Mitchell Irwin explores anthropology at NIU and abroad

Mitchell Irwin is a professor of anthropology at NIU. His courses cover primates and the evolution of their dietary habits. However, when he was just a student, Irwin wasn't originally studying anthropology. Irwin originally majored in biology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, but shifted focus into anthropology at the University of Toronto because of its focus on evolution. 'When I started college, I didn't know what it was, but I was a biology major, took a lot of those classes, noticed that they didn't have some classes that I would really like to take related to primates and evolution, and then, after a little digging, found out what anthropology was, and actually transferred colleges to go to a place where I could major in it,' Irwin said. Irwin transferred to the University of Toronto, which is ranked the No. 1 university in Canada to study anthropology by SCImago . SCImago Institutions Rankings, SIR, is a global assessment and benchmarking platform for academic and research-related institutions. It evaluates institutional performance through a composite indicator based on three dimensions: research, innovation and societal impact. 'I transferred to the University of Toronto, the biggest university in Ontario, had a lot more programs,' Irwin said. 'I really had a great time in Toronto. I was able to double major in zoology and biological anthropology. There were a lot of hands-on experiences.' During his time studying anthropology as a student. Irwin was able to travel to Madagascar, which started a yearly tradition. 'I started as a student, and amazingly for me, I've been able to do it every year since, except for two pandemic years,' Irwin said. While the trips to Madagascar are for research, Irwin enjoys more than just that aspect. 'I kind of knew that I liked traveling, and I knew that I was excited about the study of these primates, these lemurs,' Irwin said. 'What I didn't anticipate was that I'd fall in love with the landscape, the country, the people. It was a cross-cultural experience on steroids.' One of the primates Irwin focuses on are lemurs, which he started studying in a roundabout way. 'I knew I was excited about primates. I thought I might study apes like orangutans or gorillas,' Irwin said. Irwin explained how the opportunity to conduct research in Madagascar came from his mentor. 'So the first opportunity I got from who turned out to be my mentor was an opportunity to go to Madagascar,' Irwin said. 'So I narrowed it down a lot, and then that last little bit was a bit of serendipity, a bit of just following the opportunities I had at that time.' As a professor and researcher, Irwin said it's about finding a balance between the two jobs. 'So it's hard sometimes to juggle all the paperwork that you have to do as a professor, and if you want to be a good teacher, you have to invest the time in that too. And most of us try to be, but you can still find that balance where there's time to do research,' Irwin said. Irwin's office hours are from 11:35 a.m. to 3:15 p.m on Tuesdays at Stevens Building, Room 275.