Curriculum Vitae
2016-present
Lecturer, Program in International and Comparative Studies
University of Michigan
2014-2020
Coordinator, Indigenous Languages Program
Editor, Translating the Americas
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
University of Michigan
Contact: hitsai@umich.edu
Education/Titulación universitaria
2012 Ph.D., doctorado, Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Dissertation: An Archaeological Investigation of Ethnicity at Las Varas, Peru
(available at the University of Michigan Deep Blue)
2003 M.A., maestría, Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
2000 B.A., bachillerato, Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles. Magna cum laude. Departmental honors.
Publication/Publicaciones
2020 Las Varas: Ethnicity and Ritual in the Ancient Andes. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa. (in press)
2019 The “Coastal Cajamarca” Style Did Not Come from the Coast. Ñawpa Pacha 39(1):121-144.
2012 Adobe Bricks and Labor Organization on the North Coast of Peru. Andean Past 10:133-169. download
Teaching Experience/Cursos dictados
Lecturer, Spring/Summer 2014 and 2015
Indigenous Identity and Community in the Neoliberal Andes. University of Michigan.
Inca, Aztec, and the Spanish Conquest. University of Michigan.
Lecturer, Summer 2012
Inca, Aztec, and the Spanish Conquest. University of Michigan.
Student Evaluation: median score 4.83/5 (8 student responses), in response to the question "this was an excellent course" (5 = strongly agree, 4.67 and above being the university-wide upper 25% quartile)
Visiting Assistant Professor, Centro Tinku, Cusco, Peru
- History of Inca Civilization
- Peoples and Cultures of Peru
- US-Latin America Relations
Primary/Sole Instructor, Spring 2009
Temples, Tombs, and Mummies: Fourteen Archaeological Adventures in the Land of the Inca. University of Michigan
Graduate Student Instructor, Winter 2008
Early Civilizations, lectured by Dr. Carla Sinopoli. University of Michigan.
Student Evaluation: median scores 4.9/5 (12 student responses) and 4.95/5 (11 student responses), in response to the question "the instructor was an excellent teacher" (5 = strongly agree)
Graduate Student Instructor, Winter 2002
Frauds and Fantastic Claims in Archaeology, lectured by Dr. Lisa Young. University of Michigan.
Graduate Student Instructor, Fall 2001
Introduction to Biological Anthropology, lectured by Dr. Roberto Frisancho. University of Michigan.
External Funding/Becas y financiamientos
2006 Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship
2006 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program
2006 American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research
2002-2005 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
University Fellowships/Becas y financiamientos
2011-2012 Academic Year Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (Quechua), US Department of Education
2011 Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (Quechua, Regional Academy of Quechua, Cajamarca), US Department of Education
2010-2011 Academic Year Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (Quechua), US Department of Education
2011 University of Michigan, International Institute Travel Conference Grant
2010 University of Michigan, Rackham Conference Travel Grant
2010 University of Michigan, Museum of Anthropology Graduate RCYBP (Radiocarbon Years Before Present) Fund
2008 University of Michigan, Rackham Graduate Student Research Fund
2006 University of Michigan, Department of Anthropology Fieldwork Support
2006 University of Michigan, International Institute Travel Conference Grant
2005 University of Michigan, Rackham Conference Travel Grant
2004 University of Michigan, International Institute Predoctoral Travel Grant
2003 University of Michigan, Rackham Discretionary Fund
2002 University of Michigan, Department of Anthropology Fieldwork Support
1999 UCLA Undergraduate Travel Grant
1998-1999 UCLA Presidential Undergraduate Fellowship
Honors/Concursos y premios
1998-2000: UCLA College of Letter and Science Honors
2000: Golden Key Honors Society, UCLA
2000: UCLA Department of Anthropology Highest Honors
2008: Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan
Archaeological Fieldwork Experience/Actividades profesionales en el campo
Director, May 2006-November 2007: Las Varas, Peru. Las Varas Archaeological Project.
June-August 2005: Reconnaissance of Middle Jequetepeque Valley
Supervisor, June-July 2004: Farfán, Peru. Farfán Archaeological Project, California State University, Northridge, directed by Dr. Carol Mackey.
Supervisor, July-August 2003: Farfán, Peru. Farfán Archaeological Project, California State University, Northridge, directed by Dr. Carol Mackey.
Supervisor, July-August 2002: Farfán, Peru. Farfán Archaeological Project, California State University, Northridge, directed by Dr. Carol Mackey.
Crew, June 2002: Moquegua, Peru. Cerro Baúl Archaeological Project, University of Florida, directed by Dr. Patrick Ryan Williams.
Supervisor, July-August 2001: Farfán, Peru. Farfán Archaeological Project, California State University, Northridge, directed by Dr. Carol Mackey.
Supervisor, July-August 2000: Farfán, Peru. Farfán Archaeological Project, California State University, Northridge, directed by Dr. Carol Mackey.
Crew, August 1999: Pukará, Peru. Pukará Archaeological Survey Project, UCLA, directed by Amanda Cohen.
Crew, July 1999: Dos Barbaras, Belize. Dos Barbaras Archaeological Project, Santa Monica University, directed by Dr. Brandon Lewis.
Crew, July 1998: Ludlow, Colorado. Colorado Coal Field War Archaeological Field School, University of Denver, directed by Dr. Dean Saitta.
Crew, August 1998: Santa Monica and Santa Cruz Island, California. California Channel Islands Household Archaeology Project, UCLA, directed by Dr. Jeanne Arnold.
Talks and Papers Presented/Coloquios impartidos
April 2016: "The 'Coastal Cajamarca' Style Did Not Come from the Coast." 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Orlando, Florida.
1 March 2015: "Ethnicity, Ritual, Game Theory: Conflict and Cooperation in the Andes." 43rd Annual Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory. Vanderbilt University.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/midwest/index.html
4 August 2014: "Sacred and Profane Aspects of Water in the Ancient and Modern Andes." Global Food, Water, and Quality of Life Workshop, The Midwest Institute. Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
2 February 2014: "Ethnicity in the Ancient Andes." Latin American and Caribbean Forum. University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras.
11 October 2012: "Ritual in the Making of Ethnicity at Las Varas, Peru." University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology Brown Bag Series. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
http://www.howardtsai.com/umich-brown-bag-2012
15 July 2011: “Los platos pintados de Las Varas.” Museo Arqueológico "Horacio Urteaga", Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca. Cajamarca, Peru.
http://www.howardtsai.com/cajamarca2011
1 April 2011: “The Domestic Architecture of Las Varas.” 76th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Sacramento.
7 June 2008: “Chimú y Cajamarca: Nuevos datos sobre la interacción entre la costa y la sierra.” Dumbarton Oaks Roundtable, "Reconsidering the Late Intermediate Period on the North Coast of Peru." Trujillo, Peru.
27 March 2008: “Vertical Archipelago Revisited: Testing Murra's Fourth Case in the Middle Jequetepeque Valley, Peru.” 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Vancouver.
3 August 2007: “Espacio ritual como área de reproducción de la identidad étnica: Un caso de Las Varas, un sitio Intermedio Tardío del valle medio del Jequetepeque.” Conference for Comparative Perspectives on the Archaeology of Coastal South America. Lima.
8 June 2007: “Estilo e interacción en una comunidad Cajamarca Costeño: Resultados preliminares del Proyecto Arqueológico Las Varas, temporada 2006.” Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Lima.
24 May 2007: “Proyecto Arqueológico Las Varas: Resultados Preliminares de la Temporada 2006.” Talk presented in the village of Pay Pay, Cajamarca, Peru.
28 April 2006: “Analysis of Adobe Bricks from Farfán and Huaca de la Luna, Peru.” 71st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
7 April 2006: Discussant for Conference on Ethnicity, Race, and Political Violence in the Andes. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
2000: “Segmentation and Integration: Late Classic Maya Lithics from Chaa Creek.” UCLA Department of Anthropology 9th Annual Honors Presentation. Los Angeles.
2000: “Late Classic Lithic Economy at Chaa Creek, Belize.” 27th Annual Western Anthropology and Sociology Undergraduate Research Conference, Santa Clara University. Santa Clara, California.
Reviewer
Reviewer of manuscript for Latin American Antiquity and Journal of Anthropological Archaeology.
Reviewer of grant proposal for National Science Foundation.
Report/Informes
2007 (with Leonardo Murga Pastor): Proyecto Arqueológico Las Varas: Informe preliminar, temporada 2006. Preliminary report submitted to the Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Peru. PDF
Museum Research Experience/Actividad en museos
Research Assistant, Winter 2010: Zooarchaeology Range, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Research Assistant, Fall 2009: Ethnobotanical Range, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Research Assistant, Winter 2009: Latin American Ethnohistory Collection, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Research Assistant, Fall 2008: Latin American Ethnohistory Collection, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Research Assistant, Winter 2006: Cataloging of ceramics from Marajó Island, Brazil. High Civilizations Range, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Research Assistant, Fall 2005: Latin American Ethnohistory Collection, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
Activity/Asistencia a congresos
2009: Organizer, the 37th Annual Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory, Ann Arbor.
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/andean.conference/home
2008-2009: Organizer, the Círculo Micaela Bastidas Phuyuqhawa: Rackham Interdisciplinary Workshop on Andean Studies. University of Michigan.
1999-2000: President, UCLA Anthropology Undergraduate Student Association
1998: Vice President, UCLA Anthropology Undergraduate Student Association
Professional Membership
Institute of Andean Studies
Language
Able to speak, read, and write Spanish on a professional level (fluent).
Able to converse and read in Quechua on an elementary level.
Able to speak and read Mandarin as native speaker.