Barry S. Hewlett, a medical anthropologist at WSU Vancouver, retired spring of 2024 after a long and varied career.
He earned his AB and MA degrees at California State University, Chico and his PhD from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is best known for his study of the Aka (Pygmy tribe) people of Central Africa.
In 2000, during the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, Hewlett was invited to join a World Health Organization Ebola team. His experiences there helped bridge the cultural gap that proved a vital role in disease outbreak efforts.
He worked with his wife, Bonnie Hewlett, who concentrates her study on the Aka women and health issues.