Olivia is an archaeology PhD student at Pitt, conducting research with the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project. She is interested in studying political structure, community, and the role of foodways and ecology on identity and social dynamics in Classic Maya society.

Emma is working with the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project to study Maya human-plant interactions during key environmental shifts. She uses paleoethnobotany and stable isotopes to learn about the role of plants in dietary and ritual changes during the Maya collapse and into the Colonial period.

Casandra’s primary interests revolve around human-environmental interactions on a macro scale. Her focus is on past and present indigenous responses to climate change in Central America from the Preclassic to modern times. She uses a combination of archaeological and cultural methods to explore community landscape management techniques.

Nick is a graduate student interested in the archaeology of human-environmental interactions and how they influence - and have been influenced by - human conflict. With data science skills gained from a background in physics, he enjoys analysis and fieldwork in equal measures. When not doing research, he can be found hiking, rock climbing, and engaging in environmental justice advocacy.

Ian's dissertation research is focused on human-animal relationships in ritual ceremonies. He is interested in learning about the life histories of ritually important animals through stable isotope analysis, including documenting their geographic origin and diet. His research is based across four ancient Maya sites in western Belize, seeking to understand if the ceremonial use of specific species correlates with ecological changes and social pressures over time. 

Gretchen collaborates with the Archaeological Expedition at Nuri and the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (Sudan) to investigate identity and the biocultural impacts of sociopolitical change in the Nile River Valley. Her research employs bioarchaeological methods and isotopic analysis to explore variations in diet, migration, and health, revealing insights into life trajectories and social relations in the ancient past.