Applied Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Laura Brown, Senior Staff Researcher at Meta (Reality Labs)

 

Dr. Laura C. Brown

Throughout the series of Applied Anthropologist Profiles readers have had the opportunity to learn about various anthropologists who work outside of the academy (higher education).  Many of them went directly toward industry, non-profit, or independent contractor jobs to meet their personal and professional goals.  Very few of the previously featured individuals, however, started in academics, working as faculty, and transitioned to alternative academic (alt-ac) careers.  Today’s blog post seeks to remedy that deficiency by sharing with you the story of Dr. Laura C. Brown, a linguistic anthropologist who successful transitioned out of academia and into industry.

 

Dr. Laura C. Brown earned her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Stanford University, and she continued with earning her Ph.D. in Linguistic Anthropology from the University of Michigan.  She followed this closely up with a Postdoctoral Fellowship with Rutgers University, wherein she studied economics and politics among a small population in India.  Her academic trajectory launched her into a faculty position at the University of Pittsburg, where she worked for eight years. 

 

It was at this point that she transitioned out of the academy and began working for Facebook.  She took a position as a Senior Qualitative Researcher in Privacy.  In this position she was responsible for interviewing and working with adolescent Facebook users and their guardians (parents or otherwise) in identifying strategies and products that enhanced privacy needs for the adolescent users and their guardians, who were concerned about Facebook use.  This was not an easy task.  Brown and her team had to interview the adolescent users and their guardians both together and separately, recognizing that presence of the other would alter the answers to the questions being asked by the researchers.  It was through the application of ethnographic, semiotic, and linguistic methods and ethical considerations from the discipline that team of researchers were able to recognize the challenges they faced in understanding the heart of the issues.  Without that they would be unable to develop real solutions to the user problems faced by Facebook users at all levels.  Ultimately they were successful in their mission, enabling Facebook developers to create appropriate privacy controls and settings that meet the needs of the adolescent users and their guardians.

 

Brown has since transitioned to a new position as Senior Staff Researcher at Meta (Reality Labs).  In this position her primary duties include examining challenges in using multiple different devices and apps that may or may not be compatible with each other.  This aids her in collecting data and information that aids programmers to create the best practices in integrating old and new software with old and new hardware.  Ultimately, this new role satisfies Brown’s curiosity in fostering better connections among humans as they use technology and devices with others they may or may not personally know, be it via social media or virtual reality.  Her research also affects the development of better smart devices as used by households. 

 

Outside of her career as a User Experience (UX) researcher with first Facebook and now Meta, Brown also offers webinars and articles advising interested individuals how they can leave the academy and pursue their own alt-ac careers.  She has done this with the Society of Linguistic Anthropology, various podcasts, as well as posts through her LinkedIn Profile.

 

Works Cited

Brown, Laura C. LinkedIn Profile: Laura C. Brown. n.d. 17 March 2026.

Busso, Dan and Laura C. Brown. "Overcoming Social Desirability Bias." Medium 17 May 2022.

Hasbrouck, Jay and Laura C. Brown. "Pathfinding in the Next 20 Years." 18 August 2024. Epic2024. 17 March 2026.

On the Brink: Extinction Risks for the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey

Figure 1: Four Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Photo by Lekhac Quyet)

This blog has previously addressed the importance of nonhuman primate conservation.  This point has been highlighted by a series of endangered primate profiles written by the blog author and guest authors comprised of her students (a sample exists here, here, and here).  Today’s blog post continues with this vein of inquiry by addressing a critically endangered primate species that was previously believed to have been extinct until its rediscover a few decades ago.  This rediscovery has earned it the label of a “Lazarus” species, but this is a misnomer because it remains on the brink of extinction presently.  This blog post will discuss the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey (Figure 1) and the difficulties in preserving this particularly nonhuman primate species.

 

The Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey is the only snub-nosed species located in Vietnam. The other three types of snub-nosed species exist in nearby China.  As of 2019 it is estimated that there are no more than 130 individuals left in the wild, which are dispersed into very small groups throughout isolated conservation areas.  This presents a serious problem in encouraging population growth due to limited mate options among the troops. 

 

Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkies are arboreal, diurnal (active during the day) primates.  They are characterized as being slender, large bodied, and sexually dimorphic species.  The males are doubled the size of females.  Both are characterized by black and white bodies with small patches of brown fur on the back of their heads and orange fur on their throats.  Their faces have bald patches characterized by blue skin around their eyes and blue-black skin around their mouths. 

 

The Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkeys are consumers of a variety of hard plants that various other forest dwelling species do not consume, in large part due to the difficulties in chewing and digesting the plants and the poisonous nature of their consumption.  This means that the Tonkin-Snub Nosed Monkeys have minimal competition in the consumption of the leaves, stems, fruits, and seeds they consume, which is a positive aspect of their existence.  It also means that they cannot be easily removed from their home environments due to their specialized diets. 

 

Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkeys have been observed existing in primate social organizations defined by either one male or multimale groupings.  It is unclear if this is a natural grouping or if this is one that has developed out of a lack of options (due to small troop sizes).  What is also troubling is the lack of survivor behaviors among these primates.  Typically, species that are heavily hunted by humans develop an aversion to them, but this is not the case with Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkeys.  They show little to no fear of humans, demonstrated by them not running away when they encounter humans.  This leads to them being easily hunted.  Villagers have admitted to hunting the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey, although it is unclear why.  As hunting contributes to the decline in their populations this behavioral pattern is concerning, but it is not one that humans can change.

 

The human endangered factor that is proving to be the biggest factor in reducing the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkeys’ ability to survive and grow its populations is forest fragmentation and deforestation.  The forests these primates exist in are being cut down to make room for agricultural activities, largely activities used to produce crop exports (e.g., cardamon, potatoes, and bananas).  As the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey is a largely arboreal primate, the forest fragmentation disables their ability to travel, limiting their opportunities to acquire new mates and produce more offspring.  Several attempts to restore the forested regions have been made, but they have largely been unsuccessful.  Also, the attempts to conserve the forests where the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey reside have failed because the populations disappear, rendering the conservation of that area mute. 

 

Despite these challenges scholars and conservationists continue their efforts to document and preserve this species.  Due to their small size there is very little precisely known about them, but it is clear based on the extinction of other species across the world that the extinction of the Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey will probably have a negative impact on its habitat.  This is just one reason why these conservation efforts continue despite the challenges previously and currently faced.

 

References

James, N. (2017). Movement and Socioecology of the Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey and recommendations for future conservation. Oxford Brookes University.

 

Le, X.C. and R. Boonratana. 2006. A conservation action plan for the

Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in Viet Nam. Hanoi/New York: IEBR/PCI.

 

Nguyen, N. (2000). A survey of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus avunculus) in Northern Vietnam. Folia Primatologica, 157-160.

Quyet, L. K., Nguyen, A. D., Tai, V. A., Wright, B., & Covert, H. H. (2007). Diet of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus)in the Khau Ca area, Ha Giang Province, Northeastern Vietnam. Vietnamese Journal of Primatology, 75-83.

Schwitzer, C., Mittermeier, R. A., Rylands, A. B., Chiozza, F., Williamson, E. A., Byler, D., . . . McCabe, G. (2019). PRIMATES IN PERIL: The world’s 25 most endangered primates 2018-2020. Washington, D.C.: IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, International Primatological Society, Global Wildlife Conservation, and Bristol Zoological Society.

The Bun Festival of Cheung Chau

Figure 1: Participants climbing a bun tower (Source: HongKongFP)

 

Cultural groups around the world have unique traditions and celebrations that they observe.  The purpose of these festivals varies.  Ultimately, celebrations bring groups of people together for a specific purpose, leading participants to feel a sense of belonging or togetherness with their fellow attendees.  Today’s blog post is dedicated to discussing a unique festival celebrated on the island of Cheung Chau, outside of Hong Kong: their Bun Festival.

 

The Bun Festival of Cheung Chau originated 200 years ago.  It came about after the Hailufeng, an ethnic group originating from the Guangdong Province of China, migrated to the Cheung Chau island.  Their migration, however, was not without challenges.  They suffered greatly from famines, plagues, and pirate attacks.  According to local lore the Hailufeng’s reaction to these challenges was the creation of the Taoist ritual and festival named Taiping Qingjiao.  It is unclear if this festival came about as a means of honoring a principal god, Pak Tei (or Beidi), the ‘Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven,’ who is credited with ending the plague, or if the festival is the result of a collective desire to appease the spirits of the dead (similar to the Hungry Ghosts Festival).  Whatever the reason, the Bun Festival continues on today as a cherished tradition the celebrates the islanders’ continued resilience.

 

The Bun Festival of Cheung Chau typically takes place in April or May (based on the Lunar Calendar).  This five-day festival hosts several festivities, including a children’s parades, street cleaning rituals, offerings to the gods, lion and dragon dances, opera, vegetarian meals, and specific religious activities that are only observed by specific islanders.  The end of the five-day festival, however, is punctuated by the tradition from which the festival derives its name: the bun collecting tournament (Figure 1).  Three 13 meter (60 feet) high towers that hold close to 20,000 hot buns are erected, and participants race up the towers, collecting as many buns as they can before their time runs out.  The hot buns are believed to bring good luck to the participants. 

 

Ultimately, the Bun Festival of Cheung Chau is a fun ritual that has evolved over time.  Today, it continues to serve the needs of local residents, but it is also used as a means of drawing foreign tourists to the island.  This helps the islanders increase their revenue streams, while also showcasing their unique culture and heritage to outsiders.

 

Works Cited

Hiu Yan, Lee. "A CASE OF “DISNEYIZATION”? THE CHEUNG CHAU BUN FESTIVAL, HONG KONG." Tourism, Culture & Communication (2017): 107-117.

No Author. " The Cheung Chau Bun Festival: A Hong Kong Soundscape Study ." n.d. The University of Hong Kong, Department of Music. 17 March 2026.

Richards, Greg and Brian King. "The experience of cultural festivals: evidence from Hong Kong." Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events (2022): 296-309.

Gift Giving Guide 25: Ideas for the Budding or Current Anthropologist in Your Life

Biannually I dedicate blog posts to the presentation of gifts that may be suitable for anthropologists or individuals interested in anthropology (any and all subfields).  As we are currently in the December holiday (and gift giving) season it seems appropriate to dedicate a post to this very topic.  Below are some of the latest additions to the list of gift ideas that may be appropriate for your anthropologically interested person.

Archaeology

Witty and funny archaeologically themed lanyards; available through PirateSnerk.

 

Archaeologists typically spent their summers in the field excavating sites to learn more about people's existence and ways of life in the past.  They do, however, attend conferences where they present their research and network with colleagues.  Either way, these humorous archaeological themed lanyards could be the appropriate gift for the archaeologist you know.  They can use it to hold their IDs, name tags, keys, or anything they may need to carry-be it in the field or a scholarly conference.  You can purchase one or more of these through PirateSnerk. 

 Cultural Anthropology

Sticker with a Margaret Mead quote, available through AnsleyStreetPress

 

Cultural anthropologists study living human groups throughout the world and even in their own backyard.  It can be difficult to find something that works for the variety of cultural anthropologists, particularly as they may always be on the go.  Therefore something light weight that they can carry around on anything they want, such as the Margaret Mead sticker, may be just the thing!  They can stick it on their water bottle, computer, luggage, notebook, or wherever they choose. Check it out through AnsleyStreetPress!

 

Biological Anthropology

A fancy tie could be just what the bioanthropologist you know needs, particularly if they study skeletal biology.  Available from Cyberoptix.

Biological anthropologists come and all different shapes and sizes, at least academically speaking.  It is the most broad of the four subfields, but this spine and sternum themed tie may be the right fit.  Paleoanthropological types, forensic anthropologists, and skeletal biologist may truly appreciate this customizable piece from Cyberoptix.  This store offers a variety of other ties that may fit the bill for biological anthropologists, including ties themed for genetics, brains, and more.

Linguistic Anthropology

International Phonetic Travel mug by BilingualSLTStore makes staying hydrated a breeze!

 

Last but not least is the linguistic anthropologist, who not only study but may play with language, too.  All that listening and talking, however, is bound to make a linguist thirsty, and this travel mug with an International Phonetic theme could do the trick by mesmerizing your giftee.  It and several other linguistically themed gifts is available through BilingualSLTStore.