William R. Jankowiak

The UNLV community mourns the passing of William R. Jankowiak, Barrick Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, who passed away on July 19. An internationally recognized scholar of Chinese society, human intimacy, and cross-cultural anthropology, he was a beloved colleague and mentor.

For more than three decades at UNLV, Jankowiak established himself as one of the world's leading anthropologists of love, family, sexuality, and human relationships. His scholarship combined ethnographic depth with an uncommon willingness to ask big questions about what it means to be human. Whether writing about urban China, Mongolian identity, polygamous communities in the American West, or the universality of romantic love and pair bonding, he pursued ideas that crossed disciplinary boundaries while remaining grounded in careful fieldwork and comparative research.

His most influential books, including Romantic Passion: A Universal Experience?, Sex, Death and Hierarchy in a Chinese City, Family Life in China, and Illicit Monogamy, helped shape scholarship across anthropology, psychology, sociology, and Chinese studies. He authored a dozen books and more than 130 scholarly articles. He was invited to present his research around the world, sharing his anthropological insights with audiences through documentaries, podcasts, and international media. His greatest legacy, however, was the community of students he inspired.

Jankowiak remained deeply engaged in scholarship even in the final months of his career. Following publication of his essay on pair bonding in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, he shared a note with colleagues that captured both his humility and quiet pride: “The article ‘Pair Bonding Universal’ was published in the UK Royal Society Philosophical Transactions. It was founded in 1665 and published 14 of Isaac Newton's works—not a bad place to capstone a career.” It was a fitting reflection on a lifetime devoted to understanding the human condition. His scholarship transformed the study of love, family, and human relationships, but those who knew him will remember something even more enduring: a teacher who welcomed conversation, challenged assumptions, and inspired others to ask the questions that matter most.

The UNLV community extends its deepest condolences to Jankowiak’s family, friends, former students, collaborators, and colleagues around the world. He is survived by his wife and daughter, who reside in Las Vegas.

The Department of Anthropology and the College of Liberal Arts will hold a campus-wide celebration of life on Sept. 24 at UNLV.