I am professor of anthropology at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, US.
I started as an undergraduate at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. I was fortunate that under a cooperative agreement between the colleges, I was able to major in anthropology at Bryn Mawr College, where I had the opportunity to learn from some excellent professors, including Drs. Goodale, deLaguna and Kilbride.
After graduation, I worked for several years as a probation officer in Philadelphia. I continued my graduate studies in anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. My thesis advisor, Bill Davenport, suggested that I do research on Sikaiana in the Solomon Islands. He had done extensive research in the Solomon Islands and provided invaluable direction and advice. My doctoral thesis is based on this research.
In 1988, I began teaching as an adjunct at Kutztown University and in 1990 I augmented this with an adjunct position at Millersville University. I started a tenure track position at Kutztown in 1999.
I am the very proud father of two sons, Bill and Phillip.
My current research interests are concerned with Pennsylvania Germans. But Sikaiana has always been close to my heart.
My CV is here. Donner CV 2020