Program: Anthropology
Specialization: Archaeology & Digital Humanities
Courses you are teaching this year:
Cultural Heritage of the American SW (ANTH 337/837)
Anthropology of Death (ANTH 215)
What is your favorite course to teach and why?
It really varies. My favorite course is usually whatever I am teaching at the moment. Right now I am teaching ANTH 337 and ANTH 837 which covers the archaeology and cultural heritage of the American Southwest. This is my research area, so it's always a joy to share my passion for the SW with students. As our country is grappling to confront structural and systemic racism, this is a particularly interesting time to be thinking about which histories are memorialized and celebrated in public monuments and discourse. I'm enjoying working with the students to connect these contemporary issues with the deep and divergent Indigenous and colonial histories in the context of the US Southwest.
How and/or why did you choose this field?
I have a lifelong fascination with material culture which has taken various forms over the course of my life (art history, philosophy of aesthetics and anthropology). I arrived in archaeology by a circuitous route too long (and boring!) to recount here.
The short version of the story is that I did my first archaeology field school in Rosewell, NM and it changed my life.
What are you currently researching?
How to reconcile Indigenous histories with archaeological approaches in order to achieve a more human(e) and inclusive understanding of the past.
What are some ways students can be involved in your research?
I work with students in a variety of capacities: through UCARE projects (summer and academic year), independent study courses, directed readings courses, grant-funded positions (when possible), and on a volunteer basis.
Why should students major in your field?
If anthropology has piqued your interest, I would urge students to check out the American Anthropological Association's "Advance Your Career" Section of their website. Students may find this page particularly useful.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work (hobbies, other interests)?
Spending time with my family, yoga, gardening, camping, hiking and travel.
