What does your research focus on?
I’m an archaeologist interested in the different ways people and environments evolve together. One of my research streams investigates how late Ice Age parkland habitats shaped some of the earliest First Nations homelands in Eastern Beringia, a region of ice-free land covering parts of Alaska and Yukon during the last Ice Age.
At our new UTSC geoarchaeology facility, we are focusing on the development of terrestrial coring, micro-fossil and biogeochemical strategies for clarifying relationships among parkland geography, wildlife habitat viability and histories of First Nations settlement across the Yukon Plateau and Pelly River Valley.
How (or why) did you become interested in that line of research?
When I was in elementary school, an archaeologist visited our school to teach us about First Nations history. I’ll never forget the finely carved ivory comb he brought. It charged my imagination of what its owner might have been like, and who would learn about my things in the future.
Layer this with the Mammoth Book of Dinosaurs (Featuring Ice Age Creatures!) and a healthy serving of Nova on PBS, and I found myself drawn to the intersection of geosciences and archaeology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where I developed an interest in how people have adapted to a changing Arctic for thousands of years.
What’s the most interesting aspect about your research that most people won’t know about?
Archaeology tends to be quite popular, with a media persona that promises adventure and treasure. Really though, dirt is the unsung hero of archaeology. The microscopic secrets kept by soils and sediments have so much to offer when it comes to the advancement of sustainable and sensitive archaeologies.
What are you looking forward to most about joining U of T Scarborough?
UTSC has a healthy set of certificate programs designed to meet the needs and interests of a diverse community. I’m excited about the prospect of contributing to a new Heritage Management certificate that aims to map new career pathways for UTSC students. Our campus setting provides wonderful resources in this regard, with Highland Creek and the Campus Farm offering so many opportunities for experiential learning in both heritage studies and geoarchaeology.
What are you reading/watching right now?
To put a bit a of different spin on it, I’m much more into music. I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring Toronto’s many independent record shops – particularly Emissions and Futhark. This week’s pickups include Cave In and Drain.