Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Darius Bittle-Dockery

Dr. Darius Bittle-Dockery (Image Source: LinkedIn)

Can you recall a time when you or someone you know was asked what you want to do with your life, and you had difficulties answering that question?  Perhaps the answer was difficult to come up with because it was new and not something that had been seriously considered previously.  Or the answer was difficult to specify because of the variety of interests and goals that one wanted to achieve, paralyzing one by the possibilities and options available to them.  I bring this latter point up because one of the wonderful things about anthropology, which can be simplified to the study of people, is that it allows one to explore various different interests, so long as those interests involve people in some way.  Today’s anthropologist being profiled in this blog post exemplifies this point.  Dr. Darius Bittle-Dockery has led quite a vibrant career over his lifetime, demonstrating how anthropology can open doors to different opportunities and allow for the exploration of many interest.

 

Dr. Darius Bittle-Dockery earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology, with a minor in Philosophy, from Tufts University (Massachusetts) in 2010.  As an undergraduate student he took the opportunity to pursue independent, grant sponsored research through the National Science Foundation.  His project enabled him to use his cultural anthropological experience to better understand the relationships among disc jockeys, the music industry, and listeners to gain a greater understanding of society and mass media. 

 

This was his first foray into anthropological research, but it was not his first experience doing something on his own. In 2008 Bittle-Dockery became the brainchild of a company, DNA Custom Productions.  He started the apparel company by drawing designs in his home. He later teamed up with two of his classmates, Andres Naim and Ben Betcher, and they grew the company, which catered to mass produced apparel with custom designs.  They marketed their products to various campus organizations and groups at Tufts University, which made up the bulk of their customer base.  Bittle-Dockery credited the company’s success to superior customer service and a price match guarantee.  The three students enjoyed their work and they wanted to provide quality products that satisfied their customers’ wants and needs.  While they were not focused on making a huge profit their company netted a modest $25,000 in gross revenue every semester.  Ultimately, the company was sold almost two years after they started it for almost ten times their initial investment.

 

After graduating from Tufts University Bittle-Dockery joined the Peace Corps, where he was stationed in rural Jordan.  Here he was responsible for providing training and education to local residents on technology.  He and his fellow Peace Corps volunteers set up computers and related technology, and then they provided instruction to individuals of all ages on how to use that newly installed technology.  This may very well have been part of the inspiration for Bittle-Dockery’s doctoral research. 

 

That would not come about until several years later.  He bounced among various jobs before joining the University of Pittsburgh’s doctoral program.  His positions varied as he worked in business, nonprofits, and international non-governmental organizations, but they focused largely on research, grant writing, and user services.  All these experiences were later put toward his doctoral pursuits, which drew upon various theoretical approaches and ethnographic methods in assessing the connections among communication technology, information networks, and chronic disease among Syrian refugees in Jordan.  In addition to his research he amassed several awards and served in various professional organizations.  In 2022 he graduated with two degrees from the University of Pittsburgh: a Ph.D. and a M.P.H. in Medical Anthropology and Behavioral & Community Health Sciences, respectively. 

 

What is Dr. Bittle-Dockery up to these days?  Well, a couple of things.  He is currently the VP, Senior Experience Strategist for PNC, a bank based in Pittsburgh.  He also works on projects related to improving financial literacy and providing professional mentorship among BIPOC youth with Project Come Up.  He remains interested in his research, with his interests in medical anthropology, surveillance studies, and human ecology (the study of how environment, biology, technology, and demographics affect human cultures and systems).  It will be interesting to see where his experiences and his interests take him as he continues in his varied but fruitful career.

 

Bibliography

Bittle-Dockery, D. (2023, December 11). Darius Bittle-Dockery. Retrieved from Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh: https://www.anthropology.pitt.edu/people/darius-bittle-dockery

Bittle-Dockery, D. (n.d.). Darius Bittle-Dockery, LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusbdockery/

The Tufts Daily. (2008, October). If the shirt fits, customize it, order it, wear it. The Tufts Daily, p. 1.