Ilaria Pretelli, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of anthropology at Penn State whose research uses an evolutionary perspective to explore human behavior, family dynamics, and the role of children in families and communities. Combining fieldwork with quantitative and computational methods, her work examines how family life, childhood, and human development have evolved. Her research has taken her from Italy to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and field sites in Tanzania and Brazil.
In this Q&A, Pretelli reflects on her international research journey, what attracted her to Penn State, and how everyday human behavior inspires her work.
Q&A with Ilaria Pretelli
What is your area of expertise, and what led you to your field of research?
I’m an evolutionary scholar who studies human behavior from an evolutionary perspective, particularly the evolution of the human family and the role of children within it.
I first studied biology in Italy, where I became interested in human evolution. For my master’s project, I studied bumblebees as an Erasmus student at Imperial College London. These eusocial insects represent one end of the family spectrum and offer fascinating inspiration for thinking about human families.
I then pursued my Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, where I developed quantitative and computational skills, conducted fieldwork on the island of Pemba in Tanzania, and began thinking more deeply about childhood and family evolution. Before joining Penn State, I completed a postdoctoral position at the Toulouse School of Economics in France, working alongside economists and political scientists and learning how other social sciences approach human behavior.
Why Penn State?
The Department of Anthropology at Penn State is one of the best, if not the best, in the world for my area of research. It is a highly quantitative department, which is not the norm in anthropology, and the quality of its research is outstanding!
Who inspires you?
Everyone! I admire my mentors, colleagues, and the scholars I’ve met throughout my career, and I’ve learned something from most of them.
However, I think I draw the most inspiration from everyday people I encounter in the field, meet in passing, or read about in the news. Their experiences remind me that everyday decisions and behaviors are shaped by both immediate needs and larger goals, which we describe as proximate and ultimate causes. These behaviors can also be understood through an evolutionary lens. Ultimately, I think humans are really cool and interesting, and I feel very lucky to be able to study them, including ourselves!
What is one thing you’ve learned since coming to Penn State?
I discovered, much to my surprise, that I’m ready to give back at least some of what I’ve learned! I’m looking forward to developing my role as a teacher and mentor, and I hope to make a meaningful contribution to Penn State students.
How do you spend your time outside of research?
I have a toddler at home, so most of my time outside of work is dedicated to basic survival!
I have plenty of interests, although I’m not particularly good at any one of them. I enjoy reading both nonfiction and fiction, and I’m interested in visual arts, especially photography and drawing. I’ve recently been trying watercolor painting because it fits well with childcare. I’m Italian, so I stereotypically enjoy cooking and eating, and I also knit, mostly at conferences, so I’m not sure whether that really counts as an outside-of-work activity!
From studying bumblebees to exploring the evolution of human families, Pretelli’s international research journey reflects her curiosity about what makes humans unique. As she continues her work at Penn State, her commitment to understanding human behavior and mentoring students highlights the exciting connections between evolutionary research, everyday life, and the next generation of scholars.
Learn more about Ilaria's work here.