(Photo by: Josiah Ann Nelson)

Bill McFarland was a freshman at the University of Central Florida, sitting in classes that he did not find fun or very engaging. He was going to school for something he immediately realized was a mistake, and he drifted through his first year until he took a general anthropology class at the start of his sophomore year.

“The idea that there was a framework for understanding the world and a framework for understanding people, plus the professor was really good at telling stories,” Professor McFarland, chair of the anthropology department, said. “He was communicating these complex ideas through stories. It just all made sense.”

He then decided to take this newfound love of the world and people and study anthropology.

“I thought, ‘Well, this is something I could absolutely do,’” McFarland said. “The professor was a cultural anthropologist, and I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll do cultural anthropology.’”

However, his true love became archaeology when he was selected for a research project.

“I did cultural anthropology for about two or three years; that was the track I was on. And then I had an opportunity to do field work,” McFarland said. “Professors at Central Florida had a field project in Belize, and they would take a dozen or so students each year, and so I applied, and I was accepted to go on that, and I just immediately fell in love with doing field work in archaeology.”

McFarland is part of the JCCC Anthropology Department and has been with the college for 21 years. He teaches physical anthropology and world prehistory, to name a few, as well as many other anthropology classes throughout his career. He is also currently teaching an honors class called “The Good Life,” which focuses on advanced topics in anthropology.

Something Iskandar Azizi, a student in McFarland’s class, really appreciates is the knowledge he is gaining from his course.

“We don’t only learn theoretical knowledge,” Azizi said. “We learn wisdom, which is applicable knowledge.”

One of McFarlane’s goals in his classes is to be an ambassador to the discipline of anthropology. He wants students to go to another layer and ask themselves questions about who they are and where they want to go.

“But ask them that from an anthropological perspective, here’s what anthropologists think about the world,” McFarlane said. “I’m trying to figure out where you are in the world.”

Part of being an ambassador is providing resources to deepen the topic’s meaning. He touches on many subjects, professionals and authors. Then he will provide students with information to help them expand their knowledge.

“I really like that he gives you extra resources for things you’re interested in,” said Janet Turrietta.

Students find his teaching style engaging, and he carries that perspective to all of his classes.

“I just love that he is really super personable,” said Agnes Turrietta, a student in his class. “I love how he kind of takes the serious topics and turns them into something that’s a little more accessible.”

McFarlane’s classes have a give-and-take between discussions and lectures that fosters open, honest dialogue between student and professor.

“I think every single one of my classes, there is a balance between my lecture and discussions,” McFarlane said. “In the best classes, it’s not quite half-and-half, but almost half of their interaction is we’re discussing concepts, we’re discussing readings, we’re discussing research, whatever it is.”