On the latest episode of 13, the Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, Anthropology, and Native American Studies Anthony Aveni discusses his newest book, Aliens Like Us?: An Anthropologist’s Field Guide to Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life.
Aveni started teaching at Colgate in 1963 and is widely known as one of the founders of Mesoamerican archaeoastronomy for his research in the astronomical history of the Maya Indians of ancient Mexico.
Aveni was featured in Rolling Stone's list of the 10 best university professors in the country, and he was voted National Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Washington, D.C., the highest national award for teaching. At Colgate, he received the 2012 Balmuth Teaching Award, the 1997 Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society Distinguished Teaching Award voted by the Class of 1990.
Aveni is a lecturer, speaker, and editor/author of three dozen books on ancient astronomy and has more than 300 research publications to his credit, including three cover articles in Science magazine and key works in American Scientist, The Sciences, American Antiquity, Latin American Antiquity, and The Journal of Archaeological Research.
In 2017, after 54 years at Colgate, Aveni retired from teaching full time. In March, Aveni’s newest book, Aliens Like Us?: An Anthropologist’s Field Guide to Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life, was published. “Aveni’s newest work departs significantly from the usual scientific treatment of extraterrestrial intelligence by probing the historical and widely neglected anthropological record, which offers relevant incidents of contact among terrestrial cultures.”
Each episode of 13, Colgate’s award-winning podcast, digs into the work of a University community member by asking questions. Episodes highlight the wide array of academic disciplines at Colgate, with interviews featuring faculty from political science, sociology and anthropology, physics and astronomy, women’s studies, English, Africana and Latin American studies, and many more.
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