www.mesacc.edu/online/get-started for additional information.

Class 24205 Students may contact instructor at [email protected]

Degrees & Awards

B.A. in Anthropology (summa cum laude), University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1991)

M.A. in Bioarchaeology, Arizona State University (1996)

Ph.D. in Physical Anthropology, Arizona State University (2006)

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