Dr. Melissa Seaboch has been teaching anthropology at the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College since 1997, and was advanced to Full Professor in 2021
She has taught classes in biological anthropology, archaeology and cultural anthropology, at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
She also leads a primatology field school where she takes students to Costa Rica and mentors them through conducting their own scientific research on howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and capuchin monkeys.
Several of these students have presented their research at local and state conferences.
Community Engaged Learning with service to community partners
Several of her courses are designated as Community Engaged Learning as students learn course material while providing service to community partners, such as the Reserve Sarapiquí, with whom they participate in reforestation projects in Costa Rica, and Utah’s Hogle Zoo.
Additionally, she has taught classes in primatology, paleoanthropology, and forensic anthropology to the community through the Expanding Your Horizons program, which encourages young girls to explore careers in science, and the University of Utah’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
She has received numerous awards and grants through Salt Community College, including:
- The Campus Compact Community Engaged Scholar Award
- Faculty Fellowship Award
- ePortfolio Faculty Award
- Employee Innovation Grants
- Teaching and Learning Grants
- Service Learning Grants
- Community Engagement Grant.
She participated in a faculty exchange with Shitennoji University in Osaka Japan delivering giving lectures to Japanese students and faculty.
She currently serves as the Department Chair for Anthropology and Political Science, and serves on numerous college committees at Salt Lake Community College.
