CAHSS Anthropology Professor Wins Distinguished Service Award

The Council for Museum Anthropology has selected Christina Kreps, anthropology professor and director of the Museum of Anthropology and Museum & Heritage Studies at the University of Denver, as the recipient of its 2025 Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes Kreps’ extraordinary contributions to the field of museum anthropology and her lasting impact on the discipline through her scholarship, leadership and mentorship. 

Throughout her career, Kreps has played a pivotal role in reshaping theory and practice in museum anthropology, particularly through global, comparative, and ethical approaches to scholarship on and within museums of ethnography and world cultures. Internationally recognized for establishing a critical, cross-cultural anthropology of museums, Kreps' work has challenged and expanded conventional understandings of curation, display, and heritage beyond Eurocentric frameworks. 

When asked what this recognition means to her, Kreps said, “I am honored to have my contributions to anthropology and museum studies recognized and affirmed by this award. It acknowledges the value of the scholar-teacher-practitioner model so many of us at DU strive to personify.” 

Furthermore, Kreps’ landmark 2003 monograph, “Liberating Culture,” redefined curatorial practice by challenging Western paradigms and highlighting the “thriving multiplicity of Indigenous curations.” She pioneered what she termed “appropriate museology,” a community-based approach that integrates local knowledge with professional practice. This framework has profoundly shaped contemporary conversations around decolonization, Indigenization, repatriation, and cosmopolitan approaches to museum anthropology. 

In addition to her scholarly achievements, Kreps has made significant contributions to the professional community through editorial and leadership roles. She guided the publication “Museum Anthropology” through its transition from a print to digital modality and co-edited the influential Routledge book series “Museum Meanings” alongside Richard Sandell. She has also served as director of DU's Museum of Anthropology since 2000, making her one of the longest serving anthropology museum directors in the field. 

An exceptional educator and mentor, Kreps has also led DU’s nationally recognized Museum Studies program, fostering an academically rigorous and community-engaged curriculum grounded in anthropological ethics. Her previous students, now working around the world, reflect her enduring influence as a teacher, scholar and leader. 

The College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences congratulates Kreps on this well-deserved recognition of her leadership, scholarship and service to the field of museum anthropology.