Monica Smith, a 1987 Ph.D. graduate published an article Fundamentals of the State in the October 2022 issue of the Annual Review of Anthropology. Dr. Smith's article discusses, "archaeological and historical assessments of state beginnings—and research on the characteristics of the state form in both past and present," and how theycan, "help address how the state as a social, economic, and territorial construct became dominant."

Dr. Smith is now a professor for the Department of Anthropology as well as the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at University of California, Los Angeles. Additionally, she is the Navin and Pratima Doshi Chair in Indian Studies at UCLA.