Most recently, I have been the Postdoctoral Researcher in Data Interpretation and Public Engagement with the Alexandria Archive and Open Context, where I was one of two postdocs working on open access “data stories,” narratives and tutorials backed by deeper layers of open and reproducible analytic and visualization code, as well as primary research data. The Digital Data Stories Project, a three-year initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation, seeks to widen and diversify community engagement with cultural heritage data, providing much-needed scaffolding to guide professionals, students, and lifelong learners in thoughtful engagement with research data.
I completed my doctorate in archaeology at the University of York (United Kingdom) in 2020 under the supervision of Dr Sara Perry. While at York I was an HRC Doctoral Fellow, and a member of several external projects, including the VR strand of the EMOTIVE Project, the visualization team at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, and the heritage team on the Co-Production Networks for Community Heritage in Tanzania Project (CONCH). In addition to my education at York, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Maya Studies at the University of Central Florida, a Certification in Cultural Heritage Law at the University of Geneva, my MA at the University of Leicester, where my research was in GIS and predictive modeling, and my BGS at Texas Christian University, where I focused on Maya archaeology.
Prior to my doctoral research, I was employed for over 15 years in cultural resource management and archaeological consulting. I worked across the southern and southwestern United States in this capacity, ultimately owning and managing my own consultancy firm. This endeavor required meticulous record-keeping, the use of digital tools and methodologies, and participation in community engagement work with multiple stakeholder groups.
Aside from my work in digital heritage and digital archaeology, I also have a demonstrated history of teaching and educational outreach. During my time in cultural resource management in the United States, I balanced research, fieldwork, and running a business with secondary and collegiate level teaching, and organized and oversaw a tutorial program for first-generation university-bound students. This program required securing external funding from governmental bodies and private sources, and was a major contributor to increased university attendance rates amongst the population I was attempting to serve. I have continued to engage in teaching since arriving in the UK, and hold Associate Fellowship status in the Higher Education Academy.
I have cats, dogs, and an active presence on various social media platforms as Archaeoethicist.