I believe reconstructing paleoenvironments is the key to understanding Human evolution.

My research investigates human–environment interactions and subsistence patterns. I use a multi-proxy approach to reconstruct environmental contexts, combining traditional zooarchaeological and taphonomic methods with evolutionary theory to answer questions about early human behavior and adaptation.

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

Paleoanthropology, zooarchaeology, taphonomy, ecomorphology, bioarcheology, osteology, paleopathology, experimental archaeology, geomorphology, human-environmental interactions, life history, adaptive morphology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, stable isotopes, zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry, the evolution of the human diet, hunter-gatherers, spatial analysis GIS, site accumulation & deposition.

My diverse background in biological anthropology, bioarcheology, paleoecology, taphonomy, and zooarchaeology gives me a unique perspective.

I am an active member of the Gona Project in Ethiopia, where I’ve conducted fieldwork since 2010. I have also piloted field and museum research with the Baringo Paleontological Research Project in Kenya, and studied paleopathology on human remains from the Sacred Valley region of Peru and Connecticut. Currently, I am also conducting isotope analyses on fauna from the Chawin Punta Project in Pasco, Peru, and identifying fauna for the Malawi Ancient Lifeways and Peoples Project (MALAPP). My long-term goals are to continue my research with the Gona Project, further develop fieldwork collaborations with the Chawin Punta and MALAPP Projects

Grants

Research: External Grants

  • 2023 Brownfield Municipal Grant Round 18, Department of Economic and Community Development ($178,800)

  • 2018 Grants in Aid of Research, Sigma Xi ($1,000)

  • 2018 Dissertation Fieldwork Grant, Wenner-Gren Foundation ($16,079)

  • 2017 General Grant, The Leakey Foundation ($6,694)

Research: Internal Yale Grants

  • 2019 Smith Fund, Department of Anthropology, Yale University ($1,000)

  • 2018 YIBS Graduate Research Awards, Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies ($2,770)

  • 2018 Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies ($4,370)

  • 2017 International Dissertation Research Fellowship, The MacMillan Center ($13,710)

  • 2017 Dean’s Fund for Research Workshops, Seminars, and Colloquia, Yale GSAS ($1,000)

  • 2016 The Augusta Hazard Fund, Council on Archaeological Studies, Yale University ($2,000)

  • 2016 Pre-Dissertation Grant, The MacMillan Center, Yale University ($2,700)

  • 2016 Lindsay Fellowship for Research in Africa, The MacMillan Center ($3,000)

  • 2015 Albert Williams Fund, Department of Anthropology, Yale University ($2,285)

Teaching Grants

  • 2024 Faculty Development Grant, “Endless at Eastern”, Eastern Connecticut State University ($1,500)

  • 2015 Digital Education Innovation Grant, Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning ($1,000)