Aunchalee Palmquist, an assistant professor of anthropology, was awarded a post-Ph.D. grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation to aid research on "Taking Milk from Strangers: An Anthropological Study of Internet Breast Milk Sharing in the U.S."
This $17,000 grant will enable Palmquist to add a multi-sited ethnographic component to her project , which will involve spending time with milk sharing donors and recipients as a way to learn more about their milk sharing experiences and practices. “An anthropological perspective leads to a deeper understanding of the bio cultural complexities of breast feeding and milk sharing. It also provides greater insight into some of the current controversies surrounding milk sharing practices.”
The Wenner-Gren grant complements FR&D funds Palmquist has also received from Elon to support this research.