Steven Austin is an anthropologist and specialist in international development as it relates to indigenous peoples in the Americas. He has experience in designing and conducting social needs assessments and social science research projects, writing petitions for Federal acknowledgment, writing grant proposals, participatory development, teaching and training, and conflict mediation. His professional interests include the human rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas, economic anthropology, anthropology of development, ethnicity and nationalism, and the anthropology of religion. EDUCATION: Certificate (Archives, Records and Information Management), University of Maryland  Ph.D. (Anthropology) American University, 1996 M.A. (Anthropology) Louisiana State University, 1988 Certificate (Clinical Pastoral Education), Houston International Seamen's Center, 1984 M.Div. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1982 B.A. (Sociology and Religion) University of Richmond, 1979 Diploma. Manchester High School, Chesterfield County, VA, 1975 SUMMARY OF WORK EXPERIENCE: 1999-pres. Cultural Anthropologist, Austin Research Associates (self-employed consultant). 2003 Elections Observer, monitoring national and local elections in Guatemala Mayan Indian communities, November and December 2003. 1992-1999 Cultural Anthropologist, Branch of Acknowledgment and Research, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior. 1993-2001 Adjunct Professor, Montgomery College (Fall 1999; Spring 2001); Goucher College (Spring 1996); American University (AU; Fall and Summer 1993). 1994 Guest Speaker, two-week tour at request of Mexican government on international rights of indigenous peoples, United States Information Agency (September). 1991-1992 Cultural Anthropologist, Ph.D. dissertation research on Maya Indians in Mexico and Guatemala (October to October). 1989-1991 Consultant, Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, Development Support Systems, Inc. (DSSI); Coauthored a successful grant proposal to the PANOS Institute for rapid rural appraisal of economic and social needs of the Aguaruna and Huambisa indigenous communities in Peru; completed the research project and coauthored final report. 1991 Facilitator at an all-day workshop on participatory development data-gathering