Anthroguy at Microsoft

Very interesting. It’s nice to see local anthropologists interacting with such a large and successful company and of course, vice versa. It’s nicer to see that Microsoft would interact with Fresno State! It seems that a company as hugely successful as Microsoft values anthropology immensely, and should. A company that creates software that is used by millions on a daily basis, should be. Software companies should be up their in the rankings of necessary use of anthropology. It’s nice that they recognized interdisciplinary teamwork as being crucial – this seems to be a fairly simple concept, but is an aparent weakness with experts. Having people from different fields work together as a team can only improve work output and group cohesiveness. Having the IPA be involved in any possible way with Microsoft would be amazing – it’s nice to see that they even considered it, I think that’s a big step in itself.

It is always refreshing to hear that we as students are actually being prepared for the outside world. Too often has the question of how useful certain curriculum will be in the outside world been brought up and it’s nice to hear that we are not only being given the tools necessary to survive in the outside world, but to excel in it. The fact that this information is coming from a company as huge and successful as Microsoft only gives greater credit to the accolades. It’s great that they recognize the importance of interdisciplinary team work because it cannot be overstated. It is difficult to imagine that any company could thrive without all of its employees working together towards a common goal.

As many previous bloggers have mentioned, and all may agree, it is great to see Fresno State being involved in such a large and prestigious company. It sounds like an invaluable experience and hopefully it leads to bears positive results for the university, students, faculty, and the IPA. As the experience is described in the blog, it appears that Microsoft is hinting at the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork, and further suggesting that it may be lacking at a lot of the major Universities here in the US. With that in mind, I hope that Fresno State takes from the experience and can become a leader on a national scale with its interdisciplinary work. Most importantly, now that the positives have been pointed out, and the areas that can be improved identified, it is important fore the university administration, college, and department staff to stand behind what was learned on the trip and provide the resources to continue what is being done right and improve what needs to be changed.

I’m very excited that this article was written. What an interesting and exciting trip that must have been. Microsoft is obviously one of the biggest companies in the world and for someone from Fresno State to be able to go visit and talk about what we are doing here is pretty exciting. I am an exclusive Microsoft user and I love their products. I especially love what they have done with Microsoft word over the years. The inner workings of a multibillion dollar company like Microsoft is something that I think a lot of us could use some insight on. It’s no surprise that this company has been labeled a hard driving, “type A” organization where it’s all about what you can deliver. It’s so great to know how well the teachers at Fresno State are doing at preparing the students to go on into huge companies like microsoft. It’s one thing to think that we are doing a good job over here, but then to confirm it by observing a company like that, it really shows that we are continuing to put students in a position to be successful for the rest of their lives.

How exciting it must have been to have the opportunity to travel to the Microsoft campus to fill in the MS folks in on design anthropology at Fresno State. It must have been a great feeling to know that you and your colleagues are correctly preparing students for design- oriented work. I think it is great that a professor takes the opportunity to travel, and get a ‘behind the scenes’ look on MS, especially because it benefits the students. Having the opportunity to speak with the MS folk’s means that the curriculum for the Institute for Public Anthropology could be improved. Students who are correctly prepared for could make a better transition from the design insight to more concrete information and will have more of a chance of succeeding with companies like MS. I think it is also great that you took the time to travel to the MS campus (especially over Thanksgiving). More significantly as a professor, it is very important to keep up to date on current information and technology in order to teach the students the most recent and correct information. Technology is always updated and improved. Therefore, there is always the newest of the new when it comes to design and technology. At the meeting you were not only informed that you were doing things right but were also given positive feedback in order to improve the curriculum at Fresno State. I think this is great because I believe that there is always room for improvement. The information that you have been given will greatly improve the Institute for Public Anthropology at Fresno State and will better prepare students for work in the “real world.” It sounds like a pretty fun and interesting trip; definitely sounds like a great experience and also great because it benefited the students and the program.

I think that is a great opportunity to look into the Microsoft campus. It is good to know that Fresno State is recognized by a large corporation like Microsoft. I am glad to hear that Microsoft is interested in developing project involving the IPA. I also see that a company like Microsoft is very efficient and organize in work place and touring Microsoft campus student might gain important experience for real world work place. I am pleased to hear when one of UX manager points our interdisciplinary teamwork as crucial. I think teamwork is very important part of work because it does improve quality of your work as well as your company morale. I am in shock to find out the value of Anthropologist in big corporation like Apple, PG&E, AT&T and Microsoft. Thanks to Mr. Nelle Steele for organizing trip to see how Microsoft works can benefit Fresno State students.

I personally think that it would be very exciting to visit a Microsoft campus. It is interesting to think about how important anthropology could be to that type of organization. I also see the importance of the need for effective change and implementation. Coming up with an idea is great, but the willpower to follow through with the idea is another area altogether. The ability follow through on an action is something that most organizations look for. Microsoft is a big company that is mainly based with conceptual ideas for moving “things” forward into the future. The ability to find a concept and continuously make it better is something of great accomplishment. I am glad to see that our program at Fresno State is getting some recognition from a very powerful social networking organization such as Microsoft.

Wow I think that it is amazing that Fresno State was able to go to the Microsoft campus and get some insight on what makes such a well known company so successful. Not only can we learn a lot from Microsoft but they can learn a lot about Fresno State and what our school is doing to increase the knowledge of its students. Go Dogs! Teamwork is extremely important asset to have especially when it comes to a major company like Microsoft. It’s an absolute necessity and I feel it’s amazing that even some experts don’t have this quality about them. It is good to know that Fresno State is including this into its curriculum. People may be able to get the job done by themselves but it can be much faster and more effective to be able to get the job done while working in a group. It’s truly amazing that anthropology can be connected to so many different areas in life. I never really thought about anthropology being involved in a company like Microsoft but it makes sense. Without anthropology Microsoft probably never would have been as successful as it is now. By studying how a company like Microsoft works gives us an opportunity to know what works and what doesn’t. It is important to witness it firsthand. To be able to know what they are telling you in a textbook actually works and then to be able to see it in real life must be very reinforcing. I agree with Microsoft that it is important to justify yourself by not only doing the reading and doing the research but to make change and drive implementation for that change. It’s important to know what the problem is and then know how to fix it. It’s so exciting that Fresno State was able to go on a trip like this and was able to learn so much from it.

Wow!…What a great experience for the Fresno State anthropology students for going to Microsoft campus. It sounds like it was a very interesting trip to be able to see how Microsoft works for a day. I can see how the Microsoft company can do a great impact for the Fresno state students, how it can help them be prepared for the real world. It is true that once you graduate you have a lot of keeping up to do with all this new technology that is coming out. It sounds like it was a well worth trip to having a glimpse of interworking on how Microsoft functions as a company.

I think it would be very valuable for both the students and the company. The students will get a chance to learn and make new connections. As for Microsoft they will get a chance to get some great employees. It would be great to see if Institute for Public Anthropology and Microsoft did work something out together. I do believe that the Institute for Public Anthropology would greatly benefit Fresno State students. This would give students a chance to having a better understanding and a better transition of the real world. What better way for students to learn more than to have hands on experience. I am really glad to hear that there is this opportunity to prepping students for their future career. I would say that I am one of those students that learn more from hands on experience.

It does sound like the company Microsoft did value the input of an anthropologist. I think it is great to have an instructor that is willing to put time and effort for his students and giving them that chance to explore and become involved in this really neat experience. Good luck with this. Hope to read more about Microsoft helping students at Fresno State.

The direction you are going with spreading the word about anthropology is inspiring. Being able to work on things that you and the students are deeply involved in and are able to share your knowledge with others is incredibly beneficial. The opportunity of speaking at Microsoft can open a lot of doors for Fresno State students. This is a new level of networking for Fresno State, at least that I know of. I’m sure the students appreciate the “real life” experience. You can learn a lot from books, but the real learning starts when you work with professionals in the field. It’s great that they were able to teach you all something as well as welcoming new ideas from your end. It seems that even this huge company is taking an interest in the research methods of anthropologists. On site learning is an essential tool for growing in a position. This type of growth can even be applied to any type of job, whether it is out of college or the jobs you work while in college. Through my experience, I have had to work all through college just to pay to be there. I work as a bartender at the moment, which may seem completely off topic, but it has taught me a lot. I was briefly taught how to make drinks, but nobody taught me how to interact with customers. I was thrown behind the bar (not literally) at a young age and they told me, “well I gave you basic drink information, now it’s up to you to learn the rest. I can’t teach you how to be a good bartender, that’s something you learn through your own experiences behind the bar.” That was really the best way to learn for me. I thought it was easy, but I quickly learned that I was not just a bartender, I became a server, a friend, and a psychologist in a way that I had to listen to everybody’s problems. I learned there on the spot things that I could not learn from anybody just telling me what to expect. So in my opinion, “on the spot” training is the best way for students to learn. It can apply to even the smallest things in life. I think you are doing a great job in leading students in the right direction.

It sounds that your trip to Microsoft was instrumental in updating your curriculum. As a student, I appreciate such efforts, such as this visit to Microsoft, are conducted because it indicates whether we are being prepared properly for the real world. Reading textbooks and doing research to receive a letter grade is one thing, but working in the real world is quite different than our classroom norm. The transition from student to the workforce is not a smooth one. Just like Microsoft, companies have work ethics, culture and expectations that our employers assume we know as graduates. The comments made by the people working in the trenches, or line workers, are so helpful to me. Their perspective are real and a good meter of the real workplace. I also enjoyed the comment of research in how it needs make heavy emphasis on implementation of change. By the way, what do mean by, design oriented? I am not sure what you mean by this. This post is interesting, in that, it talks about the workplace and academia expectations. In other words, Microsoft has expectations of Fresno State students. If they are not met, it means that the academia needs to change their curriculum to compete with the workplace demands. Just like businesses change marketing strategy to compete with other markets, the same needs to be true with academia. After all our success in the workplace is depended how well we adjust and most importantly, how well the school trained us. I find it very interesting, how anthropology is working with Microsoft. I am wondering what types of anthropology projects are currently with this company. In all, this visit offered a glimpse of Microsoft. I am sure that this in-person visit, you were able to observe the company culture and work ethics, as you have noted.

Anthropology is not my major, but this class has been interesting and enlightening in many ways. I have to confess that in completing some of the initial assignments, I did find myself questioning how someone would practically apply anthropology to a career that paid a salary. However, I now see that there many uses for anthropology within many different fields, and I think it is great that the Anthropology faculty is striving to see that it prepares graduates in this field properly, so that they can bring value to an organization and understand how the principles and research methods of anthropology can be applied within an organization to improve innovation and product development. I agree with Celina, that the fact that the anthropology faculty is seeking to ensure that its curriculum is practical and hands-on, and not just theoretical, is reassuring.

I think that is really cool and helpful that you guys (the anthropology department) take students to things like the Microsoft campus. It helps students get an idea of what a real job in their field are going to be like. And maybe even get them some connections. I think more majors should take their students on trips like this. It is good to hear that the anthropology department is preparing their students for the real world with hands on work and group activities. Most classses that I have taken are just lecture. They just want to give you the knowledge that they know of their feild. But they forget that they need to give their students skills to work in the environment. Such as how to work with a team and examples of what some of the jobs in their field will be like. Many of the students on the campus have never had a job before so they do not have these basic working skills that are so important when your out there trying to find a job.

It’s great to hear news about Fresno state reaching out and going to world renowned companies like Microsoft getting “real world” observations and points of views while relaying there own applications in the field of study of anthropology. I believe its easy to get into the mundane cycle of: read, understand, then tested. Which is a descent process of learning, but with the “hands on” or getting a different worldly perspective broadens the horizons and may be more memorable satisfying experience than just reading about or being told it. And with programs such as archhop and library study, I think with these kinds of programs detailing the links of research, data gathering and implementing those ideas to better serve the participants within that community really credits Fresno State as an educational institution that goes beyond just teaching professionals, but imbues interest and caring quality for the public at large.

What an amazing opportunity it must of been to visit the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA! Its awesome to hear fellow bulldog peers taking advantage of the offer also. The trip seemed to be quite educational and rewarding. This type of “real world” exposure definitely puts things into perspective for many of us students and helps prepare us to be more successful (the type of familiarity many of us students need/need more of). Unfortunately, this type of opportunity or organization doesn’t seem to reflect many of the other majors unless you go out individually or set up an intern. In addition to the students, its rewarding to hear we have professors that are offering such an experience and are concerned with being up to date on material/preparation/etc. Knowing people and networking proves to be key. Trying to keep in touch and set up a relationship between MS and Fresno State is brilliant and could hold more promising things/project/etc. in the future. Good luck!

This seems like it was very interesting and cool opportunity. How exciting that Fresno State student got to go and tour the campus. I think most of the students got great experiences from this opportunity. It is hard to recognize when students are just study in the classroom what they are studying for and how to utilize it in the future. However, students might realize what they are studying for and what their future will be. For example, I am Animal science major and the professor took students to field trip. So for, I went to three Dairy farms, two beef farms, public health department, and meat industry. I learned from the class, so I knew how they worked and how they manage their companies, but I realized that the hearing was very different to see things. Also I noticed that differences between knowing and understanding things. That was great experience to me. If I did not have an opportunity to go trip, I did not realized these things until I work at the company. I hope that all departments give this type of opportunity to student more and more. I believe that this experience will help student a lot in the future.

This indeed is a great opportunity for our anthropology department and university. It’s a way to put the researcher universities (namely Fresno State), to use in the real world whether it be business, government, or some other industry. Establishing those connections with industry leaders is important, it gives students a pathway towards a career in a specific field, and it also builds the company skilled workforce. Not to mention the data collected by universities also helps major companies like Microsoft make better products, (especially Microsoft office which is one of their most successful programs). And as stated, it’s no wonder that Microsoft is a type “A” organization. Microsoft is in a very competitive industry, especially with new technology coming about just about every week/month. The ability for an employee and even future employees to meet deadlines, work long hours, and ingenuity is a must for this company/industry.

How exciting to go to Microsoft Campus. I am a big fan of Microsoft and their products. It is good to hear that you doing the right things to help student; going in the right direction. It is great that they had feedback for you. I agree with Kennedy that this is a great opportunity and exposure for Fresno State students. Well I wish I could have gone on that trip, hopefully this will help you and Fresno State in the future to become better sensitivity to product life cycle more into your curriculum and IPA practice. Good luck.