Student

Emily Lange

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Major: Anthropology – Archaeology Concentration
Year: Junior

My name is Emily Lange, and I am currently studying archaeology with a minor in classical and religious studies. I absolutely love archaeology, and am excited to be serving as an archaeology research assistant at my university. I have additional research and fieldwork experience through my participation in the REU: Exploring Evidence of the Anthropocene. Within my discipline, I am particularly interested in Near Eastern archaeology, prehistoric settlement patterns, and the origins of agriculture. I am so excited for the opportunity to participate in this unique project, and can’t wait to learn more about Middle Stone Age environment and its inhabitants.

Keenan Riordan

University of Texas at Dallas
Major: Physics
Year: Freshman

I’m a freshman attending the University of Texas at Dallas, I was born and raised in Austin, Texas and currently I’m majoring in physics. I love the challenge of physics and I find tremendous joy in solving problems that I devote time to think about. Outside of school I like to power lift, write poetry (on occasion), and draw. This will be my first professional research experience and I am immensely excited to go overseas and conduct actual field work!

Braenn Smith

Sheridan College
Major: Machine Tool Technology
Year: Freshman

I am a first year student studying Machining at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming. I’ve always been fascinated by archaeology and I am so excited to participate in the Program. The only experience I’ve had in archaeology was assisting Professor Kappelman and Dr. Larry Todd into the backcountry of Meeteetse, Wyoming to dig. My hobbies include playing guitar, horn-hunting, fishing, and welding. My love of history and my interest in archaeology come from growing up in Wyoming; an area full of rich history. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful program!

Lindsey Trombetta

Austin Community College
Major: Anthropology

My name is Lindsey Trombetta, and I’m an anthropology major with an archaeology concentration currently attending ACC in Austin Texas. I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to take part in the MSA REU program, and am particularly interested in the ritual customs and activities of the distant past and how these may have influenced early human behavior and the origins of culture. Outside of school I am a borosilicate glassblower and love traveling as much as I possibly can. Locally I enjoy hiking, rock climbing and stand up paddle boarding- usually with at least one of my two dogs in tow!

Jordon Crowell

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Major: Anthropology
Year: Junior

I am a junior majoring in Anthropology. I currently hold a TA position for an intro class for Biological Anthropology at my university. My interests within the field of Anthropology are
focused with early hominin evolution. My hobbies outside of my academics are reading, playing ultimate Frisbee, and occasionally relaxing with friends. This is will be my first time doing any
field work outside of the United States and I look forward to experiencing a completely new culture.

Karla de la Cruz

Southwest Texas Junior College
Major: Chemical Engineering
Year: Junior

I am currently one semester away from beginning my Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. Besides my interest in chemistry, there are many things I enjoy to do. I love photography, art, plan propagation, and spending time with my family and two dogs. I’m excited for this REU, since it will be my first research experience outside of my field.

Matthew Fanuka

Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Major: Anthropology
Year: Junior

I am a junior currently majoring in evolutionary anthropology and minoring in geological sciences. My dream as a child was to be an archaeologist, and after many career and major changes, it seems that I’ve accidentally chosen to study archaeology, and I couldn’t be happier doing it. I’m more than excited to get hands on experience with real artifacts and data, and to meet everyone else who shares my passion for anthropology!

Brittany Highland

University of South Alabama
Major: Anthropology
Year: Junior

My name is Brittney Highland, and I am a junior at the University of South Alabama where I currently study. Anthropology is my first true love, and I have dedicated myself and my
life to research in this field. I am deeply passionate about Paleoanthropology, and Evolutionary Anthropology. My independent studies and research focuses on subsistence practices and
cultural transmission of hominin. My hobbies include painting, going to the beach, and exploring the outdoors. I am thrilled to be a part of MSA REU Program, and I am excited to learn more
about the depths of the human past.

Sierra Melton

Colorado College
Major: Geology
Year: Junior

I am a geology major and environmental issues minor, and I absolutely love science, rock climbing, biking, and hiking. At Colorado College, I enjoy participating in environmental student groups, working with the Office of Sustainability, and singing in choir. I have previously researched archaeological sites in New Mexico, sediment in tidally-influenced Texas rivers, and soil loss on construction sites in North Carolina. Currently, I am learning about ice and climate science while studying abroad in Denmark. In the MSA program, I hope to gain insight into past environmental changes and the ways in which environmental fluctuations have influenced past humans. I could not be more excited to build on my passions for geology and archaeology in this unique research program!

Lexi Roberts

University of Texas at Austin
Major: Anthropology
Grade: Junior

I am a junior with a current focus in biology, specifically on the evolutionary dynamics of various organisms under heavy selection pressures. I work in an eco-evo lab at UT Austin researching the co-evolution of stickleback fish and their parasites, as well as altruism and cooperation in vampire bats from Panama. I am also a passionate rock climber, animal bone/bug collector, and long-range backpacker. This research program is an exciting addition to my repertoire, and I hope to learn something new about how early humans co-evolved with their environment (and maybe I’ll even find some neat rocks to climb in the highlands!)

Megan Plummer

Western Washington University
Major: Anthropology- Archaeology concentration
Year: Junior

I’m from southeastern Idaho but am currently living in Washington state for college. I am an anthropology-archaeology concentration major with a minor in chemistry. I love to backpack, fish, bike, climb, ski and – in general – have fun outdoors. I have been to one other dig in Cody, Wyoming and have worked for about one year in as an undergraduate chemistry researcher student studying polymer ligands for luminescent solar concentrators. My childhood dream of becoming an archaeologist still lives on and I am stoked to be a part of the project! I thoroughly look forward to meeting other budding archaeologists and scientists in a vastly different environment. I am very excited about the tent camp, local food, and to meet the community surrounding our
project in Ethiopia!

Sierra Yanny

Montana State University
Major: Liberal Studies – Quaternity
Year: Junior

I am Junior at MSU working on getting my BA degree with the pre-Medical intake program. I’d say my interests are well-rounded ranging from fine art to natural science. I’m a dedicated student with high hopes of making my way into Medical Illustration or even medical school. I would like to take my interests beyond the U.S. into the Anthropology realm of Ethiopia.

Fred Foster

Site Manager, 2015-2016
Rutgers University
Graduate student

I am a graduate student in the Evolutionary Anthropology program at Rutgers University, and a graduate affiliate with the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies. My research interests center on the growth and development of fossil primates, and hominins in particular. I am especially interested in how sympatric relationships between closely related species in the fossil record may be affected by different ontogenetic patterns. I received my MSc from the University College of London, where I studied the lithic raw material acquisition strategies of hominins from beds III and IV at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. My field experience includes work at sites in Tanzania, Kenya, and the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, in both archaeological and forensic contexts. I am currently working through a mild addiction to salt and vinegar potato chips, which I hope to beat before the upcoming field season in Ethiopia.

Sissi Mattox

Site Manager, 2015-2016
University of Texas at Austin
Year: Senior

I am a senior graduating in December 2015 from the University of Texas majoring in Anthropology and minoring in International Business. My interests include population genetics and the ethical, legal, social, and political implications of genetic research, including the ways in which genetic ancestry studies intersect with ideas about race, ethnicity, and identity. Outside of my academics, I was the president of the Equestrian team at UT and I take an excessive number of pictures of my dachshund Lincoln.

Keri Porter

Site Manager, 2015-2016
University of Texas at Austin
Major: Anthropology
Year: Senior

I am a senior at the University of Texas majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Advertising. After graduating in the spring of 2016, I plan on taking a year off before pursuing a Ph.D. in Anthropology. After completing my education, I hope to help design educational software for anthropology using augmented reality. My interests include cannibalism in the fossil record, hominin diets, and the evolution of the skull and spine.