“So much as [Portland State] is the land of untraditional students, I’m the untraditional new faculty person, because I haven’t been in academia for 15 years,” Charles Klein, the new applied medical anthropologist at PSU, said.
Kayla Nguyen/VANGUARD STAFF
Charles Klein is the newest applied medical anthropologist at PSU.
Since getting his doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1996, Klein has worked at a number of places around the globe, as well as in a number of different areas: the private sector, the public sector and, now, the world of higher education.
This term, Klein is teaching “Social Theory” and “Peoples and Culture of Latin America.” In the past, a lot of his work involved research in Brazil.
Klein’s work includes community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, AIDS activist organizations, women’s feminist groups, sex-worker organizations and violence and sexuality.
“I’m interested in this question of nongovernmental organizations, or community-based organizations, and the state and who does what,” Klein said. “Especially in a place like Brazil, that’s not one of these hot economies—and though income inequalities are still really shocking, they are diminishing.”
As a new person in town, Klein said that he’s very much looking forward to finding the organizations all around Portland that fit his interests, and getting himself involved.
Something Klein has noticed is a wide range of students at PSU. One student might be straight out of high school and the next is coming back to school after a number of years.
“I like that,” Klein said. “And I like the fact that people want it to be practical and want to know how it can be applied to their lives and to the community.”
Klein encourages all students to be open-minded in their classes, and to say something. “If it’s not making sense to you—if it’s not relevant or pertinent to you—speak,” Klein said. “Because if I don’t hear it, then I don’t know.”
Outside of academics, Klein is excited to be in Portland and have the opportunity to see what the city offers. He enjoys the outdoors and loves everything about snow.
Living in Northeast Portland, Klein joins the hundreds of other PSU commuters and rides his bike to campus.